Loveland Photographic Series

Dublin Core

Title

Loveland Photographic Series

Subject

Loveland Daily Life (photo #00000)

Description

The first photograph in this series was made on Lonnie and Etta Loveland's fifty-first wedding anniversary in 1973. Lonnie knew Neil Rappaport was photographing next door at Rogers Farm. He stopped there to ask Neil if he would come by his place to make the anniversary portrait. Neil ended up staying with the Lovelands quite consistently for five years, photographing their daily life and unique living environment as they both declined and finally died. The series is really about the rhythm of that decline as the habits of all their days farming and for Lonnie quarrying still to some extent sustained them. They both had tremendous energy to work but at this time in their lives it was all about surviving each day. Lonnie continued, as long as he could, to plant an enormous garden, cut wood and care for his hogs and chickens. Etta became more and more reclusive while still writing her poems and making her sewn art work, helping Lonnie in any way she could. Finally, Lonnie lost one eye to a detached retina and Etta broke her hip. Even though she struggled back from that blow, an aneurysm close to her heart finally took her life. Lonnie did not live long without her.

Type

Citation

“Loveland Photographic Series,” Pawlet Community Study (1890-1990), accessed September 22, 2024, https://vtfolklifearchive.org/pawlet/items/show/1480.