Green Lake 2011 - Poor Attempts At Dear Photograph

After spending some time perusing dearphotograph.com a few months ago, I decided that the trip to Green Lake would be a great opportunity to try out the technique where one holds up a vintage photo in the same setting. Little did I realize how difficult it could be to get everything to line up properly. Oh well, even if the photos turned out terribly, it was still an interesting and challenging exercise. Here goes...

mom, winter '69-'70 (pregnant with me at the time)

grandpa & grandma, early 70s

cousins, mid-70s (Kimmy, me, Jeff, Dan)

me, with fish, late-70s

puppy Kasey, Taffy and Kimmy, 1985
brother Dan & Hot Wheels, 1985
Kasey, 1987

Green Lake 2011 In Photos

Some photos and a couple of videos from our recent trip to my favorite place on Earth - Green Lake, WI. A big thank you to the Mangins for letting us stay at a place that means so much to me and my family.









And the videos, swimming under the pier with a GoPro HD camera:

Vintage Green Lake Postcards

While doing some spring cleaning in our garage attic over the weekend, I unearthed a box containing a few more framed vintage postcards. So without further adieu, here are a couple more from Green Lake's Northern Baptist Assembly (now known as the Green Lake Conference Center).

Like about half of my postcards, these were never sent - so no potentially interesting back story.
The pool pictured above has been filled in as long as I have been on the planet. It's now a garden with a perfectly-rectangular concrete border. The last time I walked the perimeter, faint "NO RUNNING" painted signs were still visible - barely. I could also find the anchor bolts for the diving boards and egress ladders. I have a series of three very cool real photo black and white postcards with various views of the pool, but they're all secured in one frame that I don't want to dismantle for scanning.

Postcard number two depicts a classic scene at the center.
Somewhere in my parent's photo albums, there's a picture of me, at about three years old, running here with my maternal grandmother watching over. At least I think such photo exists.

Both postcards have the same printing on the back:
The Northern Baptist Assembly
GREEN LAKE, WIS.
A 1000 acre estate of unsurpassed loveliness with a 2 1/2 mile frontage on beautiful Green Lake. It includes a modern 81 room Inn and forty other buildings. It is no an Assembly-Conference grounds acquired by the Northern Baptists for purposes of Leadership Training, Spiritual Inspiration, and Christian Fellowship.

Vintage Green Lake Postcard

Sailing By Moonlight
On Green Lake, Wis.
Without anything along the lines of identifiable landmarks, this postcard may be a case of where the printer took a stock image and added the place location. But who cares, it's still a cool image - and how I'd love to sail that fine craft.
Postmarked Ripon, Wis., July 26, 1912

Addressed to:
Miss Nell Ammel
Malone, Wisconsin

July 25
There's a bunch here for a while. Sat. we go home. Wish we could stay longer. Took a launch ride around the lake this P.M. Irma

Even though she has a unique name, a little internet sleuthing came up with a big fat nothing on Ms. Ammel.

And since this post was so brief, here's another vintage sailboat postcard. No location given and sadly unused, so there's no story on the flip side.
But the image is certainly cool. Enjoy!

Lake House Lust

So my boss was cruising the World Wide Innerwebs this morning and stumbled upon this gem.
Not only is it an award-winning masterpiece...
...so elegantly blending in with the rolling Wisconsin landscape...
...but it is also on my beloved Green Lake.
Named The Camouflage House because of the way that the natural-colored panels were harmoniously integrated into the façade by pixelating and distilling autumn hues.
Having practically memorized every home on the lake over 30+ years of recreating on it's clear, spring-fed waters, I'm surprised I wasn't familiar with this home until now.
I discovered that it is located on the south shore of Norwegian Bay. And based on this photo...
...it appears that it's on the western edge of Norwegian Bay. Which really makes sense if the builder didn't demolish an existing structure. See, this part of Norwegian Bay is quite shallow - shallow enough that many lake-goers anchor on the sand bar to enjoy the waist-deep waters. One of only a few places on the deep, dark lake that accommodates those not looking to constantly tread water. The shallowness of the water can also makes the lot less-desirable to those with piers and motorboats as the pier length has to be sufficient in order to properly launch and store said boat. Therefore, it could have stood vacant through Green Lake's development. But that's pure speculation.
And though my favorite Green Lake property is quite evident to anyone who really knows me, this home is definitely one of my favorites. I hope to see it in person (from the lake of course) one of these summers.
Photos and information from this link and this link. Architect - Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Milwaukee.