For anyone who has resided in a rural area of the Midwest, the stunning photographs of barns in this photographic work will seem instantly familiar. For those who have since relocated to urban areas, the photos by Larry Kanfer will inspire emotional memories of a more bucolic past, with roots in simpler times. This book will have broad appeal to all because of the importance of these structures’ central role in the history of American civilization and in our collective cultural consciousness.
This is first and foremost a photographic work that would appeal to anyone with an interest in our cultural history and folklore, and will serve as a wonderful coffee table book. Over thirty different barns are featured, many in multiple interior and exterior shots, from twenty-four different counties in Illinois. Some are in pristine condition, while others are in various states of disrepair. Each barn is described in an accompanying text by Alaina Kanfer, which often highlights each barn’s unique characteristics or past historical significance, such as the Phelps barn in Peoria County, which was part of an alternate route on the Underground Railroad. The barn features a cross cutout in the gable, which when lit served as a signal for safe passage. Interesting architectural features are frequently highlighted, and the unique family histories of many of the barn owners provide a meaningful backdrop to the descriptions.
In the photographer’s introduction to this work, Larry Kanfer recounts how people frequently ask him, as a professional photographer, to photograph their barns. “I’ve always wondered, what is it about the barn that is so compelling to them? It’s just a structure. But emotionally the barn they ask me to photograph is so much more. I am intrigued with what they see. What has happened within those walls? What are these people remembering or even imagining when they finally see the photograph of the barn? This project was an opportunity to answer these questions.”
Several themes run through the narrative descriptions of the barns, including evocation of memory, the lifespan of barns as a metaphor for the human life cycle, the annual event-cycle of rural life and the barn’s role in it, the universal role of barns as navigational points for travelers, barns as historical structures and as the sites of historical events, the need for preservation and the gradual reduction in the number of extant barns, and their ability to summon deep emotional connections with the past. Besides their traditional roles in agricultural life, barns have been a central part of the social fabric of America, serving as gathering places for meetings and celebrations, and as cherished play spaces for children.
The photographs and text are organized in eight chapters around central themes: Generations, Lore, Seasons, Landmarks, Geometry, Fate, Reuse, and Inspiration. The Reuse chapter provides a fascinating glimpse of the many ways in which barns have been repurposed to serve as homes for more modern functions, such as the Lyons Fish Hatchery in Marion County, the Fine Line Creative Arts Center in Kane County, the Central Illinois Small Animal Rescue in McLean County, and the Ravissant Winery in St. Clair County.
This handsome work will be treasured by those with a real-life connection to barns and the countryside, delight all readers with its beautiful photography, and perhaps inspire a new appreciation of these iconic structures that are so central to our consciousness of the past.
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[Review length: 565 words • Review posted on March 3, 2015]