As I’m currently making my third and final “pass” through the negatives in the “North Carolina Places” series, I couldn’t help but note the many fine Morton images of our state’s famous lighthouses (nor could I resist the pun in this post’s title — “high lights,” get it? Ugh, sorry).
All three of the images in this post are testaments to Hugh Morton’s artistic eye. Lighthouses are photographed so often, and usually in highly mediocre fashion. It is, admittedly, difficult to bring visual interest to a tall, skinny object — but Morton achieves it here through framing, pattern, and the use of models.
In the photo above of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse (notably, the second oldest lighthouse in the U.S. in continuous service), the shadow, shape and texture of the tree in the foreground draw the eye powerfully to the image’s primary subject. Meanwhile, in the Cape Hatteras image below, the placement of the female models and the patterning of the foremost model’s bathing suit provide dramatic variation and contrast with the lighthouse’s famous stripes. (Ladies in swimsuits usually don’t hurt in terms of visual interest, either — as Morton was keenly aware).
The Oak Island image below may be my favorite. There’s just something very charming about the stance and placement of the model (who I suspect is a young Jim Morton), the jaunty angles of his arms, and the way the stripes of his t-shirt echo the stripes of the lighthouse. Well played, Mr. Morton.
What a crazy coincidence — the Hatteras photo used in this recent NC Miscellany post appears to be from the same photo session as the one above (same model/swimsuit!!). I promise these were not coordinated, and I had not seen the other post prior to writing this one. Wacky.
Great follow up to your Bodie Island Lighthouse post of July 18, 2008, Elizabeth. There are several Morton lighthouse photo sources in a comment following that entry.
Just found a Morton image of the Hatteras lighthouse used for a postcard, in ECU’s Joyner Library Digital Collections.
I love the framing of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse and I also love the angles in the photo, with the shed counter balancing the lean of the tree. Fantastic!
Yes, the boy in the Oak Island picture is Jim Morton.
My favorite lighthouse picture of Hugh’s is of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse,the one on page three of “Hugh Morton’s North Carolina”.The transparency would be in the part of your collection identified as having been used in that book
These are some breathtaking photos, thanks for sharing them. I live in Maine where we have a lot of lighthouses.
Nice collections of lighthouses. The first picture with the tree in the front is amazing, I love the angle of how the picture was taken.
We live in Wilmington, NC and have visited “Old Baldy”, absolutely a must see if you’re ever in the area. It’s a great day trip, or if you’re here during the month of August, stop by during the Pirate day…Awesome event!
For the Hatteras photograph, a different photograph with models wearing same swimsuits appears in THE STATE, 2 June 1956, page 43.
On the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse photo, the model in the foreground is my aunt, who was a young teenaged Sara Burrus from Hatteras Village, born I think in 1939. The middle model may be her sister, Mary, but I can’t see the detail clearly enough. Both modeled for several postcards in the early/mid-50’s. And even in their mid-70’s, they are still beautiful.