These images were shot at the Saratoga National Historic Park in the Adirondack Mountains, the site of a pivotal Revolutionary War Battle. I tried to take a ride through the battlefield area in the early morning hoping to capture mist in the fields but the road was not opened yet, so I ended up going to Yaddo Garden. These images were taken on a quick stop the prior day. At the visitor’s in the Saratoga Park there are many artifacts taken from the battlefields and donated from relatives of the combatants. Most interesting were the different types of shot used in the Revolutionary War artillery. Chain shot was used to take down ship rigging. Incendiary shells had a rectangulary cutout for inducing fire. And there were others having different destructive purposes. We humans are good at destroying things. I find it ironic that the barrel is so ornate. Having visited Gettysburg, I understand the furor these weapons brought onto the batttlefield.
My father was a high school teacher. While his new school was being constructed, excavation of the site revealed the remnants of a great battle between the American Army and the British. My father brought home 7 or 8 molten metal cannonballs similar to those desplayed in the Saratoga museum. I don’t know where they are today.
Back to a more happy pursuit, my cameras. I love the Rolleiflex 2.8. It has a rendering like no other camera. To this day, the meter is accurate, giving me a ballpark to work with.
