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Layers peeled away
The inside of this place is in much worse shape than the outside. For one thing, most of the windows are broken, so moisture and animals have free access. And – this is new – there’s a hole in the roof, which is letting in water every time it rains. The paper on the gypboard walls is starting to peel away. While that’s never a good sign as far as a building’s longevity, it does make for some interesting photos…
Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas
photographed 12.6.2014
Dining Room
Bouncing back to the National Ranching Heritage Center, here’s a shot of the Box and Strip House. It gets its name from the construction technique, also known as board and batten, an economical construction method that was popular in areas with very few native trees.
The use of wood enabled early West Texas ranchers to abandon dugouts and live above ground.
The Box and Strip House has four rooms; this is the dining room.
National Ranching Heritager Center
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 12.5.2014
Coffee Reflections
This was my favorite building at the National Ranching Heritage Center; it’s the Pitchfork Cookhouse, relocated to the museum from the Pitchfork Ranch, an operation that has over 180,000 acres in Texas and Oklahoma an has been in continuous operation since 1883. That may not sound like a long time if you’re from a country that’s been around a while, but out here, that makes it an old-time operation.
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 12.5.2014
The line beyond
This is my country place.
Or, it’s a hut that happened to be already there when I bought the land. One of these days – sooner, rather than later, I’d say – it’s going to fall down. But for now, it makes an accommodating subject for a late afternoon photo. I like the ambiguity of the horizon line in the window – it’s hard to tell if it’s a reflection or if it’s a view all the way through the hut.
Oh, and while I was outside making this image, there were three other photographers inside. They were all from out of state, so I left them to the inside: I can go back any time.
Yellowhouse Canyon, Texas
photographed 12.6.2014
Dress form
A dress form stands guard at a second story window.
Last week, some of my photography pals were in town for a show and we took advantage of a nice day and spent the morning at the National Ranching Heritage Center. We were almost the only visitors, but there were lots of workers around getting ready for a big event there this weekend. The workers were kind enough to let us go inside two of the houses, which are normally not open to the public.
And that’s how I got to make this photo.
the Barton House
National Ranching Heritage Center
Lubbock, Texas
photographed 12.5.2014
One Day | One Image 