What happens when you go on a road trip…buy special film for that trip…bring a special camera for that trip…take potentially cool images on that trip…remove that roll of film from your camera…and drop it in a drawer? I think you know what happens, you forget about it! Am I speaking from experience? The answer to that quick little question is yes. How long did I forget about that little roll of 35mm film? The answer to that is more than one and a half years ago!
I took that road trip back in August 2019. That trip brought me to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas, across the backroads of central Nevada, and south across the eastern side of the Silver State. Somehow that last roll of Ferrania P30 shot with my Zeiss Ikon ZM, documenting my journey from Ely, Nevada southwards ended up in my drawer, freezing my memories in time as I simply forgot about them! I did have a mental backup of the trip in the form of a travel journal, but the written word is no substitute for the visual memory triggers from a photograph!
Last week I found the “lost” roll of film that held my lost Nevada memories. As I packaged the film up to be sent off to the lab…I wondered what I would discover! A couple of days ago, I received an email telling me that my developed film had been uploaded to an online album for my viewing. Curiosity, anticipation, and excitement propelled me to the internet…in search of lost memories! I’ll share a few of these memories with you now.
Fastest Gas In The West, Pioche, Nevada USA
The town of Pioche, Nevada is an old silver mining community that got its start back in 1864 with the opening of a mine. The original settlers abandoned that area after local Indian tribes launched a series of raids and massacres. Settlers returned in 1868 and by the 1870’s, Pioche became one of the most important silver mining towns in all of Nevada. With prosperity came violence. It is said that 72 men were killed in gunfights before a natural death occurred! Pioche took its place as one of the most violent towns of the wild west…alongside Tombstone, Arizona and Dodge City, Kansas! Pioche has settled down into a quiet little community by the time I made my short visit in the summer of 2019. The old building I photographed was full of character, decay, and merely an artifact of a time long lost…similar to the lost image retrieved from an old roll of 35mm film. The “Fastest Gas In the West” is a relic of time that will live on in the celluloid of my film negative and on the internet.
Ward Charcoal Ovens, south of Ely, Nevada USA
The Ward Charcoal Ovens were built and used for silver ore processing from 1876-1879. These beauties were made to last as evidenced by my photo above. The composition of this image is an exercise in texture, placement, and layers. I see what are in essence the five layers or components that make up this composition…the ground, the scrub brush, the charcoal ovens, the tree-covered mountains, and the clear sky. I really like how I framed this image. I’m glad I took the photo and finally had the film developed. Yet another lost Nevada memory retrieved from obscurity!
Carl’s Burgers, Caliente, Nevada USA
No burgers to be had at Carl’s Burgers! This gem of an old restaurant sits in the heart of the not so bustling town of Caliente, Nevada. The building is a gem because of its retro signage, painted logo, and the overall disrepair of the structure. Capturing images like this on black and white film stock, preserves the character and charm of these relics of pure Americana.
My lost roll of film brought back memories of my Nevada trip. If you ever find a roll of film hidden in the dark recesses of one of your drawers don’t leave it there. Grab it and develop it…those lost memories are just waiting for you!
—-by Steve A. Kleinheider (March 27, 2021)