Wherever you go, There you are.
Oddyssey - The Billiad
The Billiad....
There are nearly one hundred towns in Ohio which bear the names of foreign places. Most of these communities were settled in the early 1800’s when it was fashionable to label a frontier town with an exotic foreign name.
I was born and raised in Cincinnati and moved to New York City in 1985 after living in Colorado for ten years. My sense of place was disrupted and I had just started a job which required extensive worldwide travel. In May 1985 between assignments I visited 69 towns over two weeks to photograph glimpses of everyday life in Ohio. I discovered that each of these archetypally American towns really was a foreign place with its own unique character.
When possible I photographed myself with a sign showing the town’s name in a spot which captured some character of the place. I used a Nikon L35AF point and shoot camera with color negative film. The camera was on a tripod and the self timer allowed me to run into position.
In 1985 I hand made one copy of a book of these photos with Cibachrome prints. In 2006 I scanned the original negatives and captions and created a book using a print-on-demand service. This edition is limited to 100 signed books plus one artist’s proof.
Now The Billiad is online - you can comment of the photos or add your own.
Where have you been all your life?
There are nearly one hundred towns in Ohio which bear the names of foreign places. Most of these communities were settled in the early 1800’s when it was fashionable to label a frontier town with an exotic foreign name.
I was born and raised in Cincinnati and moved to New York City in 1985 after living in Colorado for ten years. My sense of place was disrupted and I had just started a job which required extensive worldwide travel. In May 1985 between assignments I visited 69 towns over two weeks to photograph glimpses of everyday life in Ohio. I discovered that each of these archetypally American towns really was a foreign place with its own unique character.
When possible I photographed myself with a sign showing the town’s name in a spot which captured some character of the place. I used a Nikon L35AF point and shoot camera with color negative film. The camera was on a tripod and the self timer allowed me to run into position.
In 1985 I hand made one copy of a book of these photos with Cibachrome prints. In 2006 I scanned the original negatives and captions and created a book using a print-on-demand service. This edition is limited to 100 signed books plus one artist’s proof.
Now The Billiad is online - you can comment of the photos or add your own.
Where have you been all your life?
Comment
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Comment by oddysseus on June 13, 2007 at 9:02am
- How about adding a photo of the BADLANDS or NEVIS !!!
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Comment by James B Osher on June 12, 2007 at 9:07pm
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Can I show pictures of anything or just towns with funny names?
Hepschlep
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- Your heart will show you the way
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I forgot to bring a compass.
Love Hepschlep
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