No Subject

[WADE Howard <hwade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Saturday I presented my slide show *A 3-D Tour of the History and
Architecture of Springfield's (Oregon) Washburne District.* There were 100
slides of historic houses and the surrounding neighborhood. While the houses
might not be considered historic on the east coast or Europe, in the context
of Oregon they represent the work of craftsmen using local materials and
traditions to develop a neighborhood meeting the residential needs of a
rapidly growing early 1900's logging community (as I said in my script).

About 60 people attended the two showings, most of them had never seen
stereo projected before and ooh'd and ahh'd appreciatively in all the right
places. The venue was perfect, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce which is
in the old Southern Pacific Depot, the oldest structure of it's type in the
state. We were in the freight room, which is long and narrow with no
windows-wonderfully dark when the lights go down. My wife was a co-producer
doing much of the work on the script, several of the photos, and she ran the
TDC-116 like a pro (better than fumblefingers me!) while I read the
narration by flashlight.

I talked about the history of stereo photography in the introduction, and of
my relationship with 3-D. Then we did a warm-up to get used to viewing 3-D,
half a dozen of my best slides that are full of depth. The last two of the
six were through the window shots. When a friend heard we were doing a 3-D
slide show  on history and architecture he said, "What good is a 3-D show
with no scarey tigers jumping off the screen at you?" This being a
low-budget operation, I had to settle for kittens, extended at arm's length,
fangs and claws bared. It brought down the house.

The recent thread on laser pointers was helpful to me because this
presentation required pointing out a number of features like modillions,
dentils, and boxed eave returns. I didn't have time to learn how to adjust
two lasers to stereo, but I found if I kept the laser moving in the area
that I was talking about people got it.

A number of post production benefits accrued. I've gotten several requests
for additional showings including a PAID gig at a retirement community. The
Historic Commission asked me to bill them for my materials (probably $200 in
film, processing and RBT mounts), and they want me to present the show to
the Springfield City Council when they make their pitch for historic
preservation. I'm so pumped up at how well it went that I'm planning
improvements such as more and better slides, a recorded sound track with
music, and maybe a showing at NSA Phoenix in 2000.

After the second show I was approached by a wizened old gentleman who'd
lived in the neighborhood all his life. His eyes were misty and he said,
"That house at 637 B Street? That's where my brother was murdered in 1933.
Then a smile came over his face and he said, "You know, that kitten? I could
have reached out and held it in my hand."

Howard D Wade
hwade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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