25 Totally Odd & Awesome Vintage Halloween Photos

Post by Wehlage Pictures.

Another Rochester ... Rochester Kent

A photo I took some years ago while I was living in London.
This is from the annual Dickens Festival held in Rochester Kent.

The article below, by David Ross explains the event in more detail.

Rochester Dickens Festival 2012

Posted: 2012-05-18 by David Ross

2012 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, one of the most popular and influential of English novelists. Dickens lived and wrote in Rochester, Kent for two decades, and the Rochester Dickens Festival celebrates the association of the writer with the Medway region.

The Bicentenary Dickens Festival runs from Friday, 8 - Sunday, 10 June 2012, and is full of Victorian themed events. Over the extended weekend are costumed parades, public readings, a Victorian fair, craft fair, and street performances.

Full information on the Dickens Festival can be found online at www.medway.gov.uk/ or by telephoning the Medway Information Centre on 01634 338141. Email: visitor.centre@medway.gov.uk, or write to: Medway Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1LX.

Day by Day Event Overview
Friday - specially focussed on events for children, with an evening circus show.
Saturday - A Grand Pageant Day, focussed on Dickens' most popular novels and celebrated characters.
Sunday - The highlight is a Grand Parade.

I was about to post this article when I thought to myself, 'Hang on, this is Dickens's bicentennary, there must be more events planned.'. Wow, I was certainly right. There is a special Dickens website at www.dickens2012.org with a huge list of events planned to celebrate 200 years since the author's birth.

A full list of events has been published by the Dickens Museum in London and can be found atwww.dickens2012.org/. Among the notable Dickens events planned are The Dickens Pickwick Club gathering in London to mark the 175th anniversary of the publication of the Pickwick Papers and a Dickens and London exhibition at the Museum of London. There are special tours of London locations associated with Dickens every Sunday throughout the year (seewww.dickens2012.org/event/tour-dickens-london-locations-sandra-shevey). You can also explore places in south-east England associated with the novelist from southeasttourguides.co.uk/.

If you can't make it to any Dickens events this year, do take the time to red (or re-read) a classic novel or two. Dickens was a marvellous author. In my family we had a tradition of reading A Christmas Carol aloud on Christmas Eve - it beats sitting on the sofa watching old films on the television! If you are in the London area, take the time to visit the Dickens Museum on Doughty Street (www.dickensmuseum.com/). Its a wonderful look back at the life on one of Britain's great writers. 

David Ross is the editor of BritainExpress.com. By training a historian and photographer, he enjoys nothing more than exploring odd corners of Britain.

Happy Holidays Photo Session starting at $150

Happy Holidays Photo Session starting at $150.

This is a great value for the holidays, because remember the holidays are right around the corner.

Book your session today to ensure that your postcards reach friends and family on time.

Please call Ben Wehlage at 507.358.9499 or email ben@wehlage.com for more information.

Happy Holidays.

Rainwater Scottish Themed Wedding

How hard is it to photograph a wedding?

By Megan Lane  BBC News Magazine A couple have successfully sued their wedding photographer for his shoddy coverage of their big day. Anyone can point a camera at a happy couple, but what pitfalls do the professionals face? The memorable shots from Marc and Sylvia Day's wedding are unusual, to say the least. Decapitated guests, a ceremony hardly visible through the gloom, and random close-ups of... not the bouquet, or a snatched kiss, but of carriage wheels. The three-year-old bridesmaid - caught in one snap without her clothes on - could have done a better job. The Days are so upset that they've taken their photographer to court for breach of contract over the £1,450 photo and video package. But how hard can it be to get great shots at a happy occasion, where everyone is dressed up in picturesque locations? Most guests bring along their own cameras, after all. Harder than it looks, says Paul Cudmore, a past winner of Wedding Photographer of the Year, who has been in the business for 18 years. "It's all about emotions and capturing emotions. And obviously you've got to look out for vans driving past in the background." The secret is in the planning - knowing what the bride and bridegroom want, who will be there, where the best locations are. Then there are the timings. "Brides are always late arriving, so you have perhaps four or five minutes to get shots you'd normally spend an hour on.  A guest told me that at the last wedding she went to, the photographers were blowing whistles at them  Paul Cudmore "And brides and grooms - most of whom haven't been married before - don't realise that it can take quarter of an hour for people to leave the church and assemble for photos. I've had reception venues phoning me to ask where everyone is." Most tricky of all is the group shot most couples want, if not for themselves, then for Mum and Dad, Auntie Mabel, and their grandparents. To get that many people to stand in the right place, to look in the right direction - and to smile at the right time - can be like herding cats. "It's all about communication, making the guests and the wedding party feel relaxed and happy," says Mr Cudmore. "At one wedding, a guest told me that at the last wedding she went to, the photographers were blowing whistles at them." One of Neil Thayer's wedding shots Neil Thayer, a wedding photographer based in Bath, says it's the photographer's job to keep everyone happy. "It's like getting all your family together at Christmas - some people don't get on, there are husbands and wives who have split up and come together for this big set-piece. There can be a lot of tension. On one job I was on, there was very nearly a fight." And even if fisticuffs aren't on the horizon, many of those being photographed simply want to crack on with the celebrating. They complain that the photos are taking too long, and itch to get off to the bar. How does Mr Thayer keep things moving along, and still get the right shots? "I never stop talking to people, even if it's making silly jokes. I always make sure I work with the ushers, and know their names - because they will know the names of the people I don't." Camera trouble Then there are the naturalistic reportage shots popular with couples today. The only trouble is, people often freeze when they sense a camera lens pointing in their direction. "They stop, crack a smile, then say 'Are you finished?' I say yes, they breathe a sigh of relief, relax, and start talking and laughing again. I keep shooting," says Mr Thayer. There's more to it than fancy kit "The bride and groom are not often together," says Mr Cudmore. "She'll be on one side of the room talking to someone, and he on the other. You have to instruct them to stand next to each other - not fake reportage, but staged reportage." Both live in fear of mechanical failure, whether it's a camera card corrupting (which happened once to Mr Cudmore) or car trouble (Mr Thayer locked his keys in the boot and almost missed the reception). "I always take two cameras and three or four lenses," says Mr Thayer. "You've got to have back-up kit - I always take double. And I always pack a needlework kit in my bag in case of accidents," adds Mr Cudmore, who often finds himself helping to tie cravats and advising relatives on which side of the church to sit. And if there are small children involved? "So many people tell them 'you've got to be good, you've got to smile'. Then these little four and five-year-olds build up this big worry. I tell them 'we're going to have lots of fun, the bride will look like a princess and you'll be helping her'." His advice for choosing a photographer for the big day? "Look at their portfolio and make sure it is all their own work." Below is a selection of your comments. I've only started in this industry and shot my first wedding recently. It's an incredibly daunting task. The timing, the constant awareness needed to capture moments, the technical difficulties in low light, people herding, research, and the time consuming post-processing all make this a lot more difficult than imagined. People just dive in, thinking a £500 camera with a built-in flash will cut the mustard. Not a chance. I've spent over 4k on gear, and need more lenses and light tools, six months of deep research and practice, 12 years using Photoshop professionally as a graphic artist. I'm still nervous about every shoot. Emmett McLaughlin, Liverpool I was married just outside of Gloucester 13 months ago today and I still get upset thinking about our wedding photos. We scoured the region for a photographer and had several discussions with him about the shots and style we wanted. Although I remember being nervous on the day how shots would come out, it wasn't until a week later that we received the final images and were absolutely devastated. None of us alone after the wedding, or full-length shots of my dress, or with my bridesmaid or family. Family shots like "where's Wally". We wrote to him afterwards to ask about some make-up shots and let him know our disappointment but received no reply. It all sounds so trivial, but it nevertheless hurts when there's no picture taken you can bear to have on display of your wedding day. Jessica Oldroyd, London, England As a professional photographer I can categorically state that wedding photography is a very special skill, a skill which I do not have. There is no second chance, no room for any error and no room for a small mistake. The ONLY way to learn wedding photography is to work as an assistant to a wedding photographer - not an easy job to get, either, as you are a potential threat to their business. Chris Young, Caheragh, West Cork, Ireland I'm one of the new breed of photographers I'm afraid. I've had some tutoring and attended classes in lots of photography disciplines, but none of it can really prepare you for what you will face on a real shoot. I've been fortunate that I've been chosen by friends to shoot weddings for cost of printing only or for free, and they have been happy with my work, but it's clear the real professionals earn every penny. It's exhausting, stressful work. You only get one chance at taking these photos, and the pressure and responsibility doesn't really hit you until the big day. Best left to the pros. Roy Stoliday, Southampton We also have terrible wedding pictures. The only one we have framed was taken by my father and we never look at our album as the photographer's pictures are dreadful. We plan to renew our vows after 10 years (four years time) and have some decent pictures taken by a talented photographer, and as a bonus our children will be there too. Corrine, Sleaford We didn't have a photographer at our wedding - we couldn't face spending hundreds of pounds to have a stranger boss everyone about for hours while we all got tired and bored. Our friends and family took lovely shots, we have a beautiful album, and everyone looks so happy and relaxed because they are being photographed by people they know. Sarah S, York, UK We had a fabulous photographer for our wedding, not stupidly expensive and he really captured the mood of the day. It was only after we booked him we realised he had won Wedding Photographer of the Year. Friends of our paid twice as much for theirs, who managed to get a fire extinguisher in every photo of the bride before the ceremony and tourists' heads looking over the castle walls. Sarah, Sutton Coldfield I got married in pre-digital times, 14 years ago. The photographer took three rolls of film, but when they were developed, the machine broke and two of the films, including the one with the church pix, got completely over-developed. While we only have happy memories of the main part of the ceremony, the lab made some manual black and white prints of as many church pictures they could, including some close-ups of bride and groom. They look absolutely stunning and everyone thinks it was done this way on purpose. I was very impressed by the skill and dedication of everyone involved to save as many pictures of our special day as possible. Chris, London I worked as a wedding host at a country house hotel and saw all kinds of photographers come and go. The digital era appears to have promoted a scatter gun effect in which the man behind the lens takes thousands of shots and hopes to get a good one. The best we worked with - and the ones who had the best rapport with guests - were the old school ones. We would support them and herd guests into the right places at the right times, but high cost doesn't mean high quality. Our recommended photographer was about mid-price and did Hasselblad work for the main photos and his daughter caught people in unguarded moments with a digital camera. A great pairing with an old school camera and new fangled digital one. Gavin, Manchester, England Many people are not using professionals because they think that the images shot by their guests will suffice and see it as a way of cutting costs. But a good wedding photographer can make the day run so much more smoothly. As well as taking pictures, the photographer is the one person prior to the reception who can organise and stage-manage the event ensuring that everyone is in the right place and guiding things along. It is an immensely stressful job with a huge amount of responsibility and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Yes, pros can be expensive but it's a three day job when all of the pre-organisation, editing, and post production is taken into consideration and so costs need to be covered. Andy Newbold, Leatherhead, Surrey We just asked guests to share their pictures with us. We ended up with the most fabulous photos and one guest even put an album together which was very special. My advice is not to pay out - the pictures we ended up with are exceptional quality, very natural and really catch the essence of the day. Daphne, Northants, Daventry As we were living abroad before our wedding, my parents arranged everything for us, so when we got back the photographer was already booked. At our first meeting she said she'd driven by the church (chosen because I'd know the minister my whole life, not for its appearance) and on a scale of 1-10 it rated about 3 for attractiveness, turning her nose up. I asked if she'd walked around to the little churchyard - of course she hadn't, should have fired her right then. She decided we would do most of the photos at the reception in a concrete courtyard, with the wrong lighting, shadows, a bench poking into half the photos, people squinting. She upset half the guests, bossing them about & as she only had a hand-held camera, they thought she was another guest. The photos are very average, but my friends took much better (=relaxed) ones. The technique and equipment is only half of it - the bedside manner counts for a lot. This was pre-digital - these days your guests can do it all, just have a list & maybe one friend to make sure which group shots you don't want to miss. Jane, York I was told by the person who taught me the science behind the camera, about wedding photography: "The ceremony lasts an hour, the cake may last three days, the bride won't fit in to her dress in five years, but... your photographs will have to last a lifetime." That mantra has stuck with me and in a business where the end product is still very disposable, it is one reason why I very rarely take any wedding photographs; because when pressing the shutter release, the image not only has to look good tomorrow, it still has to be appreciated 10, 20 or 30 years down the line. Sean, Chesterfield, Derbyshire/Barcelona, Spain At our wedding, our photographers (she had a team working with her) were brilliant. Never in your face and capturing emotion and moments and lighting... the pictures are as much art pieces as they are printed memories. Eight years later and we still keep in touch with her. We've been to several of her exhibitions and have one of her photos (not of our wedding) hanging in our hallway. Bottom line - it's not the equipment or luck, though those help. It's the eye of the artist holding the camera. John F, Philadelphia Over the past 10 years I shot countless weddings. I came to hate wedding photography as it is repetitive and very ungrateful. I admire those who are willing to cope with weddings. Stopped the whole wedding business about a year ago and switched entirely to studio work. And I love my photography again. Charles, Belfast, UK We didn't have a massive budget for our photographs, and found the extortionate prices some photographers were charging truly jaw-dropping. Our photos were OK, but I really believe that I could have done as good a job. Had I not been the groom, I would have done them myself. Shane, Sale That takes me back. Our photographer was brilliant, kept chatting, got all the shots we wanted and was a reasonable price. Not the 1000s quoted above. You need a good photographer. It is an art. I know someone who had a friend of a friend to do their wedding photos and they were just snapshots. Nothing outstanding for the mantlepiece. Ian, Romford, UK It takes more than just a good camera and a flash. It's all about reading a situation, learning how to use light and understanding group psychology. Not to mention weddings always put you in impossible situations... situations where the biggest names in photography would say "no way...you can't do that". So if you don't think you can work your way out of any situation, don't even think of ruining someone's wedding. Every day I see wonderful photographers on Flickr. Amazing work from amazing people. Thing is about 90% of them should never go near a wedding. Photographing things and photographing people are two very different things. Robert Burress, Liss, Hampshire, UK I got remarried last November in a Gothic style of wedding, which was new to the photographer. Although the finished album turned out fantastically, the photographs on the day were a real chore. After the wedding itself, it took about an hour for all the pictures to be done in every configuration imaginable... and 20 minutes after the guests had left for the reception. It started to feel as though the day was more about him and his pictures than about me and my husband. Heather, Willenhall This is a sad reflection on today's industry where anyone with a camera can now call themselves a photographer. As a professional and full-time photographer for 27 years, I have seen the standards within this industry eroded because of amateurs and weekend photographers who posses very little in the way of technical training or knowledge, vocational qualifications, no professional affiliations, no insurance, and no ability. I hope this is a valuable lesson and wake-up call for non-professional photographers that sub-standard work is not acceptable, and that they should get trained and get affiliated with a photographic organisation. Ian Arthur, Glasgow Some friends of mine chose their wedding venue (civil) simply because of the picturesque location it offered for photographs. The bride had a list of specific shots she wanted. Everything had been prepared for; they even allowed two hours for the full range of photographs in this spectacular garden with stunning wide-reaching vistas. On the morning of the wedding, I flung open my curtains with eager anticipation of a perfect day only to see... ...nothing. Not even the tree 30 feet away from my bedroom window. The DENSEST fog in many years had descended. It could have been a disaster but their photographer was a genius. She took close-ups of everyone, little vignettes of buttonholes or bridesmaids' beaded pumps or family groups inside the venue, then returned on the next decent day and took the vistas the couple had been so enchanted by. When the prints were placed in the album, the entire effect was eye-moistening. Jaye, Rutland, England I've been photographing weddings for over 10 years now and the industry has changed substantially. There are many photographers out there using sub-standard amateur equipment. The problem with underexposed photos in the church above is caused by the use of cheap lenses on a cheap camera body - 99% of churches do not allow flash photography so you need wide aperture lenses to cope with the low light conditions. The problem is that many people believe wedding photography is a less professional art than perhaps fashion or editorial. It is in fact probably the most demanding area of photography there is. You only have one chance, the lighting conditions are constantly changing and you have to keep people happy at the same time. I did a photography degree but only experience can teach you the pitfalls of this industry. Ian, Sevenoaks We just didn't have the money to spend over £1,200 on photographs, so we bought loads of disposables and got people to send us pictures they had taken on their own cameras. The quality of these was brill. Your mates know how to take your best picture. Caroline, Winchester I've stopped agreeing to be "official" photographer at friends and family weddings. It is simply the most stressful role to play and the results can be hit and miss. My tip: get a nice long telephoto lens and be inconspicuous and take candid photos after you've done all the staged cheesy stuff. It also helps to know your location beforehand. Give me landscapes and nature over excited, tipsy wedding revellers any day of the week. Adam, Manchester I used to provide tech support to a number of clients including a wedding photographer. Every time he wandered in with his latest video editing disaster I cried a little on the inside for the poor victims. It wasn't my place to tell him he was destroying dreams but I think anyone looking for a photographer should ask to see some kind of portfolio. There really are some muppets out there who see an easy few hundred quid in the making. Bob, Derby

THE TOP 10 REASONS TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER 

From Russell Caron Wedding Photography / Bibbeford Maine

If you’re planning a wedding, you know how expensive it is to get married today.   Many couples have a set budget with very little wiggle room.  Things begin to add up…the venue, the food, the band, the dress, the rings, the flowers…and on and on.  A popular question is, where to cut corners??  DIY table scapes, invitations, favors, decorations?  Sure!  Hire a family member or friend who is “into” photography to capture the wedding photos?  Not so fast.

Why should you hire a professional wedding photographer?  Excellent question!  Money gets tight in your planning and sometimes the photography is relegated to a relative or friend who has a camera and may know a bit about photography.  So, we’ve complied a list of reasons for you to re-consider hiring a professional wedding photographer for what is going to be one of the most significant days of your lives.

How to Create a Video Animation

Former Eastwood Bank Tour with Bucky Beeman and Rebecca Roe

Former Eastwood Bank space tour which is now up for lease is the subject of this informative tour conducted by Bucky Beeman and Rebecca Roe.

Directed by Ben Wehlage.

Wehlage Pictures can be found at www.wehlage.com

Paine Furniture Store

Series of photographs from the Paine Furniture Store video shoot with Bucky Beeman.

Ben Wehlage photographer.

Pain is located on Broadway in Rochester MN.

www.wehlage.com

8th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Day at Soldiers Field Rochester MN

Guitar Player.  This is a photograph I took at the 8th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Day at Soldiers Field in Rochester MN. Photograph by Ben Wehlage of Wehlage Pictures.

From the Event Listing: "This event is part of Rochester's Juneteenth Celebration. The event is designed to showcase the history of slavery in America and to commemorate slavery's ending. The major intent of the celebration is to examine the cultural heritage of slaves and their descendants through art, education, and research. It's an opportunity to celebrate a community wide family- oriented event."

Additional information if you are not familiar with Juneteenth from Juneteenth.com

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.  Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or neither of these version could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question   For whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory. General Order Number 3 One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which began most significantly with: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer." The reactions to this profound news ranged from pure shock to immediate jubilation. While many lingered to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, many left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former 'masters' - attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go, many felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom. North was a logical destination and for many it represented true freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove the some into Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America. Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territory. The celebration of June 19th was coined "Juneteenth" and grew with more participation from descendants. The Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, for praying and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date. Juneteenth Festivities and Food A range of activities were provided to entertain the masses, many of which continue in tradition today. Rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are just a few of the typical Juneteenth activities you may witness today. Juneteenthalmost always focused on education and self improvement. Thus, oftenguest speakers are brought in and the elders are called upon to recount the events of the past. Prayer services were also a major part of these celebrations. Certain foods became popular and subsequently synonymous with Juneteenth celebrations such as strawberry soda-pop. More traditional and just as popular was the barbecuing, through which Juneteenth participants could share in the spirit and aromas that their ancestors - the newly emancipated African Americans, would have experienced during their ceremonies. Hence, the barbecue pit is often established as the center of attention at Juneteenth celebrations. Food was abundant because everyone prepared a special dish. Meats such as lamb, pork and beef which not available everyday were brought on this special occasion. A true Juneteenth celebrations left visitors well satisfied and with enough conversation to last until the next. Dress was also an important element in early Juneteenth customs and is often still taken seriously, particularly by the direct descendants who can make the connection to this tradition's roots. During slavery there were laws on the books in many areas that prohibited or limited the dressing of the enslaved. During the initial days of the emancipation celebrations, there are accounts of former slaves tossing their ragged garments into the creeks and rivers to adorn clothing taken from the plantations belonging to their former 'masters'. Juneteenth and Society In the early years, little interest existed outside the African American community in participation in the celebrations. In some cases, there was outwardly exhibited resistance by barring the use of public property for the festivities. Most of the festivities found themselves out in rural areasaround rivers and creeks that could provide for additional activities such asfishing, horseback riding and barbecues. Often the church grounds was the site for such activities.  Eventually, as African Americans became land owners, land was donated and dedicated for these festivities. One of the earliest documented land purchases in the name of Juneteenth was organized by Rev. Jack Yates. This fund-raising effort yielded $1000 and the purchase of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. In Mexia, the local Juneteenth organization purchased Booker T. Washington Park, which had become the Juneteenth celebration site in 1898. There are accounts of Juneteenth activities being interrupted and halted by white landowners demanding that their laborers return to work. However, it seems most allowed their workers the day off and some even made donations of food and money. For decades these annual celebrations flourished, growing continuously with each passing year. In Booker T. Washington Park, as many as 20,000 African Americans once flowed through during the course of a week, making the celebration one of the state’s largest. Juneteenth Celebrations Decline Economic and cultural forces provided for a decline in Juneteenth activities and participants beginning in the early 1900’s. Classroom and textbook education in lieu of traditional home and family-taught practices stifled the interest of the youth due to less emphasis and detail on the activities of former slaves. Classroom text books proclaimed Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 as the date signaling the ending of slavery - andlittle or nothing on the impact of General Granger’s arrival on June 19th. The Depression forced many people off the farms and into the cities to find work. In these urban environments, employers were less eager to grant leaves to celebrate this date. Thus, unless June 19th fell on a weekend or holiday, there were very few participants available. July 4th was the already established Independence holiday and a rise in patriotism steered more toward this celebration. Resurgence The Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s yielded both positive and negative results for the Juneteenth celebrations. While it pulled many of the African American youth away and into the struggle for racial equality, many linked these struggles to the historical struggles of their ancestors. This was evidenced by student demonstrators involved in the Atlanta civil rights campaign in the early 1960’s, whom wore Juneteenth freedom buttons. Again in 1968, Juneteenth received another strong resurgence through Poor Peoples March to Washington D.C.. Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s call for people of all races, creeds, economic levels and professions to come to Washington to show support for the poor. Many of these attendees returned home and initiated Juneteenth celebrations in areas previously absent of such activity. In fact, two of the largest Juneteenth celebrations founded after this March are now held in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Texas Blazes the Trail On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.  Edwards has since actively sought to spread the observance of Juneteenth all across America. Juneteenth In Modern Times Today, Juneteenth is enjoying a phenomenal growth rate within communities and organizations throughout the country. Institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Henry Ford Museum and others have begun sponsoring Juneteenth-centered activities. In recent years, a number of local and national Juneteenth organizations have arisen to take their place along side older organizations - all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture. Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement,while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. As it takes on a more national, symbolic and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing. The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase. Respect and appreciation for all of our differences grow out of exposure and working together. Getting involved and supporting Juneteenth celebrations creates new bonds of friendship and understanding among us. This indeed, brightens our future - and that is the Spirit of Juneteenth. History of Juneteenth ©JUNETEENTH.com