"When I read the Book"

by Walt Whitman, 1819–1892

When I read the book, the biography famous,

And is this, then, (said I,) what the author calls a man’s life?

And so will some one, when I am dead and gone, write my life?

(As if any man really knew aught of my life;

Why, even I myself, I often think, know little or nothing of my real life;

Only a few hints—a few diffused, faint clues and indirections,

I seek, for my own use, to trace out here.)

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Photo Credits:

Portrait of Bob Jordan, by Michael Palmer, 2008 (Used with Permission)

Two color photographs by Bob Jordan

"1968 Reflection Pool, Wash DC" by Bob Jordan

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Robert Lawrence Jordan, 1946-2009

As Whitman notes, it is difficult to write about another person when we struggle to figure out our own lives. My interactions with "Banjo Bob" were too few and too brief.

One of the real joys of the online photography world is the path that you make, often leading to an intersection with someone else on a similar journey. Bob and I, like other photographers posting online, ran into each other on our own and other sites, often commenting about and discussing photographs.

At Jeff Revell's Georgetown Photowalk this past June, I was approached by a gentleman with a large, welcoming smile. We quickly realized our connections that we had already formed online. It was very clear quite quickly that Bob was one of those unique individuals that you could instantly feel comfortable with.

I immediately appreciated the photograph of Bob that you see at the top of this post; Michael captured Bob's energy and joy, even though Bob was ill at the time it was taken. Fortunately, Bob was still able to participate in the Gettysburg Photowalk with us.

For those that don't know Bob, I cannot provide the words that reveal the man. I would suggest, however, that we look at his photographs.

Bob had just started his Canyon Rim Photography blog this past June. In the five months that he posted, it was clear that he had a deep love for nature and his family. You may visit his work here.

While he participated in two photowalks this year and posted wonderful photographs, I must admit that I hold a particular fondness for some older work of his, which I find amazing. Fortunately, Bob has gifted us with an important time capsule of sorts.

In his own words:

"From 1967 to 1970 I attended many peace demonstrations in Washington, DC. I shot around 3000 images using a Nikon F100 camera. These are just a few of those shots. At present I'm still going through the rest of my negatives and will be posting more as they come. It was a great time to be alive!"

Not only are these photographs firsthand glimpses into our past, but they are also great photographs in every sense of the word. Time is captured in every frame. I can think of no better method of telling you about Bob than taking time to share these documents.

Visit "Bob's Late 60's Photos" by clicking here.

Thanks, Bob. You'll be missed.

Andy

Link:

Winchester Star Obituary