Celebrating the Macabre
©Bert Gildart: I doubt if there’s any place in North America that celebrates Halloween with more showiness then do the six states that embrace the region defined as New England. To carry this thought one step further it might be argued that Sturbridge, Massachusetts, leads the pack with several of its very flamboyant displays. Here, then, are several images from this relatively small town along with my thoughts on each of the four photographs.
celebrating the macabre
Historically, Halloween began about the mid-1700s and was considered to be a time when witches communicated with the dead through various forms of divination. In commemoration of this day, which now has a great celebratory component, each fall the town’s “Public House” offers prizes to the creation that symbolizes the best (more or less) of the occult.
One of my images then shows entries on the lawn of the Sturbridge “Public House.” Another shows daughter Karen and Mother Janie absolutely mortified by their proximity to the evil appearing pumpkin that sports tentacles, while yet another offers an assortment of a strange being crowned in one case by a skull graced with tendrils of green.
L to R: Mother and daughter caught expressing their feeling of absolute terror; figures communing with other spirits on lawn of Public House; skull adorned with tendrils of green engulfed by other strange spirits — all part of the celebratory nature of Halloween in New England, in this case Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Finally, another image shows the caricature of a man creating a pumpkin watched over by several evil-appearing black ravens. That’s my favorite.
But you may also want to see how other parts of the country celebrate the macabre, and if so then CLICK — and that will take you on a graveyard walk that we enjoyed several years ago in Nova Scotia. It was incredible!
THIS TIME ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO:
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
Big Sky Country is beautiful
Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
What makes Glacier, Glacier?
Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
