Harper's Ferry Jefferson Rock

by Lois Bryan

Title

Harper's Ferry Jefferson Rock

Artist

Lois Bryan

Medium

Photograph - Photography / Digital Art

Description

Happy to announce that "Harper's Ferry Jefferson Rock" tied for 3rd place in the 8/29/2021 contest "Rocks and Minerals Spotlight." Many thanks to the contest administrator James Lillard II and to everyone who voted for our image. Congratulations to the other winners!!

Original photographic image taken by my son, Rich Bryan with edits by myself.

A vision of the setting sun behind "Jefferson Rock" in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, at the best time of the year ... fall. High above the beautiful old historic town, the views from the rock are not only of flaming autumn leaves, but of the sparkling waters of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, where they come together at the foot of the town.

The rock is named "Jefferson Rock" for Thomas Jefferson who stood in this spot on October 25, 1783. His description of the view first appeared in the Notes on the State of Virginia, published in 1785:

"The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature. You stand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountain a hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Patowmac in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction they rush together against the mountain, rend it asunder and pass off to the sea. The first glance of this scene hurries our senses into the opinion that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place particularly they have been so dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains as to have formed an ocean which filled the whole valley; that, continuing to rise, they have at last broken over at this spot and have torn the mountain down from its summit to its base. The piles of rock on each hand, but particularly on the Shenandoah, the evident marks of their disruptions and avulsions from their beds by the most powerful agents in nature, corroborate the impression.

"But the distant finishing which nature has given the picture is of a very different character. It is a true contrast to the former. It is as placid and delightful as that is wild and tremendous. For the mountains being cloven asunder, she presents to your eye, through the cleft, a small catch of smooth blue horizon, at an infinite distance in that plain country, inviting you, as it were, from the riot and tumult roaring around to pass through the breach and participate in the calm below. Here the eye ultimately composes itself; and that way, too, the road happens actually to lead. You cross the Patowmac above the junction, pass along its side through the base of the mountain for three miles, the terrible precipice hanging in fragments over you, and within about 20 miles reach Frederictown and the fine country around that. This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic."

Fine art purchases of this image will not include a watermark, and if I may make a recommendation ... this image will look its very best on the fine art paper choice of "picture rag."


HarpersFerry

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November 2nd, 2017

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