You may have yet to meet the most humble person in the world … until right now.
Caroline Allison, affectionately known as Lina, is sweet as pie. Hidden behind that sweetness is one of the most regarded photographers in the country.
One of the best days Matt and I have ever had in Nashville was the winter’s day a few years ago that we spent with our dear friends Lina and her husband Nick. It was one of those days that ran from morning to night. We started the day with a burger at Rotier’s, moved on to Brown’s Diner for a snack, drove around town “just lookin’ ” at great buildings and houses, and then found ourselves at the third restaurant of the day (!) before going to a movie.
We were sitting on the bar stools at Brown’s Diner when Nick asked us if Lina had told us about the photography project she was asked to join. In 2009, the finest photographer from each state was chosen to contribute to The 50 States Project (find our more www.50statesproject.net). Lina represented Tennessee.
Of course, she hadn’t told us about it. That’s not Lina’s style. To me, it’s just another indication of her humility.
The first photographs of Lina’s that I ever saw blew me away. They were taken for The 50 States Project, and included a photo of the huge chandelier inside Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville and the shot of the piano room at Twitty City in Hendersonville that’s at the top of this page.
One of the main things that I’m drawn to in Lina’s work is her sense of juxtaposition; she photographs things together that you’d never think would work … and makes them beautiful. Another one of my favorite pieces of hers is the interior of her grandmother’s closet.
If you don’t know Lina already, I am so happy you are getting ready to know her through her work here.
- Carrie
A Note From Caroline
These photographs tell a story. It’s probably one that you think you already know… about America, its history, and its mythologies.
In these photographs, I am visiting places that are part of our American identity – the homes of authors and musicians, movie sets, Civil War battlefields, etc. I’m looking for the stories in these places that have not been told – such as, that the childhood home of Abraham Lincoln that’s enshrined in a mausoleum in Kentucky is a fake; that William Faulkner’s widow’s first post-funeral act was one of defiance to her husband; and that the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement has been left to cave in on itself in a town called Money. My photos are about spending time in a place and revealing the histories that have been left out of our collective memory.
I make my photos using a large format camera – a piece of technology virtually unchanged since its invention in the 19th century. It is slow and cumbersome and deliberate, but I like that pace. Pulling the dark cloth over my head, standing on my tiptoes to see the upside-down image on ground glass … it isolates me from the surrounding world, but also requires some meditation about what it is I’m looking for. With this behemoth of a camera, there is no sly or stealthy picture taking, but instead a long communion and a conversation with the place I am in.
-Caroline Allison
Estelle Faulkner’s Air Conditioner, Rowan Oak, Oxford, Mississippi
William Faulkner refused to allow air conditioning in his house, Rowan Oak. On July 3rd, 1962, one day after Faulkner’s death, his wife Estelle installed a window unit in her bedroom.
Mason Lodge No. 135, Greenwood, Mississippi
Converted to resemble the Robert E. Lee Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi for the filming of “The Help”.
Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market, Money, Mississippi
Where Emmet Till supposedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. Resulted in his subsequent lynching by a white mob, a sham court proceeding to convict the killers, and thus sparked the birth of the Civil Rights Movement in 1955.
Abraham Lincoln Childhood Home
Once believed to be the actual log cabin of Lincoln’s youth, tests have shown this to be a replica from the 19th century. It is currently undergoing an exhaustive restoration process.
Reenactor, Sergeant 1st Volunteer Army
Annual gathering of re-enactors from Civil War, Mexican Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Korean War.
Difficult, TN
Site of Civil War encampment now being cleared for suburban development. 5 miles up the road from from Defeated, TN.
You never forget your first:
Caroline Allison is a photographer based in Nashville. She lives in Germantown with her husband Nick Dryden (the subject of an Our Voice back in July) and Emmett, their new addition. In addition to her artistic projects, Caroline shoots for a variety of editorial and architectural clients. More of her photographs can be seen at carolineallison.com.
