A world-renowned photographer who specializes in tintype artistry and who is a Civil War historian will be the special guest at Pembroke Jr./Sr. High School tomorrow (Dec. 3).
Rob J. Gibson will give a free public presentation and demonstration in the evening from 6:30 to 9 in the school library entitled "Recreating the Past: The Vintage Photography of Rob Gibson."
Gibson describes himself as an Ansel Adams meets Easy Rider kind of guy -- a Renaissance man who is on a crusade to save at least some of forgotten America.
This passion for historical investigation fuels him to seek out vintage roadside attractions, abandoned buildings, industrial sites and significant historic locales. He travels wherever necessary to create art that tells the story of the nation's past, one photographic plate at a time.
He rides U.S. backroads on his 1950 panhead Harley-Davidson motorcycle replete with a working 1938 package truck sidecar that has been converted to a darkroom -- in fact, "The World's Fastest Darkroom."
His cameras capture forgotten icons as well as those who keep these relics alive, forming a mosaic of Americana that is distinctive and ingenuous.
The result is awe-inspiring tintype images captured with his primitive cameras and developed into photographs on site, as was done in the demanding 19th century process of tintype photography.
Hollywood movies have made use of his skills and he has made contributions to "Gettysburg," "Cold Mountain," "National Treasure," and the just-released "Harriet."
Pembroke Jr./Sr. High School is located at 58 Alleghany Road (routes 5 and 77) in Corfu.
