The vernal equinox and other thoughts to share
Today in New Zealand we celebrate the vernal equinox, though celebrate may be a misleading term. These days we are less conscious of the day where the balance between daytime and night-time is equal. For our ancestors it was regarded with the utmost importance and theories abound regarding structures which seem constructed to mark the very moment when the equinox occurs etc. I am sure we all have some awareness of days getting longer here in New Zealand and the average temperature rising with spring heading toward summer, but perhaps we aren’t as driven to plant our crops or harvest (for the other hemisphere who are in autumn). Such is progress.
In some ways antiques help us to re-engage with the past, perhaps not as far back as the Stone Age etc but at least provide a window to decades and millennia ago. As I was photographing items for the website earlier I came across a cast iron image of Charles Dickens, made to hang on the wall, perhaps near the fireplace or the coal range. How many of us would give thought to putting an image of an author on our wall, without some familial or similar connection? Yet in Victorian times this may have been quite common. Yes, in our youth we may have had bedroom walls adorned with music icons of the day, but these were unlikely to last or to represent a significant financial investment such as this plaque would.
Actually talking about taking photographs – the websites that we see on the internet are but the tip of the iceberg – how many of us appreciate the amount of work and hours that go into making a website that can be discovered and shared? With Auld Curiosity photography is essential to show the items that are being offered for sale. Without a professional studio and controlled lighting there is a need for post processing to fairly show each item. Searching reference books and the internet for information on each item can be a significant time commitment. The description can flow easily or challenge the writer for hours to capture the essence of the piece. Add to that making every item discoverable to social media and search engines and the list goes – and yet we do it with a smile and sense of it being important to do this, to keep us engaged with our past, our roots and our heritage.
