The "Art" of History

I'm a history buff and one of the periods that fascinate me is the time around the American Revolution up through the War of 1812. Consequently I had to do a quick side tour of Independence National Park while in Philadelphia for the Flower Show and as a photographer I wanted to find images that somehow represent aspects of that period. The photo above was made in Carpenters' Hall. I looked up the Hall on the web and found that, despite being part of the Park, it is still owned to the present day by the Carpenters Guild, the oldest trade guild in America.

Carpenters' Hall was where the 1st Continental Congress met to discuss the colonies relations with England and eventually to declare our independence. As such it is the birthplace of the United States. The photo below is a detail of the tile floor and the one after is looking up through the staircase in the entry hall.

There are a number of historic buildings in Independence National Park and I had an opportunity to touch on only a few sites, one of which is the 2nd National Bank which appears in the photos below. Today the building serves as a gallery for portraits of the founders. I didn't have time to visit the gallery and contented myself with enjoying the edifice. One day I will have to return to tour the Park properly.

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