Historic St. Charles

I really enjoyed walking through Old Historic St. Charles and seeing all of the culture and history that is still prominent in the area. This line of houses and businesses specifically stuck out to me because of all of the different colors. The yellow home brought a lot of warmth into the picture on such a cold day. I like how you can see the shutters on the windows of the brick home as well because it shows that these homes are older, but they are still in great shape.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this set-up as I passed by a small cafe. It's a simple, yet welcoming advertisement. If the cafe had been open at the time I was there, I would have definitely went inside to check it out. The business did a great job of matching their advertisement with not only the theme of their restaurant, but also with the theme of St. Charles. It fits in well with the old-style, welcoming atmosphere.



This was one of my favorite buildings that I passed by while walking through Main Street St. Charles. You would never see this style or structure of building being constructed today, so it is nice to see these types of buildings being preserved and still used today. It is evident that this building is fairly old, but you can tell that it holds so much character. Today it is used as a type of gift shop for visitors to St. Charles, but I can imagine that it could have been a general store or grocery store in years past. It might have been home to a family upstairs as well.

This house was almost hidden, as it sat farther back behind other homes and businesses, but it still caught my attention. The cobblestone path leading to the front door along with the simple, cozy design of the home offered a warm and welcoming feeling while walking by. This house actually reminded me of the movie The Holiday featuring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. These two characters swap homes for a few weeks, and Cameron Diaz stays in a small, cozy home in a rural part of London.



After passing by a gazebo nestled in between two small businesses, I turned around and decided to check out the view of Main Street from inside of the gazebo. I immediately fell in love with the view from inside. The colors of the businesses really popped and stood out from where I was standing. This photo made me realize that the best views are not always seen, and sometimes things look better from a different angle. I plan on visiting the gazebo again during my next trip to St. Charles.

Jefferson Barracks: Civil War Museum

I felt that there was no better way to start this blog post than with a picture of the Confederate and Union flags during the Civil War. These flags were almost like a hidden gem in the Civil War Museum because you had to go downstairs to find them. The bright red color really caught my eye as I reached the bottom of the steps, and I realized that these two flags were perfect representations of what the Civil War Museum is all about.






The names on this Muster Roll are only a few of the thousands of men that fought in the Civil War. I didn't recognize any of the names, nor did I expect to, but this picture still stands out to me as something very meaningful. Thousands upon thousands of people risked their lives during the Civil War to try and win their fight, whether it was for the Union or the Confederacy. The Civil War was one of many major events that led our country to the spot that it is in today, and I am thankful to be here today living in the United States of America. I am thankful for those who risked their lives for their country in the past, present, and future.

Several exhibits were set up inside of the museum, such as medicine, weapons, travel, clothing, and even photography during the Civil War. This particular photo was included in the weapons exhibit. It amazes me that these are only a few of the many different types of weapons that were used, yet there are still so many different types of just one weapon. It is nice to see these actual artifacts from such a major event that are still so preserved.

The wheel captured in this photo is an original carriage wheel from a Civil War artillery unit in 1863. It was not until 1959 that this wheel was recovered from Davenport, Iowa, and it is one of the only wheels of its kind that still exists today. You can see that the wheel is not very worn at all, especially for being over 100 years old. This may suggest that it was a spare wheel.




One of my favorite exhibits in the museum was this centerpiece of the horse pulling a wagon behind him/her. You can see the same style of wheel featured in this photo as in the previous photo. This picture does a great job of representing the type of travel that soldiers had to use during the Civil War. They did not have the luxury of cars that we do today, so most of their travel was on foot or by horse, if you were lucky. The horses were also used to carry gear, such as uniforms, weapons, medicine, and ammunition.

In this photo, we see that soldiers relied on not only medicine, but also books to treat injuries and sickness during the war. The medical books contained useful information regarding specific types of medicine to use or certain healing methods. Without this information, soldiers may have ended up using the wrong medicine or treatment plan. It was crucial during the war to stay as healthy as possible and treat all injuries and sickness as quickly as possible to avoid further damage.

This picture stands out to me because there is a large amount of detail included. I absolutely love how you can see the texture on the buttons and how the light reflects off of their shiny appearance. The symbols and colors of the belt make for a great focal point for this photo. I think my favorite part about this picture is that you can still see some of the stains to the right of the buttons. It makes me wonder about where these stains came from, and if there was some sort of injury. It is another example of how well these artifacts are preserved even though they are over 100 years old.

Before leaving the museum, I captured this picture of one of the posters that was released very shortly after the assassination of our late President Abraham Lincoln. It is hard to read all of the fine print that is included in this photo, but the reward amounts and the word, "Murderer" are very clearly seen. The assassination of President Lincoln is still a very big deal today, so I can only imagine the amount of turmoil and fear that our country was going through at the time. This poster paints a clear picture of how fearful and angry the people of the United States were after this tragic event. They offered award amounts from $25,000 to $100,000 which was a luxurious amount of money during the year of 1865.

After spending some time in the museum, we took a few minutes to drive around Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. It was really amazing to see all of the tombstones lined up so perfectly and clearly in a distinct order. This order and preciseness shows how meaningful the service is of those who fought and continue to fight for our country. It is only a small favor we can do for those who risked so much for our country and its people.

This picture features the American flag flying at half-mast because there was a funeral service taking place at that time in the cemetery. The half-staff is a reminder of how many military personnel we have in this country, and how many of them risk their lives every day for the United States and its people. On the outside, this picture represents loss and sorrow, but there is a deeper meaning of freedom, beauty, and respect that is captured in this photo.

Lafayette Square

For this excursion, we toured Lafayette Square and some of the surrounding areas. I really enjoyed seeing all of the culture and architecture in this area because it is different from what I see on a daily basis. I loved seeing all of the different styles of houses, including the color schemes. As we were finishing up our tour and walking back to our cars, this house caught my attention, mostly because of the bright colors and French style of the home, and I decided to snap one last picture.





This photo was taken inside of Lafayette Park, looking out towards the surrounding streets lined with beautiful homes. I really love how the gate is included because it adds a lot of character to the photo. You can tell that this gate, along with the homes in the background, have been around for quite some time. My favorite part about this picture is the opening in the gate because it shows how welcoming the area is. This neighborhood is built not only on architecture and culture, but also on kindness and friendship.

As I reached the corner of Lafayette Park, I spotted this tall, white building on the corner of the street. I figured it wasn't someone's home due to the huge awning that lead to the front door. A sign standing next to the building confirmed that this was a funeral home. I love that they chose such a beautiful building to use as a funeral home. One of my favorite parts of this picture is the tree standing over the building and the blue sky showing through the background. It almost looks as if the tree is protecting the funeral home.



After walking around Lafayette Square and Lafayette Park, our class walked a few blocks down to a surrounding area and spotted this church. The church pictured here is the church of St. Henry/Immaculate Conception, or what used to be. Sadly, this beautiful church is no longer in use because it was abandoned many years ago. It is such a shame to see something so beautiful essentially go to waste. I hope that some day this church will be restored and that people will start using it again.

My final picture included in this post was taken as we were walking back from the church. We passed through an area that was in need of some renovation, such as this building. Even though it is need of renovations, such as new windows and steps, it still holds a lot of history and culture. It is amazing to me that each building has its own part of history, but it also upsets me that some of these buildings are falling apart in some ways. As I mentioned in my previous post about the church, I hope that this building can be restored some day. There are actually several renovations happening throughout this area, such as new apartments buildings and business restorations.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and Central West End

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. This was the first time I had ever been to the Basilica, so I was somewhat overwhelmed when we first stepped inside. It was absolutely beautiful, and I could not wait to start taking pictures. This first picture shows off some of the architecture that was present in St. Louis when the Basilica was first built. I really love the arch features and the long hallway. This was only one of several places within the Basilica that shows off the arch features. I think the Basilica is such an important part of St. Louis because of the rich history that it holds, including its architecture.

I spotted this window in one of the outer hallways in the Basilica, almost like it was hidden. It may not have been displayed front and center, but in my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful features inside of the Basilica. I really like how the window draws in so much natural light and uses it to light up the design. My favorite part is how much the deep blue color contrasts with the silver/white color.

This photo captures the centerpiece of the Basilica. I really enjoy everything about this picture, from the characters on the ceiling to the immaculate architectural structure surrounding Jesus to the steps leading up to the powerful display. This picture is important because it represents what the Basilica is all about. It is a spiritual center dedicated to the worship of God. To me, this centerpiece is like a welcoming invitation for friends and family to come inside and enjoy a morning or evening of worship. My favorite part about this photo is how the light is falling directly on Jesus. It helps to show that He is not only the main point of this picture, but also the main point of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

After spending some time inside of the Cathedral, we decided to walk around Central West End. I've mentioned in a previous post that I'm from Southern Illinois, so I haven't really explored most of St. Louis yet. I loved seeing all of the different types of architecture, including the homes. This picture shows one of the many different styles of housing that can be found in St. Louis. This style of housing reminds me of the show Full House that I used to watch when I was younger. The small space between each home in this photo resembles the close vicinity of the homes in Full House. It was really cool to walk by something so simple, like a row of houses, and be reminded of something from my childhood.


I enjoyed the time we spent walking around this area of St. Louis and seeing all of the shops, restaurants, and homes. I like this picture because it reminds me of the phrase, "The calm before the storm." This photo was taken in the later morning hours, so the restaurant was not open for business yet. However, I could see this patio filling with a large number of people during the evening hours for dinner. I love the idea of so many different people with different stories coming together to the same place. I plan to come back to Central West End sometime with family or friends to experience the area more and get a taste of St. Louis, maybe even at this restaurant.

Missouri History Museum

For our first excursion for my photography class, we visited the Missouri History Museum. I had a great time looking through all of the different exhibits. Here are some of my favorite moments that I was able to capture along the way. Enjoy!

The first exhibit in the museum that I decided to explore was a brand new exhibit dedicated to German immigrants titled Utopia: Revisiting a German State in America. The immigrants had to make a life-changing decision to leave the country they knew best in order to pursue life, liberty , and the pursuit of happiness. The German immigrants made sure to bring some of their culture along with them to America, however. This picture shows two different types of German wine/alcohol that the immigrants brought over to America. I really enjoy this picture, along with the exhibit, because I have a great deal of German heritage.

During the American Labor Movement, times were hard at some points, and people struggled to make it by. This picture features an African American man working hard in order to earn his small, but very important, wage. At this point in time, slavery was eliminated, but African Americans were still treated unfairly by receiving very little pay for a lot of hard work. I love how this picture emphasizes the arms and hands of the worker. His veins are even sticking out. You can tell how hard he is working in order to earn money so he can provide for his family.

This picture is one of my favorites, mostly because of how beautiful the colors are and how well they fit together. The bench in this photo is a bench from the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. This picture holds so much culture and history because of where it came from. I think it is so amazing that St. Louis was able to host such an amazing event full of so many different people and cultures in order to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase Anniversary. To me, the colors represent all of the diversity and beauty that is located in the city of St. Louis.

Out of all of the pictures from my trip to the museum, this one means the most to me. This photo captures an old fire engine from the St. Louis Fire of 1849 . In the background, you can see the rubble and destruction of one of the many buildings and steamboats that was destroyed during the fire that lasted over eleven hours. Sadly, it is confirmed that three people lost their lives during the fire, including one fireman. This picture really speaks to me because both my dad and brother are volunteer firemen. I worry about them and the rest of their department when they leave for a call, but I know they are doing their job of protecting the city and its people. I am thankful every day for the generosity of every emergency personnel that works hard to keep us safe.

I wanted to end my post from the Missouri History Museum with this photo. I've lived in Southern Illinois my whole life, until I moved to St. Louis for college. Needless to say, I have been a dedicated Cardinals fan since before I can even remember. This photo shows a signature to Stan Musial, better known as "Stan the Man," from one of his close friends/teammates. You can really tell how much their friendship meant to the person that was writing this note to Stan. It is amazing to see how influential just one person can be to an entire city. Stan the Man is not the only influential person from St. Louis, but he is definitely one of our favorites. I really enjoyed all of the history in the museum dedicated to baseball. I grew up loving baseball, I still love baseball, and I'll love baseball for the rest of my life.