I was never captivated by history at school. Maybe it was the dull manner in which it was taught. Maybe I was unlucky with the teachers I had, unable to bring the past to life. Or maybe it was the focus on kings and queens, generals and politicians, rather than the lives of ordinary people. Certainly it is the latter that most interests me today.
Visiting historical sites has become a highlight of my travels, but I enjoy most those places where daily life in the past comes to life. Not for me the sites of battles; I would rather see where people lived, shopped, played. Whether rich or poor, close to home or on the other side of the world, the daily lives and experiences of other people will always interest me the most. In fact, that is true both of travel in general, not just history. But it is images of history that John asks us to share for this week’s Lens Artists challenge.
How can we photograph the past? By visiting those places that are most successful in bringing it to life. Here are some that best achieved that for me.
Note: I could fill (and probably have!) a hundred or more posts with this topic. Many of the places I mention below have already been covered in more depth here, so I’ve included links in case you’d like to explore further.
Most of the photos in my galleries are captioned, so do please click on them to get more information.
Beamish
I’m starting fairly close to home, at Beamish, the self-styled ‘Living Museum of the North’, not far from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. As I wrote in an earlier post devoted to the museum:
Here is a farm of the 1940s, its soil tilled by Land Girls. Here is a 1900s pit village, complete with colliery and mine office. In one of the cottages a miner’s socks are drying in front of the range. And here is a whole street from a 1900s town, with dentist’s surgery, car workshop, Co-operative store, park with bandstand, and of course a pub!
On the streets of the town and village you will meet the locals, dressed in the everyday clothes of their time. They are happy to stop and chat, or pose for a photo. A tram might pass by, or an old bus, and if your legs are weary you can hop on board to be transported, literally, to another time and place.
My feature photo was also taken here and was edited with Nik Silver Efex to give a vintage feel.
Bodie
Bodie, in California, is a former gold mining town, now a ghost town which, as the state park website says, has been ‘preserved in a state of arrested decay’. It looks largely as it did when the last residents left, its buildings still furnished and stocked with goods, offering a unique glimpse into the past.
Colonial Williamsburg
In Colonial Williamsburg we were introduced to life in 18th century Virginia by talented re-enactors who described their homes, their lives and the events that shaped early colonial America. That visit was some years ago and these images are scans of 35mm slides, hence the less good quality.
Takayama
And in Takayama we visited merchant houses, built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were designed to accommodate both family and business life. Although sparsely furnished they are undeniably beautiful and it wasn’t difficult to imagine the occupants going about their daily lives and work.
Hiroshima
I’m finishing with somewhere completely different. In places like Beamish, Bodie and Takayama we see ordinary lives well-lived. Tough lives yes, or at least tougher than most of ours, but ordinary lives for their times. Elsewhere however we discover lives touched or even destroyed by tragedy. Some will shy away from visiting places like Hiroshima, where on a single day in August 1945 tens of thousands lost their lives. But I feel it’s important to understand how such places, and what happened in them, shape the present-day lives of the country’s people.
I’ll finish with the words on a plaque on the Peace Park’s Cenotaph, which seems very apposite just now:
The inscription on the front panel offers a prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims and a pledge on behalf of all humanity never to repeat the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima — enduring grief, transcending hatred, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace.
62 Comments
Leya
You have blown life in history for us, Sarah – a trick my history teachers never managed to do…Thank you again!
Sarah Wilkie
That’s so nice to hear – thank you so much ☺️
grandmisadventures
me too, history in school was so boring with teachers droning on about dates and facts. But when you actually go somewhere and see where the history happened, it makes all the difference. Now I love history and learning about it. It takes getting out of the textbook and see the place.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, seeing the places where those historical events actually happened really does help to bring them to life in a way that just talking about them can perhaps never do. Thank you Meg 🙂
equinoxio21
PPS. History should be the major discipline taught at school. 😉 (With the best teachers…)
equinoxio21
PS. Obviously the reminder of what war can do, is most welcome in this reign of King Leer.
Sarah Wilkie
I chose to include it with exactly that in mind, naturally!
equinoxio21
I thought you might be. 😉
I find it always a “réconfort” to see how 99.9% of our blogger friends anywhere in the world are on the “same page” as Americans say. Heart warming.
equinoxio21
From Beamish to Hirsohima… That is quite a stretch. But a welcome one. With one element in common: people lived or live there.
(And I loved your two people shots in Beamish…) (Do they speak Geordie there?)
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m glad you liked the ‘stretch’ 😀 Chosen deliberately for variety, of course! Beamish is in County Durham where they have a regional accent akin to Geordie but not quite the same. An outsider might not be aware of the differences on first hearing them but a born and bred Geordie like my husband would pick up on them immediately. Having said that, those reenactors might live in Newcastle for all I know, and be true Geordies – it’s only about a 30 minute drive to Beamish from there so very commutable.
equinoxio21
That’s what’s fantastic about accents. 30 mns drive and the accent is -slightly-different.
Tina Schell
Agree wholeheartedly with you about truly disliking history in school and absolutely loving it now. Something definitely wrong with the dry way it’s covered, such that you have no interest in it whatsoever. Like you, once I started traveling of I became fascinated by it. Your post is a lovely visit to the past in several different environments. Of course the most moving is your final set but I did truly also love the friendly faces in your opening set.
Sarah Wilkie
So many people have agreed with that comment about disliking history in school . I think Rose (below) hit the nail on the head when she says that ‘history was taught by making us memorize dates, instead of immersing us in stories’. Glad you enjoyed the variety here – thank you Tina 🙂
wetanddustyroads
Berto always says that to understand the present, one must also know and acknowledge the history. Beamish looks like a very interesting place to visit – there is so much character. ‘Lasting world peace’ – that is probably the wish of millions of people. Oh yes, and your feature photo is beautiful.
Sarah Wilkie
Berto is right, but there’s a famous quote from Aldous Huxley: ‘That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.’
Beamish is fabulous – highly recommended if ever you find yourselves visiting the north of England!
Rose
I’ve often wondered why history was taught by making us memorize dates, instead of immersing us in stories. Like you Sarah, I’m more interested in every day life, how did people survive and thrive under the rich and powerful. The words on a plaque on the Peace Park’s Cenotaph – so touching, so hopeful, if only the rest of the world could learn and do this, especially leaders in the USA…
Sarah Wilkie
That’s such a good point Rose, and I’m sure the best history teachers do immerse their students in stories, but mine failed to do so, on the whole. You’re right about the plaque too, sadly.
Anonymous
I loved your post and images. You have a wonderful feel for history and it comes through your images.
Sarah Wilkie
Much appreciated, anonymous person 😀
Sofia Alves
Thank you for this wonderful post, Sarah, it’s just up my street. I always loved history and did well at school but I think it was because I’m very good remembering dates. It was a shame they never focused on the why things happened.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sofia 😊 I think I would have been OK at remembering the dates if I cared much about them! I did very well at English, remembering long quotes from Shakespeare and other authors, and at languages, but my history teachers never managed to convince me that it really mattered, unfortunately.
thehungrytravellers.blog
You know, I’ve always wanted to go to Beamish ever since I heard of it probably 30 odd years ago, still haven’t got round to it. I also didn’t enjoy history at school yet I should have been…I’ve always said that the failing of teaching history back then was that they taught us what and when but never why or how.
Sarah Wilkie
I hope you get to Beamish, it’s an absolutely excellent museum and you can easily spend a whole day there! It would probably justify a trip up north to that area even if there weren’t tons of other things to see and do up there, which of course there are! And you’re spot on – ‘they taught us what and when’, that’s exactly how I remember it.
thehungrytravellers.blog
I really need to prioritise Beamish, didn’t I
Leanne Cole
Bodie was a great place to include, I thought about doing it, but decided not to. I love the first lot of photos. I can relate to those a lot. Great post Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Many thanks Leanne 😊 I wondered if you might feature Bodie! Beamish is disconcertingly relatable, especially now that the museum is expanding to include 1950s and 1960s houses and shops.
Anonymous
Thankyou for sharing Sarah and for refreshing my memories of many trips to Beamish. I wonder if someone should send that last comment to Trump? 🤔
Sarah Wilkie
Is this Yvonne perhaps? Do please leave your name in future 🙂 Yes, and to Putin and several others I can think of!
photobyjohnbo
I enjoyed your dive into the history behind the places you shared. I always find that sites with reenactors offer the best experiences. Their authenticity and enthusiasm really bring the past to life. That said, my favorite image in your post is the featured one; that look into the past ties your photography beautifully to the moment you captured. Well done, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much John 😊 This challenge was a great opportunity to look back at some places I very much enjoyed visiting. I’ve been to Beamish a few times and it’s always fascinating. Colonial Williamsburg was, I think, the first place we encountered reenactors – I don’t think UK museums made use of them back then, at least not as much as in the US.
Egídio
What a great read and beautiful photos, Sarah! I especially liked the people and the period clothes. I felt like I was reliving those periods. The closing quote is powerful.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Egidio 😊 I agree about the people in period costume, they add life to what would otherwise be a more static picture of the past.
the eternal traveller
Living museums are so great to visit and really bring everyday history to life in a fun and interesting way. We have a wonderful one in Ballarat. And we went to an excellent one near Toronto too. I think we would enjoy all the places you’ve listed here. And visiting the Peace Park in Hiroshima was one of the highlights for us of our trip to Japan last year. It is so moving.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Carol 🙂 Yes, I really like visiting living history museums – I’ve been to a few others but so long ago that I don’t have such good photos or clear memories! I agree, Hiroshima’s Peace Park was very moving.
rkrontheroad
I would enjoy exploring those towns (as I have Takayama and stood before the dome at the Peace Park). I live in a National Historic District, a former mining area with Victorian homes. Although I’ve need been a big history student, the preservation of these buildings are meaningful to me.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ruth 🙂 I think your National Historic Districts are akin to our Conservation Areas, with restrictions on development so that the overall historic character is preserved? We don’t live in, but on the fringes of one. It’s good to see the efforts made to retain buildings that in the past might well have been knocked down in the name of progress.
Marie
A lovely presentation for the challenge. I particularly like Beamish….
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Marie 🙂 Beamish is wonderful – though disconcerting to see them now adding 1950s and 60s buildings with details I recognise from my childhood!
margaret21
Shucks! I was thinking of Beamish! Your Hiroshima visit must have been very sobering. Different from, but as equally thought provoking as Auschwitz was for me. Your other choices look much easier on the conscience.
Sarah Wilkie
Beamish was the first place I thought of when I saw the challenge – if I hadn’t already done two full posts on it previously I would probably have featured ONLY Beamish! Yes, Hiroshima was sobering and thought-provoking but also surprisingly heart-warming to learn about the Japanese resolve to ensure it is never repeated by teaching their children about what happened. It’s also a great example of how to teach history from multiple perspectives, as the museum doesn’t shy away from the role the Japanese themselves played in the war.
margaret21
I understand that visiting a concentration camp is a core component of the German school system in a pupil’s senior years. Doesn’t seem to have prevented a surge in far right party membership in Germany, as elsewhere in Europe.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, fair point!
Rebecca
Like you, I had little interest in history growing up; in school, it was taught quite dry, and not only that, but it was also taught from a US-centric/Western colonial perspective. It wasn’t until I started traveling that I got more interested in the history of places I went to. Besides learning about history from the local’s lenses (in South America, Asia, Africa…), I also appreciate the Western countries acknowledging its indigenous roots and having those voices heard in recent years. Thanks for sharing your insight with us, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, ‘dry’ is a good word to describe the history teaching I experienced too – I don’t recall our teachers making much effort to bring it to life. And I completely agree with you about the Western colonial perspective, it was a factor too in the UK’s approach, with the impact of the British Empire on those countries under our rule either ignored or seen as largely positive. I too welcome the much more nuanced approach to history in recent years. Thank you for the thoughtful comment Rebecca 🙂
Anonymous
A great set of images, always thrilled to see Beamish for all I haven’t been in years. I do think school can ruin a perfectly interesting topic, so many adults I know have passion for subjects post-education that they didn’t much care for in the school days.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 I do wonder who you are – please let me know if you see this reply, and include your name in the future!
Easymalc
As you know Sarah, I’m captivated by history in all its forms, but Beamish is one place I always intended to visit but never got around to, so I’m glad you included it.
Sarah Wilkie
Beamish really would be your sort of place! Thanks Malcolm 🙂
Anne Sandler
You brought history to life through your images and narrative Sarah. Spanning continents you ended with the reminder that war devastates humanity. Too bad we haven’t learned that lesson yet. Will we ever?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anne 😊 Sadly I fear that if we were going to learn that lesson we would have done so by now.
Wandering Dawgs
Sarah, Excellent post! I like that you featured historical places illustrating the lives of ordinary people.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Beth 🙂 Those are the historical places that interest me the most!
Dawn M. Miller
Wonderful variety of interesting places. One, not even too far from me. Well done!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Dawn 🙂 I guess Colonial Williamsburg is the place close to you? I remember how much I enjoyed our visit there even though it was over 30 years ago!
Dawn M. Miller
Yes, close to three hours but still closer than any of the others in your post.
Monkey's Tale
I didn’t like history growing up either. It seemed to just be memorizing of dates. Today, I love learning the history of a places to help understand the people. You have a good variety of that here. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, that’s it exactly Maggie 😀 To me the precise dates aren’t necessarily relevant, just a rough idea of the order of events is enough to help understand them. What matters to me are the people and how they were impacted. Glad you enjoyed my selection.
Teresa
This is a great post and a wonderful collection for someone that didn’t like history when they were young. It is my least favourite as well… up to now. Thanks for this post, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Teresa 😊 I think maybe my dislike of history lessons said more about the teaching and less about me! I’m glad to have discovered its fascination as an adult.
Teresa
Good on you. I still haven’t discovered mine haha
Sue
A well put together post, Sarah. you have well illustrated some places where ordinary lives were toughly but well lived, and then we see a different side, where war has destroyed so much.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Sue 😊 That was very much what I was aiming to do!