Sewel H. Richards

I recently took part in a small photography competition.  The theme that I was assigned was "weathered".

I only had a few days to get something together, and I didn't want to do a typical old barn, an abandoned house, or old farm equipment.

So I started thinking about subjects around my town that have been in existence the longest.  Milan has a rich history, going back to the very early 1800's with the Milan Canal System prior to railroads coming through.  After the war of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie, peaceful times led to more and more settlers in this area which led to the Village of Milan's incorporation in 1833.

History lesson aside, my mind immediately went to the cemetery knowing that gravestones have been there quite a long time.  So I went there around sunset and I found the grave of Mr. Sewel H. Richards, born 1811, died 1880.

If you look closely, you can see that the original "Richards" inscription towards the bottom is barely still legible, while the main inscription above it seems a lot more crisp, leading me to believe that the inscription has been reworked over the years.

Regardless, I was real happy with how this turned out and I won the competition!

(5 Exposures at F11, ISO 100, 22mm)

Thanks

Brian