Tag Archives: in memoriam

In Memoriam – Ed bearss

Ed Bearss, 2016

Some of my more dedicated readers might remember my fondness for Ed Bearss and taking his history tours through the Smithsonian, exploring Civil War battlefields. Ed passed away on September 16 at the ripe age of 97. I remember seeing him speaking in public and taking that tour with him in 2017 when at the age of 94, he was still leading groups with more energy than many people I know half his age. He used that microphone and mini-speaker he had not because his voice was weak but because his crowds of groupies on his tours would regularly number over 50 people, and he needed the boost so the folks in the back could hear. I can still hear the echoes of his narration in my head… “And, MISTER Lincoln… “. Semper Fi, Ed, and know that you’ll never be forgotten. I have linked to his obituary

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/09/ed-bearss-past-chief-historian-national-park-service-dies-97

RIP David Prifti, 1961-2011

On November 23, 2011, David Prifti, a brilliant wet-plate photographer living, working and teaching in the Boston area, passed away after an extended battle with cancer. I am deeply saddened that such a bright light and creative force for positivity has gone out. I knew his work from APUG, Large Format Info, and the Collodion Forum, but never had the chance to meet him in person. I have seen his plates live though, hanging on gallery walls, and no web reproduction can do them justice. You can see his work online at the three previously mentioned websites (all linked from here). His work was part of the Masterplaters show that just closed November 22 at the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville campus. Plans are in the works to bring the exhibit to the Washington DC area in the not-too-distant future – keep an eye on this blog for future information. There will be a memorial service on November 30th 4pm at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Concord, MA.

Upate 11/29/2011: Here is a link to a short writeup on the Huffington Post about David:
David Prifti, 1961-2011

There will be a scholarship fund established and named after him at the school where he taught. Information on donations is available in the linked article above.

Katherine Thayer passes away.

Katherine Thayer passed away this week. She was a major figure in the alternative process photographic community, and a great source of wisdom and knowledge when it comes to gum bichromate printing. Her loss will be felt around the world. I never met the great lady myself, but we did have several exchanges online and via email about alternative process printing, and I know that I miss the opportunity to have met her. Fortunately, her website is still up, and so even though she is gone, her knowledge does not vanish with her. It can be found at http://pacifier.com/~kthayer/.