INSPIRATION FOR SAILOR'S VALENTINE

The inspiration for this Cape Cod Tale was found when I purchased a box of old daguerreotypes at an antique shop. Among them was a haunting photo of a young girl post-mortem.  The high childhood mortality rate, along with access to the new medium of photography, leant itself to this custom. This once acceptable means of preserving the memory of a loved one is now considered to be morbid and unusual.  While social mores might have changed, the pain of the loss of a child is constant.  As I examined the photograph, I began to wonder about her short life; where was she from, what happened to her, who was her family, was she clothed in her favorite dress, and did the picture help ease the pain of loss to her loved ones?  Every picture tells a story, and in this case it inspired me to create a narrative that became ‘A Cape Cod Tale.’