Presence of the Past:
Some things, once lost, can never be truly replicated. You may want to grab a cup of tea, and take a few minutes to breathe as you glance over the photos held here. Layer your photographic journey with a conversation, won't you? Brenda Bohmer opens up on "BAWLF BEGINNINGS" about the imperative nature of saving the architectural artifacts that rest precariously in her village.
The sweeping lines of the United Church in Bawlf are unmistakable. When you wander her way, there is no mistaking where you've found yourself. There is no worry about blending in to nothingness. No sense of "same" even in the realms of imagination. When I see the 1907 plaque taking its place beside the capped entry, I have to wonder, what was happening on that stoop the day someone decided to hang those numbers? Whose feet have helped to bring the ware to the stares? What was it like, when those doors swung open three and four times a week? Where there games of hide and seek involved? Stories of lives lived centuries, even millenniums before?
|
A heritage of care:Brenda Bohmer carries on the traditions of her mother, Lil Loken Bohmer. Lil was a teacher until she got married. Not only did she attend a local one room school house, she eventually taught in one. Brenda's mother, now deceased, gathered a large collection of photos documenting the history of Bawlf. These artifacts are now lovingly cared for by her daughter. She was in charge of record keeping for the village cemetery as well. Together, Brenda and her mother synthesized many family histories from the area, to create a concise log of their communities beginnings. Some of this work can be seen in the gallery below. Brenda now passionately calls for preservation of place. Even though she knows the value of photographs, she never wants to have to rely only on this type of second best for future generations.
|