Monday, September 08, 2008

Thematic Photographic 14: "Faded" v.3.0


"Inside Mast General Store"
Valle Crucis, NC - February 2001 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

"Outside Mast General Store"
Valle Crucis, NC - February 2001 (Click to embiggen)

Thematic Photographic hosted by Carmi - Button Image by Smarmoofus Hosted by Written Inc.

I've written about the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis before, but somehow these photos didn't make it into the mix. But if ever there was a place that fits the theme "Faded", it would be the Mast Store. Faded, but still going strong for well over 100 years.
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6 comments:

tiff said...

One of my favorite places in the world is Valle Crucis. Don't know why, it just is. You're right about the faded bit, but don't forget the 'almost falling in on itselfedness' of the place too.

Mojo said...

True that. Seldom has so much been crammed into to few square feet.

Definitely not the place to leave small children unsupervised!

You probably love Valle Crucis for the same reason I have such an inexplicable fascination for Beaufort. I can't define that either. It just is what it is.

snowelf said...

hehe--I just realized you used the word "embiggen".
You're awesome Mojo. :)

These pictures look like they could be used in a horror movie--they are eerie, yet very cool.

--snow

And Delia will be up this week, I promise!! :)

Mojo said...

Yay! Delia returns!
'Fraid I can't take credit for coining the word "embiggen". That credit goes to Carmi at Written Inc.

And now that you mention it, I suppose those shots could be used in a horror movie... but if you knew the town they were taken in you'd see why I was surprised to hear that.

carmilevy said...

I like the spirit of this entry: Faded and viable and robust need not be mutually exclusive.

I think I'd love to spend time in this store. I'm sure it's very good for the soul just to be there.

Mojo said...

Carmi: Based on the kind of things you shoot and write about, I'm sure you'd totally love The Mast Store. It really is the old fashioned soup-to-nuts kind of general mercantile that's nearly vanished in these days of sterile strip malls, super-mega discount barns and oh-so-trendy specialty shops. There's even -- I swear -- a wooden barrel with a checkerboard set up in front of the store just under the front window.

If it were built today the building inspectors would never, ever allow the hundred or so code violations that I'm sure it's guilty of, but with age comes a modicum of respect, and I imagine the Mast Store will be garnering respect for a lot more years before it's through with its useful life. Valle Crucis being as far off the beaten track as it is, it's not as though developers are clamoring for the property. So maybe this little slice of Americana will be spared the bulldozer for a while.

Oh, and if any land developers are reading this, at least wait until after I'm dead, okay guys?