Time travel will happen between October 1-30 at Mount Vernon Creates, 121 First Street West. Consider this scenario:
Beginning over four decades ago, from 1980-1998, I extensively photographed the diverse and wondrous life of Cornell College, including athletics, architecture, social gatherings, concerts, official guests, faculty, and individual students.
A particular series I undertook were the four high-spirited Men of Cornell and one Women of Cornell calendars. These publications served as fundraisers for the campus’ Phi-O and Newt social groups.
Those calendar images inspired this Homecoming, 2022 exhibit Faces of Hope: the Women and Men of Cornell.
Featured are select images of students who I photographed as youthful undergraduates. Since then, these people have hopefully survived to live their own full lives.
When photographed, each subject was fully living the collegiate life: study, making friends, some partying, and certainly earnest questioning about their personal journey.
No one could yet fully imagine their future’s promise or challenge.
Now are in their 50s and 60s, some may be already retired. Imagine their changes between then and now! Attire, hair styles, personality, professions, attitudes, and behavior have likely evolved.
Some may still live in the Mount Vernon-Lisbon community. Some may be remembered and known by citizens who resided here in that era. But time has passed. A lot of time!
I have taken tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of Cornell photographs during my time connected to the college. My images offer a glimpse into that era’s student lives.
For me, printing these black and white images became time travel! (Yes, I still use a darkroom, printing from film.)
I remember their voices, locations, or weather when I photographed them. My exhibit is a mere fragment of all my Cornell photos.
Selecting images for this exhibit was challenging. But I had to start somewhere.
(My profound apologies to the hundreds of people who I couldn’t include herein. Next time!!!)
The calendars blended glamour with tongue-in-cheek. The Newts and Phi-Os each chose their subjects, students who were willing to be featured.
In my eight-year role as the college’s sports information director, I already knew many students. Scenarios were individually envisioned and negotiated.
It was a time of good energy. It was fun!
I appreciate the trust each student placed in me as a photographer. I sought to capture each definitive personality, be it playful or serious. Some images were also taken for remembrance, résumé or modeling purposes. Some tweaked Cornell’s “authority.”
Some even had me photograph their weddings. Some were babysitters for my children. Some became fellow travelers or teaching colleagues.
No one feared that a photo would resurface to haunt their future.
Many I have never seen again. Yet, all are preciously remembered.
Each image captures a brief moment, that still-life flash of a subtle glance, smile, movement or silliness.
These images were nearly lost to the flood of 2008 which swept through my parents’ home in Cedar Rapids. In transition, I had stored my negatives in their basement.
My parents’ home was 1.5 miles from the Cedar River. However, the angry mucky waters rose to make their back yard the river’s new shoreline. As I rushed back from Colorado, friends entered my parents’ home to move my negatives onto the main floor. Mere hours later their basement was filled 4’ deep with the flood. I lost a lot, but thankfully not these images
When this exhibit concludes I face arranging the future safe storage of my Cornell images. For now, ENJOY THE EXHIBIT!
Author’s note: My full appreciation to my wife Susan for her constant support, to my children and grandchildren who know something about my creative spirit, to the exhibit sponsors who made possible this joyful display, and to Mount Vernon Creates for this gallery space.
Bob Campagna is a local photographer and writer. His email is: [email protected].
Three Cornell wrestlers donned cheerleader outfits to flaunt the graceful balance necessary for wrestling success. Left to right are middle weight Cory Ferguson (Lisbon HS), heavyweight Tim Fitzpatrick (Cedar Rapids LaSalle HS), and lower weight Tom Kortemeyer (Lisbon HS). They appeared in the 1993 Phi-O Men of Cornell calendar.