I’m back from a wonderful photography trip to Tennessee and North Carolina. I was hoping to photograph some wonderful fall color, but unfortunately I guessed wrong for when peak color would be. So while I did see some red, yellow and orange leaves, I mainly saw green and brown. Even without peak color, I had a very productive week photographing.
One of my favorite places I photographed was at the Museum of Appalachia (MOA) in Clinton, Tennessee. The MOA is an incredible living history museum dedicated to telling the stories of people of Appalachia through the artifacts they left behind. Since the museum was founded in 1969 by John Rice Irwin, they have recreated an Appalachian village by moving over 35 buildings, including homes, barns, a church and a school to the 65-acre site. They also have three buildings filled with over 250,000 artifacts that bring the lives of the people of Appalachia to life.
I thought I’d share some of my photos from the MOA with you today.
There are several recreations of various Appalachian workplaces in the MOA.
The General Store, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Dr Andy Osbourne’s Medicine House, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
The Saddle-Maker’s Shop, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
The Saddle-Maker’s Shop, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Wagon Wheels, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Wagon Wheel, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
The cabins and homes provide a glimpse of what it was like to live in the area in years gone by.
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
Cabin Interior, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
And the church gives a sense of how important faith and religion were to Appalachian communities.
In the Church, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
In the Church, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
I’ve edited one of my photos from the church using the sketch and watercolor technique I learned at the Food and Still Life Photography workshop last month. I really like how this one came out. I may try this technique with some of my other photos from the Museum of Appalachia.
In the Church, Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © 2018 Patty Hankins
I’ve really enjoyed visiting the Museum of Appalachia. It offers an incredible window on how people lived in this part of Appalachia it times past. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend visiting the Museum of Appalachia.
I’d appreciate it if you could leave me a note in the comments letting me know if you like seeing this sort of photography from me.
Have you ever considered making jigsaw puzzles of some of these pictures from the museum of Appalachia?
I think the Museum already has jigsaw puzzles of some of their exhibits. You might check with them. It’s a wonderful place to visit if you’ve never been there 🙂
I love these wonderfully evocative photos, especially the dinner table/cabin interior and church shots. You can almost feel a meal about to be put on the table and someone shouting out “Time all you all get washed up,” with the table photo, right down to the crack in the glaze of the pitcher. Your composition and lighting in the church photo showed the quiet welcome of a church that may be empty but does not feel vacant, no matter that it has been removed from it community.
If you don’t mind me asking, what filter did you use on the rocking chair in the church shot to create the fantastic vignetting that blends so well with the lighting?
Beautiful photos Patty!!! – Definitely on my bucket list to visit.
Thanks Donna. It’s a wonderful museum to visit. I’m thinking about a photo workshop in NC and TN in the spring of 2020. If I do run the workshop – the Museum of Appalachia will definitely be on the places we visit 🙂
The last one is especially wonderful. The chair is very interesting, too. Good idea on puzzle, marketed through the Museum. In your spare time! 🙄