keepers

Early in 2009, I decided to capture an image every calendar day for an entire year. 365 days later, I have more gray hair, have aged a decade and alienated loved ones, but I did it and, most importantly, I didn’t miss a single day. Comments and criticisms are welcomed, both on composition and technique, and on content. Thanks for looking.

"D" Is For Disobedience (Day 197)

Excerpt from the Lennon Wall in the Little Quarter of Prague.

To loosely quote Wikipedia and prague.net:

“ … John Lennon was a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era. Prior to 1989, when communism ruled, western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities. This was especially true for Lennon´s songs, as they praised freedom that didn’t exist there. Some musicians were actually jailed for playing it.

When John Lennon was murdered in 1980, he became a sort of hero to many of the Czech youth and his picture was painted on this wall, along with graffiti defying the authorities. By doing this, these young activists risked prison for what authorities called “subversive activities against the state”. But the threat of prison couldn’t keep them from slipping there at night to scrawl graffiti, first in the form of Beatles lyrics and odes to Lennon, then paintings representing their own feelings and dreams.

The Communist police tried repeatedly to whitewash over the portrait and messages of peace but they could never manage to keep the wall clean; it would immediately become full of poems and flowers with paintings of Lennon. Even the installation of surveillance cameras and the posting of an overnight guard couldn’t stop the civil disobedience.

Many believe that this wall helped inspire the non-violent, Velvet Revolution that led to the fall of Communism in 1989 … “

To see the “D” in a larger context, click <a href="http://www.nawset.com/gallery/7350034_Cbef6#610289197_B63st">here</a>.

(2009-07-20 8:54am)

197 / 365

"D" Is For Disobedience (Day 197) Excerpt from the Lennon Wall in the Little Quarter of Prague. To loosely quote Wikipedia and prague.net: “ … John Lennon was a hero to the pacifist youth of Central and Eastern Europe during the totalitarian era. Prior to 1989, when communism ruled, western pop songs were banned by Communist authorities. This was especially true for Lennon´s songs, as they praised freedom that didn’t exist there. Some musicians were actually jailed for playing it. When John Lennon was murdered in 1980, he became a sort of hero to many of the Czech youth and his picture was painted on this wall, along with graffiti defying the authorities. By doing this, these young activists risked prison for what authorities called “subversive activities against the state”. But the threat of prison couldn’t keep them from slipping there at night to scrawl graffiti, first in the form of Beatles lyrics and odes to Lennon, then paintings representing their own feelings and dreams. The Communist police tried repeatedly to whitewash over the portrait and messages of peace but they could never manage to keep the wall clean; it would immediately become full of poems and flowers with paintings of Lennon. Even the installation of surveillance cameras and the posting of an overnight guard couldn’t stop the civil disobedience. Many believe that this wall helped inspire the non-violent, Velvet Revolution that led to the fall of Communism in 1989 … “ To see the “D” in a larger context, click here. (2009-07-20 8:54am)

Czech Austria Germany Europe Other prague Shot A Day Travel 2009 2261

keepers

Melissa OShaughnessy

irishmurr

dakotacowboy

SundaysChildSnapShots