Bodie Ghost Town
by Leland D Howard
Title
Bodie Ghost Town
Artist
Leland D Howard
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Nature And Landsscape Photography
Description
California, northern. "Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie". The brochure says this is what a little girl wrote in her diary when she found out her family was taking her to this infamous town described as second to none for badmen, wickedness, and the worst climate outdoors. In typical poetic reverend fashion, F.M. Warrington described this gold rush town in the high desert of northern California as "a sea of sin, lashed by the tempests of lust and passion". Besides the popular pastimes like murder, hanging or drinking whiskey in one or more of the 65 bars, there was, of course, other opportunities for entertainment. A row of one-room cabins called "cribs" housed the likes of The Beautiful Doll (alias Madame Mustache), Rosa May, Emma Goldsmith, Nellie Monroe, French Joe and as they say, other popular ladies. I found an account of how one popular lady married a local butcher and later became "respectable".
Tourists walk the streets now in the town described by the forest service as being in a state of arrested decay - interesting terminology. A few of the buildings are open like the museum and church but most are sealed with locked doors and wire over the windows. A look through the windows and it becomes quite obvious that you wouldn't want to venture inside anyway. Although a bio suit might allow investigations of the incredible array of antiques covered with dust and in disarray. Professional nature and landscape photography designed for wall art. Created by Leland D Howard.
Uploaded
July 11th, 2014
Statistics
Viewed 354 Times - Last Visitor from Toronto, ON - Canada on 04/22/2024 at 2:32 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Similar Images
Comments (1)
Nancy de Flon
This is the first time I've read the history of this oft-photographed town, so thanks for that, Leland. Also, in comparison to most photos I've seen of it, which tend to show one of the buildings on its own, this photo is quite busy. I don't mean that in a negative sense -- on the contrary, it's a well composed picture that shows us something of what life may actually have been like in Bodie when it was still "alive." Congrats on a great image!
Recently Viewed
