photography Archives — bd-studios.com

Georgia Backroads: “A Man of Most Simple and Attractive Manners”

I’m delighted to announce my latest essay, “A Man of Most Simple and Attractive Manners.” It’s out now in the Autumn 2017 issue of Georgia Backroads. This piece, my fifth for the magazine, has been a long time in the making. I started the research while writing the Jordan’s Journey book. It was a challenging article about a person in my family history with no family memory. John Dawson Pope is a unique figure in my family. You might find his role in the history of Georgia, and even the history of California, quite interesting! I do hope you will check it out.

Since this article required so much research and I scoured the country for information to help me put it together, even traveling to Los Angeles, I’ll share my list of sources with you here since the works cited are not printed in the magazine. So, this serves as an extra supplement. Also, hopefully, it means people doing other research related to these sources might stumble across my post here and lead them to my article.

In other news, I am happy to inform you that Jordan’s Journey will finally become available in a paperback edition. I don’t have an exact date yet, but hopefully very soon.

If you’re a Georgia Backroads reader, you already know that I have another new article in the magazine’s current issue. This is my fourth piece with the magazine in as many years. You can learn about my previous Georgia Backroads articles here:

Photo from Concord Methodist Church, Villanow, GA

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything here at Jordan’s Journey. Life happens, things change, and I just have not had the time to put into creating new content for this blog. I’m keeping it online for now as I think the posts are a valuable archive. People still visit the site, and I am grateful for that, even though I’m not sure when/if I will have the time to pick it back up and update regularly like I did in the beginning. That’s why I’m so thankful when readers want me to help them share information for the greater genealogical good. One such reader is Rhonda Locke.

Rhonda Locke is a fellow researcher of Armuchee Valley families, particularly those associated with Concord Church (on Concord Road in Villanow, GA). As a fellow descendant of the Keown family, she’s also my distant cousin (as I have always said–we’re all connected)! She sent me this wonderful photo and asked me to share it with you.

Concord Methodist Church group photo, early 1900s

INTERSECTION catalog (limited edition) by luke kurtis

Over the last year, one of my most significant projects was putting together my INTERSECTION photographic art exhibition. I haven’t posted about this side of my work at Jordan’s Journey, as this blog focuses on the genealogy side of things. Of course, the overall Jordan’s Journey project is a multimedia art project of which genealogical research is only one part. So I wanted to be sure to tell you about INTERSECTION. INTERSECTION is my follow-up to Jordan’s Journey. It’s not a sequel but a spiritual successor that takes the most specific art aspects and extracts them into a heritage-influenced art exhibition. The project’s focus is my debut museum exhibition, under my artist name luke kurtis, which opened on March 8th at Massillon Museum in Massillon, OH. I also published a book of photographs and writing that serves as the exhibition catalog.

A picturesque scene of an old, dilapidated house in a field between two trees, one standing tall and another fallen to the ground.

Although you wouldn’t know it from updates here at Jordan’s Journey, 2013 has been one of the busiest years of my life! Don’t worry, though–it’s all in a good way. Luckily for you Jordan’s Journey fans, I recently uncovered an almost-finished Jordan’s Journey video I shot in May 2012. I could not polish it off and share it with you for several reasons, and I had almost even forgotten it existed. But when I rediscovered the work in progress, I finally felt compelled to finish it. It’s a bit different from most Jordan’s Journey videos, and because of those differences, it was a more challenging video to shoot and is a bit rough in spots. But still, I’m glad to have made it.

My cousin and friend (we were friends way back before I even knew we were cousins) Christa McWilliams joined me to help document some history about the McWilliams Cemetery in West Armuchee. I couldn’t have done this video without her. It’s our attempt to tell the story about this significant cemetery, which is also a story about our families.

I am delighted to announce the publication of my latest article in the current (Autumn 2013) issue of Georgia Backroads. “We Are One People” explores my ancestral ties to slavery, focusing specifically on the Armuchee Valley and Dirt Town Valley regions. My original photography, as well as antique images I curated, illustrate the piece. So much research and thought went into this article, and I feel this is one of my best pieces ever. Georgia Backroads has done a fantastic job putting together the issue with excellent writing, photography, and design. You can pick up a copy at newsstands or order the issue online.

If you haven’t seen my previous work for Georgia Backroads, check out the Winter 2012 issue as well!

For the other researchers out there, I thought I would share my bibliography for the “We Are One People” article (the sources are not printed in the magazine itself). Enjoy!

Research and Imagination (& Some Family Photo Fun)

I’ve never written that much about my Jordan family branch on this blog. I guess that’s because I have focused chiefly on posts related to the Armuchee Valley area of Walker and Chattooga counties, while my Jordan family roots are over in Whitfield County. But my grandfather Earl Jordan and his brother Bill lived in the Villanow area, so it’s high time to give that side of the family a little attention.

My grand uncle Bill Jordan lived right in the heart of Villanow in what used to be the old Love family home. I barely remember the house from when I was a little kid; it was torn down when I was very young. Before Uncle Bill lived in that house, though, he lived in the far eastern part of Walker County. Just before you get to the Whitfield County line, his house was on Joe Roberson Road. My aunt Charlotte can recall going there for Jordan family gatherings.

One such gathering took place in about 1937, probably a Jordan reunion celebration, as the Jordan reunions were usually held around William Brownlow Jordan‘s (my great grandfather) birthday. Here’s a photo from that reunion:

From left to right are Jack Jordan, Kathryn Sue Jordan, Isabell Anderson Jordan in chair, Frances Turner holding Charlotte Jordan, Ernestine Jordan with hands on unknown baby, Mary E. Jordan, Lynn Turner, and Earl Jordan on roof in background.

luke kurtis with Geraldine Bryan at the muse opening — luke kurtis and Geraldine Bryan at the “muse” exhibition

You’ve probably noticed the lack of updates here over the past few months. After a busy 2012, I planned to be less active here this year for several reasons. I intended to be a bit more active than I have been. But life happens, other projects take hold, and as often as I think about it… posts here just haven’t been done.

I expect to be back here with more posts in the future and even have another half-edited video or two in the works. But since those things won’t be ready any time soon, I thought I’d at least give you an update on some of my work beyond (but still related to) Jordan’s Journey.

Back in March, I had a solo art exhibition–titled muse–in Raleigh, NC. The works were inspired by some of the Jordan’s Journey research (among other things)–and the Jordan’s Journey book was on display too. I gave a brief talk at the opening reception and included a reading of an ancestor-inspired work of fiction (which was a special sneak preview of a project in the works). Above is a photo of me with the presenter, Geraldine Bryan, which is from Walter magazine (May 2013). You can learn more about this show on the main blog.

Opening today in Portland, Oregon, one of my photos is included in the new exhibition Field Notes: Landscape and Architecture at Black Box Gallery. If you happen to be in the Portland area, the show is on view until June 20, 2013. Otherwise, check it out online.

Happy Birthday, Mom — Rhonda Jordan (right) and Debbie Epperson (daughter of pastor at East Armuchee) celebrate Rhonda’s birthday.

Earlier this year I celebrated my Dad’s birthday and then my sister’s. Today it’s Mom’s turn!

This photo is from my mom’s 4th or 5th birthday. She’s sitting at her child-size table on her front porch in East Armuchee. My mom is on the right; the other girl in the photo (just out of reach of the camera) is her friend Debbie Epperson.

I love this photo because I grew up with this same set of table and chairs, handed down to my sister and me. Though I don’t think my sister and I ever played with knives as a kid. Look at the blade in my mom’s hand! But with that adorable smile, ruffled shirt, and polka dot skirt she couldn’t do any harm, right? Why do I envision scenes from a B-grade horror movie?

But I digress… today is Mom’s special day. Those of you who have read the Jordan’s Journey book may recall the dedication… to Mom. Her love of tracing the family tree is a big part of what set me on this path. The Jordan’s Journey project wouldn’t exist without her.

The truth is that I’ve always been a mama’s boy. Growing up, Mom was always a friend, and I’m thankful that she is today as well. Thank you, Mom, for all that you do. I love you.

Connections: The Pettyjohn Family and Me

Tammy at Anderson Cemetery, Subligna, Chattooga County, Georgia, May 2012.

I love studying genealogy–and not just the genealogy of my direct ancestors. I love looking at all the different branches of my tree and discovering unique and interesting connections all over the place. Sometimes, you can map out distant relationships to famous individuals, and other times you discover you’re kin to people you’ve known for years… but never knew you were related. Either way, unexpected connections are always a lot of fun.

I made one of those unexpected connections recently. I found a relationship between my family and the family of my best friend, Tammy. A fellow writer and artist, Tammy and I have always shared an intense creative spark. We love to work on creative ideas together, and I’ve photographed her a number of times over the years. Above is the most recent of those portraits (taken in Anderson Cemetery in Subligna).

The connection to Tammy comes through my great aunt, Battie Lee Smith Pope. A descendant of the Brock/Kinsey families of the Armuchee Valley, Battie lived only two doors down from me when I was growing up. I stayed with her occasionally when I was a little boy. Her mother was Margie Smith. I remember Margie well from East Armuchee Baptist Church when I was growing up. I even remember a community dinner at Margie’s home one summer. We all gathered on the grounds–her house stood on top of a hill not too far south of the church–and had a good old-fashioned Southern potluck picnic. I remember playing hide and seek inside the house. The place seemed ancient and mysterious. Indeed, it was an old house and so far gone that it was torn down after she died. But in my mind, it was a grand house, glorious and dignified. It is one of many very old Armuchee Valley homes that has faded into the past over the years. I wish I had a photo of it. I’m sure that house has a story to tell if only I could uncover it.

Photos from Jordan’s Journey lectures

My lectures and art exhibition in northwest Georgia were well attended by many locals and a few people from farther away, including Panama City Beach, FL; Knoxville, TN; and Nashville, TN. Thanks to everyone who stopped by. Seeing so many old friends and meeting several new ones was great. If you couldn’t make it, remember that my photographs are on display in Summerville until 10 July.

For today’s post, I’m sharing photos from both lectures. I will be working on a video of the lecture(s), but that will take some time to put together, so watch this blog for that at some point in the future.

While in northwest Georgia, I visited a few cemeteries (a couple I had never seen before), filmed some footage that will become more videos for this blog, and worked on some new family tree branches. But after that, I focused on some much-needed vacation time–away from work, away from genealogy, and away from everyday life. It was good.

Now I’m home again and back to the grind. I have some new content in the works: writing, photography, and more videos. In the meantime, enjoy these photos from the lectures. And let me know what type of content you’d like to see on the blog in the future.

Finns Point National Cemetery

Though the vast majority of my family–even going generations back–are rooted in Georgia and other parts of the south, some interesting burial locations exist in other parts of the country. I’ve not discovered any direct family connections to New York, where I call home. But there are a couple of interesting family burials in New Jersey.

James Young Foster (a descendant of the Young family) connects to my tree through his second wife, Margaret Mell Lawrence (my 1st cousin five times removed through the Lawrence family line). James fought in the Civil War in Georgia’s 1st Cavalry Regiment, Company F (National Cem.; National Park). Captured as a prisoner of war, he died in Fort Delaware and is buried in Finns Point National Cemetery in New Jersey. James left behind two daughters, Nancy Mell Foster and Frances Isabell Foster, whom Margaret raised. These daughters married into the White family, a prominent family in the Villanow and Sublgina area that connects many different family branches.

[UPDATE 17 May 2012: A Jordan’s Journey reader noted that I did not mention the children of James Young Foster’s first marriage. While not within the scope of this post, you can check out where his first wife, Martha Wade Booker, and their children are listed.]

My 2nd great grand uncle Moses Gresham Scoggins is also buried at Finns Point. Moses fought in Georgia’s 9th Infantry Regiment, Company B, and was a prisoner of war at Fort Delaware (National Cem.; National Park). Moses had never married and did not leave behind a wife or children. His line of descendancy continues only through his brothers (one of whom is my 2nd great grandfather, James Harvey Scoggins).

Both soldiers, Foster and Scoggins, are listed on the Confederate memorial at Finns Point. Moses also has a commemorative stone in the Chapman family cemetery in West Armuchee.

Taken from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1951

Today is the 147th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Earlier this year, I explored the connection between my Rambo family and the Lincoln family. Today, I’m not looking at Lincoln directly but at a few photos related to him.

The two black and white shots are from the collection of my grandmother, Dot Holcomb Scoggins. Taken in 1951 during a family road trip, it’s interesting to see shots of Washington, D.C., over half a century ago. They were taken from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking across the Reflecting Pool towards the Washington Monument. The first photo also shows my grandfather, Harold Scoggins.

Harold Scoggins on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument in the distance, Washington, D.C., 1951

For good measure, I have also included one of my photos from October 2011. I visited the National World War II Memorial, which stands at the opposite end of the reflecting pool from the Lincoln Memorial. This memorial, of course, did not exist in the 1951 photos as it was not constructed until 2004. You can see the Lincoln Memorial in the background on the left-hand side of the image. Harold was a Military Policeman in the 66th Infantry Division (also known as the Black Panthers) during the war, so this memorial serves in memory of him and the countless other men who fought in that conflict.

Watch for more old photos and more of my photography in upcoming posts on Jordan’s Journey.