Tuesday, July 3, 2007

An American Tradition

The American Fourth of July: flags, parades, carnivals, fairs, patriotism (and jingoism) and fireworks. John Phillip Sousa marches: The Stars and Stripes Forever (have a listen!). Yay for us! I just learned that The Stars and Stripes Forever is the official march of the United States of America. For my legal colleagues, check 36 USC 304. It's a toe-tapper for sure.

These pictures were taken at the Independence Day carnival in the suburb of St. Louis where I live, Webster Groves. It's an older town by our standards (more than a century - wow). It has town streets rather than the closed systems of subdivisions now typical in newer suburban areas. I like that a lot. Factoid: in 1966, CBS Television produced a documentary called 16 In Webster Groves, purporting to show the shallow materialism of suburban American youth. Geez, we are so far from the worst in that department. Time magazine revisited Webster Groves High School in an cover-story article and photo essay in 1999. My two kids both bailed on WGHS and attended Crossroads School, the only private, non-sectarian high school in the City of St. Louis proper. They both
went on to the University of Chicago, so maybe they made the right choice.

Like I sometimes say, chacun a son gout.


TOMORROW:
Oh, probably more of the same kind of stuff

9 comments:

  1. Great shots, they really make me think about how I loved carnivals as a kid. And interesting history (as usual)!

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  2. j'aime bien les grandes roues, surtout en photo, cela rend toujours bien. Belle baraque foraine.


    I like the large wheels, especially in photograph, that returns always well. Beautiful fairground stall.

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  3. Interesting pictures. Nice photography. I got to remember to go to our great Darke County Fair in Greenville, Ohio the home of Annie Oakley.

    Abraham Lincoln
    How Flowers Disappear—

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  4. The sugar shack looks like it's mustering the metabolic power to part those clouds. Nice colors to come out of that kinda weird light.

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  5. Two great funfair shots, always good subjects for colour.


    South Shields Daily Photo

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  6. If a carnival doesn't say summertime, I don't know what does. Great shots!

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  7. I really like your bottom photo with the Ferris Wheels. The colors! The intimacy! The contrast! Oh it's fabulous.

    P.S. I am thrilled by your "favorite music" in your Blogger profile, with the exception of Neuburg and Gordon, of whom I've never heard, and Glass, who I just don't like.

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  8. Oh I just love these photos! Can't go to a carnival without getting some cotton candy or a funnel cake from those stand. Although I have to say that the best part of this post is where you said Yay for us! In my head I saw my BFF, Heather, clapping her hands together and bouncing up and down a little while saying it.

    I've decided that I can't miss out of the festivities tomorrow. After I help my sister get settled in at home I'm hitting the Webster and Brentwood fairs. It'll be up to my friends as to which one we stay at for fireworks. I'm excited! Yay for us!

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