Back in 1973, sociologist Dean McCannell published an article in which he outlined the ways in which tourism has become a "stage" in which (on which) the "authentic" of the supposed culture tourists want to see is performed. Basically, we visit places that have been artificially transformed to accommodate our needs (parking, access) and our expectations (beautiful vistas, indigenous practices).
One could argue that photography is a form of "staged authenticity." This one could be an exception, since the subject doesn't know that I am taking a picture of her. I did later tell her that I loved her outfit. She was standing outside of Lucky's cafe in Lebanon NH, and her stylish black dress, suede bag and little red slipper shoes were unusually stylish for our little town.
This photo below, however, it totally staged since I used the timer on my phone. It is my way of promoting the 1. blouse that I picked up at my favorite used clothing source, ie Revolution and 2. air drying laundry. Why more people don't do this given that our planet is plenty hot, and using a dryer when it's 80º F or more outside makes no sense.
These mugs are part of our little collection of hand-thrown pottery. Another institution that is now gone is the crafts store in Hanover NH that occupied the same space for forty years. The shutdown of the college including graduation and alumni reunions has hurt local businesses (not just in Hanover but everywhere else too), and the crafts store was hit hard mostly because people were already, before the pandemic, thinking twice before spending forty dollars on a mug. What will happen to the local crafts industry and to the know-how that goes with it? How will future generations learn to make fine objects out of wood, metal and ... mud? Crafts are not just for show, but for use. Perhaps, if we spend more on a mug, we will take better care of it.
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Time to go see if the laundry is dry.
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