Eye for history
Area
photographer shares
pictures from presidential inauguration
joeyg’s
to display Sheckler’s
photos through March 11
By
Lela Jane Bradshaw
Contributing Writer
(March 2009) – John Sheckler attended President
Barack O’Bama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., and plans
to share them in an exhibit that runs through March 11 at joeyg’s
Restaurant and Nightclub, 218 E. Main St.
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Photo
provided The
crowds were enormous during |
“I’d never been in a crowd that size where people
weren’t angry. Everybody was pleasant,” John Sheckler, 62
of Lexington, Ind.
While most people were watching the historic celebrations on television,
Sheckler braved the massive crowds covering Washington. “Here’s
the real measure of the success of that – close to 2 million
people and not a single arrest.”
He has titled his exhibit “Witness to History: Photographs by John
F. Sheckler.” The display includes 20 pictures from the inauguration,
and is bookended by shots Sheckler took as a young man of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and the Dali Lama.
On March 18, meanwhile, the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum
will feature Sheckler as the guest speaker of its monthly brown bag
luncheon. The museum is located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg. Members
of the public are invited to bring a lunch and enjoy a talk by this
fascinating and energetic speaker. Drinks and deserts will be provided.
Museum director Jeremy Risen notes that one of the museum volunteers
“had learned that John to the inauguration and had taken pictures.”
Sheckler was then invited to speak about his experiences as part of
the museum’s Brown Bag Lunch program. The third Wednesday of each
month between September and May the museum plays host to local speakers
to present on a variety of topics of community interest.
Patty Cooper Wells, a Madison-based artist, curates the art wall at
joeyg’s. She learned of her friend’s trip and knew that his
work would make for a perfect display.
“I knew he would inevitably capture some interesting photographs
at this historic event and I thought that it would make for an interesting
exhibit that other folks in Madison might appreciate.”
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Photo
provided Photojournalist
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She describes Sheckler as “a very honest and down-to-earth
person. He can’t help but to bring that into his photographs. He
is interested in people and telling their stories. He also has the talent
that is essential to being a good photojournalist, capturing the essential
moment that tells that story.”
Sheckler was uniquely qualified to capture the historical significance
of the inauguration of the 44th president. While only an eight-grader,
Sheckler attended the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy with
his grandfather. Later as a photojournalist, he would shoot pictures
of four other U.S. presidents; his first day as a full-time news person
included taking a picture of Ronald Reagan. “I selected journalism
because I knew it would let me do things I would not otherwise be able
to do.”
Before heading to Washington, Sheckler researched the exact spot where
Martin Luther King Jr. stood to deliver his famous “I Have a Dream
Speech.” The research paid off when Sheckler was able to capture
one of his favorite pictures from the inauguration – a shot
of the crowd in front of the Washington Monument taken on the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial in King’s very footprints. “I was
very proud I could get in position for that specific photo.”
• For information about the exhibit, call joeyg's Restaurant and Nightclub at (812) 273-8862.