statefair

Strong Saturday attendance puts fair on track for one of best years ever

brookecain — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 10:49:39 -0400

Yesterday's attendance at the N.C. State Fair was 139,484. The 10-year average for the second Saturday at the fair is 122,486.

Fair officials say that entering its final day today, the 2012 fair is on the verge of ranking third all-time in attendance.

Blowing off steam at the fair's turn-of-the-century sawmill

brookecain — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 10:00:00 -0400

Tucked away in a far corner of the N.C. State Fairgrounds, alongside Smokey the Bear and exhibits on the Forest Service and soil and water conservation, you'll find a fully operational turn-of-the-century sawmill powered by a steam engine built in 1924.

The engine, owned by Joe Daughtridge of Raleigh, powers the mill for demonstrations on old-timey log-cutting every hour during the fair, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The sawmill is a permanent exhibit at the fairgrounds, but it only operates, courtesy of Daughtridge's engine, during the state fair. "Other than that it sits around and rests," Daughtridge said of the machine.

Daughtridge has been running his steam engine at the fair for 11 years, he said.

It takes about eight volunteers to operate the sawmill during the fair. Jim Liacos of Raleigh is one of them. During the rest of the year Liacos runs an autoshop, but says steam engines are his hobby.

"It's fascinating to me," said Liacos. "It's all totally different from what I do everyday."

Liacos belongs to a group called SEAMS, the Southeast Antique Machine Society. Liacos says the group restores old steam engines and offers classes on steam safety. They are also involved in a Country Christmas Train event each year in Denton, near Asheville, which includes a ride on a steam locomotive.

While the steam engine at the state fair is running, the volunteers occasionally let kids come up and blow the whistle, which is pretty deafening. The sawmill blades that are powered by the engine spin at around 500-550 rpm.

According to state fair history, the sawmill was originally located in Conetoe, near Fayetteville, but was purchased by H.L. Lewis in 1910 and moved to his farm in 1910. During World War II, German prisoners of war were brought in to work the mill, which remained operational until the early 1970s. The Lewis family donated the mill to the state fair in 2002, when it was restored and put on display there.

The original steam engine that ran the mill is on display next to it, but Liacos says it is too old to be restored to working condition.

Jim Liacos feeds wood into the steam engine before Saturday's first sawmill exhbit.

Joe Daughtridge, who owns the steam engine, makes sure everything runs properly.

Fairgoers donate more than 200,000 pounds of food for Food Bank of N.C.

brookecain — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 14:10:11 -0400

Visitors to the N.C. State Fair on Thursday donated approximately 213,558 pounds of food for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The food collection day, which is a long tradition at the fair, grants free admission for people donating at least 4 cans of food as they enter the fairgrounds. The fair's Hunger Relief Day was sponsored by Food Lion.

Food Bank workers will make a final sweep of the fairgrounds on Monday to retrieve any additional cans dropped off by visitors this weekend (so you can still donate!). Final totals will be released then.

Agricuture commissioner Steve Troxler had promised if fairgoers broke 2010's record of 247,569 pounds of food collected, the fair would donate $1,000 to the food bank. He made larger donation promises for larger volumes of food collected.

Attendance at Thursday's fair was 101,272.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/statefair/thursday-is-your-day-to-hit-the-nc-state-fair-for-free#storylink=cpy

Kids from Cary and Apex take Best of Show for Lego creations at the state fair

brookecain — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 10:00:00 -0400

There's a competition for almost everything at the N.C. State Fair, so why not Legos. After all, Legos kind of rule.

And now, two local boys -- Trey Hester of Cary and Nathan Wilson of Apex -- also rule with blue ribbons and Best of Show ribbons for their inspired Lego creations.

Trey, who is 10 years old, picked Krispy Kreme for his North Carolina-themed project (for youths aged 10-18) because of a connection both he and the company share: they were both born in the Camel City.

"I was born in Winston-Salem and we like Krispy Kreme a lot," he said. "So I just decided to do it."

The model doughnut store, complete with customers, a delivery truck and a drive-thru -- not to mention the iconic "Hot Now" Krispy Kreme sign -- is modeled after both the Winston-Salem and Raleigh stores.

"A lot of the interior is based on the Winston-Salem store," said Trey. "But a lot of the outdoor -- the driveway and the parking lot -- is based on Raleigh."

Sadly, Trey didn't get to milk dozens of research trips to the Raleigh store in order to build his model. He just went once, he said.

Trey, who also enjoys building Lego spaceships, has entered Legos at the fair for four consecutive years. He won second place last year for a red and white football helmet that he modeled on an N.C. State helmet, but it had no insignia. Before that, he won a 4th place ribbon.

Trey's parents are Doug and Robin Hester of Cary.

Next to Trey's doughnut shop, inside the Hobbies & Crafts building, is Nathan Wilson's gorilla creation. Nathan, 16, built a giant King Kong head with black eyes, flaring nostrils and a gnarly grimace. He won first place in the Original Creation class for youths ages 10-18.

Nathan says he's been building with Legos pretty much his whole life and this was his 8th year entering his creations at the fair. He won a blue ribbon in the North Carolina-themed category last year, for an N.C. State baseball cap. In previous years, he's won two second place ribbons, and one each for third, fourth and honorable mention.

The Kong creation is something he's been thinking about for awhile.

"I've been wanting to do a Lego King Kong since I was 5 but they didn't sell one," Nathan said. "So I put it in the back of my mind and this year I decided I wanted to do it for the fair."

Nathan is the son of Andrew and Heather Wilson of Apex.

Lots of folks hit the state fair on Friday

brookecain — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 09:53:59 -0400

Friday’s attendance at the N.C. State Fair was 92,418. The 10-year average for the second Friday is 79,410.

Frosting flies at fair's first on-site cookie decorating contest for kids

brookecain — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:27:50 -0400

The frosting was flying this week at the N.C. State Fair's first on-the-spot cookie decorating contest for kids.

The contest, officially dubbed the Kids Kookie Dekorating Kontest, was divided into four age categories over the course of four days to accomodate varying skill levels of kids aged 4-12.

Every decorator received a ribbon for participating and got to take their giant cookie home, but there were more material prizes at stake, too.

The blue ribbon winner in each contest received $15, the red ribbon winner received $10 and the white ribbon winner received $7. The first place winner also got a cake decorating kit from Michaels arts and craft store, which sponsored the contest along with Sam's Club and Garner TV and Appliance.

Each kid was armed with a giant cookie and an ample supply of colorful frostings and sprinkles. There were no rules, just a 20-minute time limit. Liberal sampling of frosting while decorating was allowed.

Courtney Brett from the Michaels store on Capital Boulevard ran the contests and said they've been very popular.

"We get more kids each day," said Brett. "We're already planning for next year."

The contests started on Wednesday and the final one is Saturday, October 20, at 4 p.m. The contests are held in the Education Building near the House Autry hushpuppy booth.

Judges over the course of the week were pulled from the State Fair Entry Office or from the team of hostesses who oversee the exhibits in the Education Building.

For Thursday's 9-10 age group, the judges agonized over the final placement of their three favorite cookies, debating the color palettes chosen and level of difficulty.

The blue ribbon winner was Kara Musteikis (left), a 9-year-old from Cary who went with a Halloween-themed cookie. Kara said she sometimes helps her mom decorate cookies and cakes at home, but also enjoys ceramics and pretty much any kind of crafts.

Madison Stewart (pictured at top) won second place with a Frankenstein cookie. The judges were very impressed with her use of color. Lauren Weaver took third place with a flower-spotted cookie with a lovely intricate border.

A walking, talking tree thrills visitors at the N.C. State Fair

brookecain — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:45:51 -0400

"The Tree of Life" has joined "DiVine the Living Vine" for this year's creepy but cool attraction at the N.C. State Fair's Heritage Circle.

The walking -- and talking -- tree manages to simultaneously thrill and freak out the fairgoers he meets. Below is a short video of The Tree, who strolls daily in the Flower and Garden Show area, interacting with a very excited visitor.

Montagnard fair worker gets some time in the Dorton Arena spotlight

brookecain — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:35:55 -0400

Garner's Scotty McCreery wasn't the only singer with "Idol" experience to get stage time in Dorton Arena during this year's N.C. State Fair.

N.C. Department of Agriculture worker Y-Phuoc B'Krong, a Montagnard who came to North Carolina from a Cambodia refugee camp, sang the National Anthem last Thursday night before the fair's Varsity Vocal Showcase. B'Krong also opened the fair in 2011, singing before the Craig Campbell concert.

B'Krong, who works on the fairgrounds year round, helping maintain the grounds and buildings on the property, says before he left Vietnam, he sang on the television show "Vietnam Idol." When the show was over, he says he got to travel from village to village singing for his people.

"Vietnam Idol" is similar to "American Idol." There are more than 45 versions of the "Idol" series worldwide.

"I started singing from when I was 12 years old," he said. "I sang for church and for my high school and got more and more experience." B'Krong, who is 26, says he competed on "Vietnam Idol" while in high school.

B'Krong says he came to the United States for religious freedom and loves being here. In Vietnam, he says his people had to have church inside their homes because organized religious groups were not allowed.

"We had no freedom to worship," he said. "I came to the United States through a refugee program, and I thank God for my job at the state fair and for Mr. Dempsey," said B'Krong.

Dempsey Means, grounds foreman and operation supervisor for the fairgrounds, is B'Krong's boss. He describes him as a "very quiet and reliable person," and says he wishes he had more workers just like him.

"He's a very good guy," said Means. "When I first met him, I was saying I needed somebody to sing at a Christmas party and he said he could sing. I was joking with him and told him to sing for me and he did. I just said, 'Wow, he really can sing.'"

B'Krong lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children, but misses his parents. Once he has citizenship here, he says, it will be easier to visit them. "I miss my parents," he said. "I can talk to them on the phone and hear their voices."

He is currently studying for the U.S. citizenship tests and hopes to be ready to take it next year.

B'Krong also sings at functions for Save the Montagnard People, a non-profit human rights group founded by Vietnam veterans in 1986 and dedicated to assisting Montagnard refugees.

The Montagnard people of the Central Highlands of Vietnam have long been persecuted there because they aided U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War. North Carolina reportedly has one of the largest populations of Montagnards outside of Vietnam, with the largest concentrations in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh.

Earlier this year, B'Krong traveled with STMP to Columbia, S.C. to sing at a "Celebrate Freedom Foundation" event.

And anyone around B'Krong for very long knows his enthusiasm for celebrating freedom is not in question.

"I am so proud to be here and I love this great country and I love my job so much," said B'Krong. "I thank you for everything. Your government helped me and all my people who live here. God bless America."

Staff photo by Travis Long

Another great attendance day at the fair

brookecain — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 12:12:37 -0400

Another great day of weather and another great day for attendance at the N.C. State Fair. Yesterday's attendance at the fair was 101,272. The 10-year average for the second Thursday of the fair is 96,758.

Durham rose gardener takes top prizes at state fair flower shows

brookecain — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:11:45 -0400

Harold White of Durham has worked all year cultivating roses for the Flower and Garden Show at the N.C. State Fair, and an hour before deadline for the final show Thursday afternoon, his work was not yet done.

White, 83, pulled crate after crate of roses from the back of his car, plucking cotton from between the petals.

"They bruise so easily," White said as he pulled the cotton with a tweezer. Every speck of cotton must be removed from the flowers before entry or they will be disqualified. He gives one last check over blooms and tags before lugging the crates from the parking lot into the flower show building. It takes at least five trips from his car to bring all the roses inside.

White has been entering his roses in the N.C. State Fair Flower and Garden Show contests for 15 years, and estimates he's won between 500 and 600 ribbons. Over the last 15 years, he has won the Award of Merit, which is like Best in Show, at least 25 times.

The Flower and Garden Show holds three separate flower shows at each fair, and White entered roses in each one.

At this year's fair, White won 85 ribbons total, and 10 out of a possible 12 Award of Merit ribbons. He won all four Award of Merit ribbons in Thursday's show.

White's roses arrive for display at the fairgrounds in wine or beer bottles. The bottles are packed inside plastic crates and held upright with foam cut-outs. Some of the roses White cut the night before, others the morning of the show.

"Once they reach peak form, they can change quickly," says White.

He works swiftly and must avoid distractions in order to get everything submitted before the deadline, for which there is no wiggle room. A fellow grower, Vicky Thompson of Raleigh, hints that delaying White a little might benefit the other competitors. "Take him to lunch!" she joked. "So the rest of us will have a chance."

Erv Evans, superintendent of the flower and garden exhibits at the fair, says the competition is serious, but not cut-throat. "It's a friendly crowd," he said. "Everyone's always helping each other out some."

White agrees, calling the atmosphere "friendly, but competitive."

And White is the first to admit that he owes much of his expertise to tricks learned from other rose gardeners. As a child, White helped his mother in the garden and learned a lot from her, and says the best way to learn about roses is from "reading, studying and talking."

"In growing roses, you learn from other contestants and growers," he said. "You get more experience over the years and learn as you go on."

"He really does know how to grow roses," Evans said after Thursday's show. "He always does very well and he did well again this year. To say the least!"

White says he first became interested in growing roses competitively after attending a show.

"People were so friendly and helpful, so I got interested in the competitive aspect," he said. "Then I got hooked."

His dedication has paid off away from the state fair, too. Last summer, White won Best in Show at the American Rose Society's national Spring Conference and Rose Show for his Jens Munk rose, a classic shrub rose developed in Canada and named for the Norwegian explorer.

Great Wednesday attendance at N.C. State Fair

brookecain — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:06:21 -0400

Attendance at the N.C. State Fair yesterday was 75,644. Fair officials say that's the best Wednesday total of the past three years. The 10-year average for Wednesday is 67,137.

Four generations of fairgoers, fair showers

brookecain — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:00:00 -0400

Four generations of the Shipley family, ranging in age from 2 to 100, gathered at the N.C. State Fair this weekend, the oldest among them there for the Livestock Hall of Fame luncheon and the youngest there to admire ribbons won for prize pumpkins.

Robert Gray Shipley, 100, and his wife Agnes Shipley, 95, made the trip all the way from Vilas in Watauga County. They walked through the Expo Building before lunch, taking in all ten ribbons won by their great-grandchildren Ty (7), Annie (5) and Sally (2).

Each child won a ribbon for various types of pumpkins, but two-year-old Sally was the only one to snag a blue.

"Everyone won a ribbon, so this was huge," said Angela Risk, mother to the three children and granddaughter of Robert Shipley. Angela and her husband Jeff drove out from Mount Holly so the children could see what they won. Angela's parents, Bob and Ginny Shipley of Raleigh, were also there.

"This was the first year we've ever done this," Angela said. "We were looking for participation ribbons, so this was a big surprise."

"We've done some gardening before, but this was the first year they really got into it. And they were into it from the beginning. They helped plant all the seeds and helped with watering and picking."

"Pretty much daily they were out working in the garden," dad Jeff said.

Annie, who got to pick out her best melon for entry, says it felt good to win a ribbon. And Sally, the family's blue ribbon winner, didn't think her prize pumpkin was even the best she had to offer. "My special was cucumbers," she said.

"It was the only thing we let her pick," her mother explained. Unfortunately, their timing for bringing cukes to the fair was a little off this year.

The eldest Shipley didn't have master pumpkin-growing skills to pass down to his great-grandchildren. Instead, he made his mark on North Carolina agriculture as a farmer, ag teacher and leader in Future Farmers of America. He began teaching in 1933 and started bringing FFA students to the state fair to show sheep a few years after that. He continued those FFA fair trips until he retired in 1977.

"He'd load 'em up in the back of a straight bed truck with straw and a canvas top," his son Bob said. "And there'd be 15 to 20 guys with him."

"We'd sleep in the sheep barn in the early years," Robert chimed in. "Before the youth center was built."

Robert Shipley taught for 43 years, taking three years off to serve in World War II and three years off to work as a county agent. He showed sheep and cattle at the state fair for years, and was inducted into the N.C. Livestock Hall of Fame in 1980.

Bob says his parents were great influences on him on his two sisters.

"I grew up in 4-H club work, and mother and dad encouraged that," he said. In fact, Bob Shipley and his sisters, Agnes Gray Moore and Janie Shipley, all entered contests at the state fair while youths working in 4-H.

Bob recalled a cherry pie he entered while he was the state 4-H president.

"It was an absolutely wonderful cherry pie," he said. "But it didn't win. It was mother's recipe, but I made it myself. . . . On the day of the cook off, I put twice the amount of tapioca in it than was supposed to be, and I don't know if that messed up the flavor, but it was firm, let's say."

"Bobby was the only boy in the contest," his father added. "They said to him, 'How long have you been baking?' and he said, 'About a week.'"

Bob's sister Agnes did win, for a banana cake, and Janie won the 4-H State Dress Review.

Bob's daughter Angela expressed disbelief that none of the other Shipley women had entered fair contests since then. Neither her mother, who is an excellent gardener, nor her grandmother, an excellent cook, ever submitted entries for fair competitions.

"She could have entered so much stuff," Ginny said of her mother-in-law Agnes. "She could have entered her apple butter."

"I don't know why you never entered anything," Ginny said to Agnes.

"I didn't have time to fool with that!" Agnes replied.

The kids' fair ribbons now have everyone excited about future fair contests.

"Now that they've won ribbons they're excited and ready to do more," Angela said of the kids. "It's been a great experience for them."

Next year, the kids hope to add pecans and "big watermelons" to their list of specialities. And maybe they won't be alone this time.

"We never thought about it until this one," said Ginny. "But we all may change our minds now."

Do you like adorable things? Here's a napping baby donkey

brookecain — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:12:56 -0400

Here is a napping baby donkey. You're welcome.

Fairgoers returned on Tuesday, along with the sunshine

brookecain — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:28:09 -0400

Great attendance at the N.C. State Fair yesterday. Tuesday's attendance was 75,564. The 10-year average for Tuesday is 64,029.

Thursday is your day to hit the N.C. State Fair for free

brookecain — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:20:38 -0400

Thursday is your day to get into the N.C. State Fair for free.

October 18 is Food Lion Hunger Relief Day, so four cans of Food Lion brand canned goods is all you need to get you through the gate.

The food drive, one of the largest in the state each year, benefits the Food Bank and Central and Eastern North Carolina.

Commissioner Steve Troxler said last week that if fairgoers break 2010's record of 247,569 pounds of food collected, the fair will donate $1,00 to the food bank. If collections top 275,000 pounds, the food bank gets $2,500. And if collections reach 300,000 pounds, the fair donates $5,000 to the food bank.

The food bank will also have a "social media ambassador" stationed at Gate 8 from Noon to 6 p.m., offering chances to win state fair items. Use the Twitter hashtag #HungerReliefDay to follow along.

Finally catching a pig race at the N.C. State Fair

brookecain — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:13:22 -0400

For as long as I've been coming to the N.C. State Fair, I never attended a pig race until today. I'm definitely adding it to my Must Do at the Fair list.

My best tip for attending a pig race at the fair: get there a half-hour early for a good seat. By the time the races start (every afternoon at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) the bleachers are jam-packed and folks are standing or squatting in every corner.

An entertaining emcee from Circle C Petting Farm in Newton gets the kids involved in the races by assigning different animals to various kids from the audience. If their pig wins, the kid gets the ribbon.

The pigs get Cheese Doodles.

And it's not just pigs doing the racing. They also have a baby billy goat race, ducks, and pot-bellied pigs (pictured here). Each group of racing animals is cuter than the one before.

The pig races take place next to the petting zoo, on the Trinity Road side of the Midway (near Gate 9).

Dreary weather means dreary fair attendance

brookecain — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:28:27 -0400

The mostly dreary weather on Monday had an attendance number to match: Only 51,781 people braved the N.C. State Fair yesterday. That's not bad compared to 2002, when only 34,563 people went to the fair (I checked the weather for October 21, 2002 and it was 56 degrees and raining -- brrrr).

Monday is typically the least-attended day of the fair. The 10-year average for Monday is 59,140.

Fire-eating acrobats from Africa entertain for free at the N.C. State Fair

brookecain — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:01:11 -0400

One of the new attractions at this year's N.C. State Fair is the Kenya Safari Acrobats troupe, a crowd-pleasing act performing for free three times a day behind Dorton Arena.

The five-member group, ranging in age from 13 to 36, perform acrobatics while jumping rope, balance on chairs stacked high into the air, and eat fire. (Don't worry. They warn the kids in the audience not to play with fire at home.)

And it's much more impressive and entertaining than anything I've described here.

The high-energy performance lasts half an hour, and the music played during the demonstration is accompanied by clapping, gasps and cheers from the crowd.

Karen Kalama, the manager of the troupe who also emcees and takes part in a bit of the performance, says they do 300 shows a year all over the world. They are booked in Hong Kong next year. Most of theirs shows are a two-hour theater show called "Lost in Africa." They're heading to Nebraska to perform that show at Chadron State College when they're finished in Raleigh.

The Kenya Safari Acrobats were founded by Kenya natives living in Greensboro. All of the performers at this year's fair are from Kenya, except for one who is from Tanzania.

Below is a video of one of the acrobats doing a limbo just inches off the ground -- and under a flaming stick.

Kenya Safari Acrobats performs each day behind Dorton Arena at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. They also perform at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Roaming chaplains minister to fairgoers and carnival workers alike

brookecain — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:17:51 -0400

Among the unsung heroes at the N.C. State Fair is a team of roaming chaplains who cover the fairgrounds each day offering their services to fairgoers and fair workers alike.

Travis Williams, pastor of Treasuring Christ Church in downtown Raleigh, is the head chaplain at the fair, overseeing a group of about 50 volunteer ministers, deacons and laypersons drawn from churches all over the state.

"We're thankful to be working with the state fair to provide this ministry throughout the fair," said Williams.

The volunteer chaplains have worked at the fair for at least 30 years.

The volunteers usually walk in pairs, working four-hour shifts, and they cover a lot of ground. There are usually four to six chaplains on the fairgrounds at any given time. You can spot them from their dark green t-shirts with "State Fair Chaplain" stenciled across the back.

"We're here to walk around and just serve people, however we can," said Williams. "Sometimes it's a physical need, sometimes it's spiritual. We're always around, looking for ways to help."

Williams recalled an instance where chaplains counseled an upset mother who had become separated from her child at the fair. "It all worked out, but it was the longest two hours of her life," he said. "But we were here for her." Last year, Williams said a young girl showing a cow suffered a broken leg when the cow stepped on her. As the EMT workers tended to her injuries, a chaplain was there to pray with her and keep her calm.

The chaplains aren't just there to assist fairgoers in distress, they also offer extensive services to the carnival workers who spend their lives traveling from fair to fair across the country.

Williams works with a group of volunteer dentists and dental hygienists to coordinate free dental care for the workers right on the fairgrounds. They hold a barbecue for workers the Wednesday before the fair opens, and that's where appointments are made for cleanings and emergency dental care. They pass out socks and toothpaste, incidental items hard to obtain when you're living on the fairgrounds 24/7, and offer free haircuts and blood pressure checks.

There's also a free breakfast each morning for the fairgrounds workers at the Historic Chapel near the Village of Yesteryear, and soup and crackers available there for lunches and dinners.

"Those guys can't afford to pay fair prices to eat every day," Williams said.

The Chapel is staffed with 80 seniors from N.C. Campers on Mission, an organization affiliated with the Baptist State Convention. They take care of the breakfasts and soup meals.

The Chapel also holds a morning worship service each Sunday of the fair at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Church servives are open to everyone.

"We hear from the workers who say no other fair offers these kind of services," said Williams. "And it means a lot to them -- and to the fair."

The chaplain headquarters is inside the Exposition Center, situated next to the Lost and Found/Public Address booth. Chaplains check in when their shifts begin, leaving their name and phone number on a board so that they can be reached if needed while out roaming. At the end of each shift, they fill out a chaplain's log detailing what they did that day.

A large part of their work is just interacting with fairgoers, offering a smile or a bit of small talk, to let people know they're around.

Jon Hoey, director of the Neuse Baptist Association based in La Grange, worked a four-hour shift Monday with his wife Gale, pictured above.

As the Hoeys made their rounds Monday afternoon, they stopped to chat about Carolina basketball with Valencia Kinnaird and Betty Burt Peebles of Raleigh. Just being friendly.

"There hasn't been a lot going on today," Hoey said. "The night time during the week can get a little rough sometimes. When kids come out and are showing off."

Johnston County man promotes 1860s photography process at N.C. State Fair

brookecain — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:08:26 -0400

Chris Morgan would have been right at home at the very first N.C. State Fair in 1853.

Morgan practices wet plate collodion photography, a photographic process introduced in the early 1850s and made famous from the 1860s work of Civil War photographers like Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardner. The process requires a tintype or glass to be coated, sensitized, exposed and developed before the plate dries -- in about ten minutes. Then washed, fixed, dried and varnished.

Each image produced is a unique work of art.

Morgan, who lives in Pine Level and works in the Exceptional Children Program in Johnston County Schools, has been doing wet plate photography for about 11 years.

"I tried to recreate the look from old tintype photography with film and digital," he said. "But I couldn't get that original look and feel I wanted."

So Morgan read manuals written by photographers from the period, and after enough research, he had a box camera built, employing a French-made 1858 lens that he bought from someone in Austria. Morgan also picked up a rare 1864 Dallmeyer lens at a sale in Greensboro, where it was being sold as a bass candle holder.

"They didn't know what they had," Morgan said. He bought it without filling them in.

Morgan has a booth inside the Village of Yesteryear, where he explains his craft to fairgoers and sells original tins for $40 to $65. He does commissioned jobs and works at historic events creating images that look exactly like those from the 1860s.

Wet plate photography isn't a living for Morgan, but it's a little more than a hobby. Last year, Morgan and another photographer collaborated to shoot an ambrotype (on glass) of Robert Redford to promote his film, "The Conspirator." The photograph appeared on the cover of Parade magazine.

"Teaching and working with kids is my passion, but so is this," Morgan said. "I'd love to do this full-time, but I also love working with the kids."

The Process
For those who still remember film, the process is sort of like making your own piece of film, then exposing the film (taking the photograph) and developing it -- all on one plate of tin or glass. And instead of dipping the plates into a bath of developer, small amounts of developer are dropped onto the top of the plate and "floated" across the top of the plate by hand. Too much developer washes the silver nitrate off the plate.

You can see Morgan's wet plate photography at his website, thesilverbath.com