February 22, 2006

Photo.

By Christopher Althouse Cohen:

Russ and Richard

21 comments:

J. Cricket said...
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Pete said...
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Ann Althouse said...

Sorry, Pete. Thanks for the positive words, but that commenter was just a troll. He's not going to set the tone of this thread. And I suspect he's using multiple identities. I have no respect for him. He (or she) seems to be one of these people with personal hostility to me. Or are they all the same person?

Mark Haag said...

My eyes were first drawn to the standing man, wondering if he was waiting, or hesitantly ready to go forward (towards what the three walkers were heading for?). I completely missed the person on the left at first, who seems part of the frame, actually "behind" the picture in a way. Is his gaze (is it a he? Can't see clearly) directed also towards where the people are going? What is he thinking? Finally, nice lines, the table (with tablecloth!), bench, stone wall, and wood fence.

Ann Althouse said...

Quietnorth: I can only say that the real answers to the questions you ask are quite interesting!

mtrobertsattorney said...

You're right Quietnorth, who is that fellow? And what is he looking at that seems to have left him so puzzeled? Interesting photograph.

Maxine Weiss said...

With me, it's all about textures and fabrics. Textiles.

The beautiful stone work. I believe each one of those stones is hand-laid.

The red-checkered table cloth. Remeniscent of a street-corner Italian-American cafe...kind of urbane!

The crisp leather jackets on the men. And, the sort of tweedy coats on the women...is that one woman wearing a genuine camel's hair coat? ---Very Waspy upper class---camel's hair.

I see a certain style and class, that the mood and tone reflects, with just the right amount of urban ethnic sophisticatiion (the tablecloth) thrown in.

Yet, a country Ralph Lauren-ish feel with the overgrown branches of the trees.

This is definitely what we'd call an upscale, "smart" set, with just enough style.

Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it?

Peace,Maxine

Ruth Anne Adams said...
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girlfriday said...

Black and white photography has a power all its own, doesn't it? Even figures walking in the cold can move you.

Or maybe move isn't the word. I want to say evoke, but I'm not clever enough to put it into my sentence.

I'll try this: In color, I don't think this photo would have the power to make me feel cold.

Maxine Weiss said...

...And definitely meat eaters, ----what with the leather and camel's hair coats. Although I guess you could feasibly be a vegetarian strictly for diet and health reasons, and not care about animal fabrics.

But, that being the mid-West, I'm assuming, with all the corn-fed beef etc.. you might not find as many vegetarians as on the new age-y Coasts?

Horrible generalizations, I know, but still....

---Beef-eating WASPs, I mean that in only the fondest way, truly!!

Peace, Maxine

Pete said...

Wow! I've had my comments deleted on Althouse! People will think I hold truths too terrible to be known! (Help! I can't control my exclamation points!)

No problem, Ann. The least I could do.

Ann Althouse said...

It's not the midwest. It's Texas!

Ruth Anne Adams said...
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Richard Lawrence Cohen said...

Most interesting! And how does Ruth Anne know Russ? Ruth Anne, are you sure your real calling wasn't as a detective?

Ruth Anne Adams said...
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girlfriday said...

I wondered if it was Texas. But it looks cold. And the people are in coats.

Maxine Weiss said...

See, I was right, beef eaters all!

And, no Jews. Are there Jews in Texas?

Now you know, I'm just kidding.

Peace, Maxine

Richard Lawrence Cohen said...

That was a cold mf'ing day. Waiting and hour and a half in freezing drizzle on a Sunday afternoon to eat some of the best barbecue in the world: pork ribs, beef brisket, and sausage; amazing peach and blackberry cobblers for dessert. People arriving in groups of 8, 10, 13 -- big tables.

Ruth Anne: I shaved it off in 1985, I believe, grew it back around 1994, shaved it off permanently shortly afterward.

Maxine: What gave it away -- the nose? Or the slouch?

Richard Lawrence Cohen said...

Zeldazot is right and I was just going to post their URL. You can get their barbecue FedExed but you have to come here for the experience.

David53 said...

And, no Jews. Are there Jews in Texas?

Have you not heard of the next Governor of Texas, Kinky Friedman?

Ron said...

It looks like the Althousian family reenactment of Woody Allen's Interiors!