This is an image from my book Tattered and Lost: Telling Stories. When I saw the Sepia Saturday challenge this week I immediately thought of it.
I think there are probably a lot of stories for what's going on, but for me the main one has always been a question. Was the ladder already there or did they bring it? And if they brought it where else did they go with their ladder? Wouldn't it be grand to think this family had a series of shots of themselves on top of things?
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That's one heckuva balancing rock out in the middle of nowhere - or so it appears. Funny to think that ladder is simply there for anyone to climb - out in the middle of nowhere. But even funnier to think that family goes around with their ladder climbing things. But people do do strange & wonderful things. :))
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I love the idea of them heading out with all of them carrying the ladder heading for parts unknown.
DeleteIt would be worth the trouble to have a ladder handy because who wouldn't want a picture taken on top of that rock?
ReplyDeleteThe happy family is thinking "Won't the folks back home be amazed?"
ReplyDeleteThough I like the idea that they planned this by carrying around their own ladder on the back of the Model T, I suspect this is an example of the enterprising farmer with a Big Rock in his pasture. The ladies look dressed in 1910 fashion which was before there were state and national parks. Private parks sprang up that invited people to come gawp at some natural oddity like a Big Rock and pay for the privilege of getting their photo made on it. There are still a few left in the Appalachians.
It's called a hoodoo, and there were plenty of state and national parks by 1910.
ReplyDeleteAnd keep certain Boy Scout leaders away from it. We don't want a replay of Goblin Valley.
DeleteI can't answer the question about the ladder (perhaps it's rhetorical anyway), but I have a strong suspicion that this boulder is a glacial erratic. Either that or someone's been taking the mickey.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of that.
DeleteFor me, the question is why isn't the ladder on the low end of the rock.
ReplyDeleteIt looks a bit like it slopes more on the other side. But yeah, they could have carried a shorter ladder.
DeleteI wonder if this is like my Nanna's 'back paddock' where there were all sorts of rocky mounds and outcrops just a paddock away from the house. Then you can understand carrying a ladder to pose on top of it!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be grand to have something like this in the backyard?
DeleteFascinating. Wouldn't it be great if the ladder was always there so that anybody could use it? I'd worry that it may slip - it's a long way to climb down!
ReplyDeleteFantastic photo. I can see why you thought of it straight away.
ReplyDeleteHave ladder will travel could be the photo caption. More who climbed and walked dressed up it appears.
ReplyDeleteA series of photographs of the family on top of things! That's funny!
ReplyDelete