the dailypic 5972 yr17 128 Half Way Again

Up until this very moment, I had no idea this would be the second time this photo has appeared in the dailypic — and that it happened purely by coincidence of taste.

In 2023, my daughter Anna and I went to a photo show featuring a dual exhibition by two photographers: one I had been following for years, Robert Frank, and one I knew of but wasn’t as familiar with, Todd Webb. Since then, I’ve picked up a book and learned much more about Webb. His work has become an inspiration not only for my current photographs, but for my Middle Ground project as well. Both Webb and Frank undertook similar photographic journeys, though not at the same time, roughly 70 years ago.

At the end of last year, I was browsing the archive of Webb’s work and decided to reach out to the curators. I asked if I could purchase an image I had come across — Half Way, taken in Kingsley, Kansas, a location on my Middle Ground trip and only about a mile from the place that inspired it. It was a long shot, but I felt connected to it.

They got back to me. There was a limited run of ten prints. Some had been sold privately, others were in museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. They had one left — number six of ten. I bought it, had it framed beautifully by The Woodshed in Franklin, and it now hangs in my studio. It’s the only photograph in my gallery that I did not take. I’m honored to be the current holder of this history.

Here’s where the coincidence comes into play. I photographed it today for this post, uploaded it, and then went back to the dailypic from 2023 to see what I had written about that Frank/Webb exhibit Anna and I attended. I knew there was a post, but I had no memory of the details.

I opened it — and found the same photo. The dailypic from 2023 is a photograph I took of Half Way. It’s the same print I now own. I have been attracted to it more than once, and this summer I hope to find the very spot and take my own version.

I’ve finished the studio refresh. I’ll share that soon. But today is about this. I’ll be having an open house before long. I used to host gallery openings in my old space. It feels good to open the gallery again. Now, with the camera collection and this print, I’ve got a small museum of my own going now.

tr/trp