Thomas Jefferson’s Pocket Notebook

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Art, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Ivory, Jazzersten, Jefferson, Monticello, Notebook, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

We are touring around Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia. One super interesting display had Thomas Jefferson’s personal pocket notebook.  In 1770-1820 they certainly did not have digital devices to write on and paper and erasers were scarce and expensive. Jefferson had a pocket notebook made out of ten thin ivory pieces attached together into a book. The genius of it was he could write ideas and dates and drawings on it with a pencil and it would erase and could be used over and over.

Inside a Slave’s Cabin at Monticello

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Architecture, Cabin, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS lens 50 24-105, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Log Cabin, Monticello, slave, slavery, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

At Thomas Jefferson’s Home, Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia there is a slavery row of log cabins. They have been restored along the road and represent a part of what was there. They are very small and cute with chimneys and wood roofs. Inside you can see they are simple and without much adornment.

Gravesite at Jefferson’s Monticello

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Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, Cemetery, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Grave, Gravesite, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Levy, Monticello, photography, Rachel Levy, Thomas Jefferson

At Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia there was a long road next to the mansion itself. Here was a slave row and on it was this gravesite for Rachel Phillips Levy. This was the mother of Jefferson Levy the third owner of Monticello whose family owned it for 89 years (longer than Thomas Jefferson himself). They preserved it without change until 1923 where the US Government rejected purchasing it as a landmark so it went to the Monticello Foundation.  Mrs Levy’s gravestone says “Born in New York, 13 May 1769, Died 7th of IYAR (May) 1839 at Monticello.” Notice how foggy it still is in the background of the valley below.

Tin Shop on Slave Road at Monticello

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Architecture, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Monticello, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

At Thomas Jefferson’s house “Monticello” near Charlottesville, Virginia there is a nearby row of smaller log cabins. These are amazingly cute with stone bases, log walls and a chimney. Inside there is a nice tin shop that is all recreated to be as it was back in the late 1700’s when Jefferson was there. Notice the clapboards are hand cut and short and the logs are hand adzed square.

Thomas Jefferson’s Vegetable Garden at Monticello

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Architecture, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Garden, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Monticello, Thomas Jefferson, Vegetable Garden, Virginia

We are at Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia in the early morning with lots of fog on the mountaintop. After touring the house inside and out, you can walk down to the expansive Vegetable Garden that Thomas Jefferson had made in the late 1700’s.  At each end of the now replanted garden was an original little building with a chair in it.  Jefferson’s design of architecture was inspiring.

Thomas Jefferson’s Sundial at Monticello

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Architecture, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Monticello, Sundial, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

At Monticello, Thomas Jefferson had drawn and designed many structures from the house to the fences, roofs, and many special structures.  In the house he had a special book holder made that rotated and held at least 4 books at once to read. He had a special clock made that was near his bed that he designed. Outside, Jefferson had this spherical sundial/clock. It was very unique and I really liked the base with corn carved into the stone.

Kitchen Area at Monticello

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Architecture, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Jefferson, Kitchen, Monticello, photography, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

In this kitchen area that was outside the house proper at Jefferson’s Monticello, you can see the innovations that were here in the late 1700’s. This made it a very modern kitchen for the times. It had the typical fireplace with cooking crane and brick oven, but on the wall on the left you can see the innovative part. Here were a row of ovens, heaters for soups, sauces and other things that was far ahead of its time in America. Thomas Jefferson had gone to Europe and brought back ideas from France.

Misty Monticello in Virginia

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Architecture, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Jefferson, Monticello, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia

We got into the Monticello area early in the morning and on one of the first tours. This morning in Virginia turned out to be foggy and we could barely see the building at all from 100 feet away. I took these few shots of the building from the outside as all photographs on the inside were forbidden. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the third president of the United States and the writer of the Declaration of Independence. At age 26 he designed and began to build the original Monticello near Charleston, Virginia. It was on a hilltop plantation of about 5,000 acres. Jefferson remodeled it extensively and it was considered complete in 1809 with renovations going on until his death in 1826. Public photos and posters there at Monticello:

New York Soldiers Monument at Gettysburg

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Architecture, Art, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Gettysburg, HDR, High Dynamic Range, Monument, National Military Park, New York State, Pennsylvania, Statue

Near Cemetary Hill in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the National Military Park, you can see this very tall monument.  It is the monument to the Civil War soldiers of the Union Army from New York state. All throughout the National Military Park are monuments to the veteran soldiers from each Confederate state and Union state that served here.

Battlefield Findings in Gettysburg

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Artifacts, Battlefield, buttons, Canon, Canon 5D Mark III, Civil War, Coat Buttons, Confederate, EOS 24-105 L Lens, Gettysburg, Museum, Pennsylvania, service insignia, Union Soldiers

In the Museum at the National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, they have a large display of things they have found out on the battlefield. Over the years these badges, buttons and belt buckles have been found out on the battlefields with digging and metal detecting. Here are both Union and Confederate artifacts with labeling on display.