Lenin Wall - for Julia

Lenin Wall, Photograph

Julia, a lowcountry gal who lives and blogs from Prague, Czechoslovakia, recently posted an entry on the Lenin Wall. I thought I would surprise her with this shot taken right here in Charleston.

I cheated of course.

The Lenin Wall, according to Wikipedia: The Lennon Wall is a wall in Prague, Czech Republic. Once a normal wall, since the 1980s it has been filled it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti and pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs.

In 1988, the wall was a source of irritation for the then communist regime of Gustav Husak. Young Czechs would write grievances on the wall and in a report of the time this led to a clash between hundreds of students and security police on the nearby Charles Bridge.

This morning I ended my walk by strolling through the Spoleto Art show in Marion Square and treated myself as I do each year by stopping by the Ron Rocz photography tent. Ron is based in Charleston and has the most beautiful pictures not only of the lowcounty but the Mississippi Delta Blues, Russia and Peru. According to his web site the Lenin Wall has been his top selling photograph.

I got up the nerve to ask if he would mind me taking a photograph of his photograph and he was kind enough to let me do it for this very purpose. Apparently the wall is continuously painted over so each time it looks completely different.

The John Lennon Wall, located near the Certovka Canal in Prague, The Czech Republic, is a colorful, graffiti-filled, active and on-going memorial to this cultural icon. It originated in 1980, at the time of John Lennon's assassination, when an unknown person drew the shape of a tombstone on this side-street wall, inscribing John's name and dates of birth and death. Through the years, with the wall surviving political repression, river floods, and more than one re-stuccoing, visitors have and continue to add their own artwork and heart-felt messages to John.

I noticed that Ron had a book called Seeing Charleston that might be of interest if you photograph Charleston. It is a handy pocket guide with sections on locations in historic Charleston and the Lowcountry. It is filled with location and technical tips as well as inspiring quotes by famous photographers.

Thanks Ron! I've been snooping at your work for years. It was an honor to meet you.