Day 31: Mary’s Desk

Mary’s desk occupies one corner of the Haywood Hall parlor, and it’s not one of the items we typically highlight on the tours.  In fact, it sometimes seems to blend in to the background.  Yet I think it’s one of the more interesting items in the house because it still bears Mary’s fingerprints.  Open a drawer and you’ll find snippets to remind you of her life — a program from a Colonial Dames meeting, a letter acknowledging her donation to a scholarship fund, a faded newspaper clipping. 

Mary’s desk reminds me that Haywood Hall was a home and that real people lived here.

 

 

Mary Haywood Fowle Stearns was the great-granddaughter of John Haywood and the last Haywood to live at Haywood Hall.

Day 30: The Summer Dress

This semester several of the NC State education classes have been conducting research at Haywood Hall.  I have enjoyed working with these students, and I’m excited about the projects they are completing.  One student is working with our textile collection, and I have found her project particularly interesting.  Last week she and I were discussing how she might photograph individual items for digitization.  She mentioned using padded hangers and then finding a good place to hang the items.  I liked the idea so much that I borrowed it for today’s photograph.

What I love about this dress is that it is so decidedly feminine. After a quick internet search, I’m guessing that it might be an Edwardian lawn dress, but I’m not completely sure.  I would love to hear from any reader who might be able to offer more information. 

Day 29: NC State’s Memorial Bell Tower & Holladay Hall

Well, I said yesterday that Memorial Bell Tower is NC State’s iconic image, so how could I not include it in this photo project?  This morning’s ominous sky was perfect for adding drama to the images.

Just across from the Bell Tower is Holladay Hall, the oldest building on NC State’s Campus.  It is now home to the Chancellor’s Office.

Day 28: NCSU’s Alumni Centennial Gateway

Memorial Bell Tower is the iconic image of North Carolina State University, and it is one I have grown to love.  Yet for many years the Alumni Centennial Gateway was the symbol I most associated with NC State.  During my Meredith years, I drove into Raleigh on Gorman Street.  When I reached the intersection of Gorman and Western Boulevard, I would look over to my right, there was NC State.  Back then, this monument symbolized my image of State.  It was edgy and modern, which perfectly matched this small-town Meredith girl’s image of NCSU.   

Day 27: By Lamplight

Sometimes the best place to spend Friday night is at home. 

Day 26: School Marm

Today I observed student teachers, which meant I got to spend the day in middle school.  It’s wonderful to go into a school and experience the creativity of the teachers and the energy of the students.  Being with them makes me feel more creative and more energetic.   Yet as much as I enjoy it, it brings out a powerful sense of discontentment from somewhere deep inside of me.  I don’t notice it while I’m at school. Only after I’m in my car and driving home does it begin to nag at me.  It is such a familiar feeling, but for a long time, it was one I could not name.  I tried to put it into words, but I failed.  Then one day I realized it already had a name  — it’s called homesickness.  

I miss middle school.  I miss the drama of eighth graders.  I miss homeroom, school lunches, and lost library books.  I miss hearing my name called so many times that it echoes in my mind after I go to bed at night.  

 

Day 25: Antique Geib Piano

It’s been a good day. I’ve gotten an incredible amount of work done, and I really enjoyed this evening’s qualitative research class. As I was looking for an object to photograph tonight, I felt like it was the right day for the 1820 Geib piano. Classic and dignified, it speaks of potential and creativity. 

Day 24: Kitchen Telephone

Last Saturday I got a new cell phone (a necessity after the washing machine incident), and I’m still learning how to use all of its fancy, high-tech features.  Having given my new phone so much attention, I decided that today’s photo should give a nod back to its ancestors.  Here’s a shot of the telephone in the kitchen here at  Haywood Hall.   Although it no longer works, it still lots of fun to play with it.   And it always identifies the Andy Griffith fans.  They’re the ones who grab the earpiece, lean in, and say, “Sarah?”  The hardcore fans will take it a step farther:  “Sarah, get me Juanita down at the diner.”

 

Day 23: Always Proofread

It’s just way too easy to joke about its being the math building.

Edit:  Did anyone notice that when I first posted, I spelled too as to?  Ironic, huh?

 

Day 22: View of Downtown Raleigh

Looking through photos from last spring, I found this shot of downtown Raleigh from March 22 of last year.

 

I thought it might be fun to go back on the same day one year later to see how the view has changed.  I hadn’t intended on this result, but the two shots also show how the time of day and lighting affect the color of a scene.  The first shot was taken about 4:30 in the afternoon.  I took today’s photo at 10:00 this morning.  Now I’m wishing I had taken today’s photo at the same time, so I could have had a true comparison.  I think I have a downtown shot taken last April, so maybe I can try that project next month.