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My
visit with
Harlan Hubbard
on Thanksgiving
Weekend 1987
By
Paul Stegeman
My brother, Rick, his
oldest son, Brian, and I hiked
down to see Harlan that Friday. It was a typical November day in Kentucky;
not too cold and overcast. Rick had visited Harlan
several times before, but
this was the first time I had met him. Harlan came out
to greet us and invited us
in to see the house and his studio next door. I asked Harlan if it would
be OK to take a few pictures, and he agreed to pose for a few
and let me take whatever others I cared to shoot.
The photo of the painting
in his studio was probably the last taken of his work while it was in
progress.
The copy here was
scanned from a black-and-white negative. The copies that I made in the
darkroom are much clearer since I was able to burn-in the window exposure
for proper detail. The photo of Harlan is also the last
taken before he passed away. My brother and his son returned a week or
so later to visit Harlan and found him lying on the
floor. My nephew hiked up
to get help from the
neighbor up by the road. They were able to get him out by tractor and
then transferred to the ambulance. I don't believe that he ever made it
back
to the house after that. I was lucky enough to have Harlan autograph the
books, "Shantyboat" and "Payne Hollow," and they
are among my prized possessions. I would have liked to spend a lot more
time with him, but I am fortunate for the visit that
I had. I've read Thoreau several times, but in my mind, the life that
Harlan
led was far superior to
what Thoreau attempted. Harlan managed to be as self-sufficient as any
pioneer to the area had
done but with a far more genteel manner and life.
–
Submitted Nov. 9, 2006, by Paul Stegeman, Cold Springs, Ky. Email him
at: pstegeman1@insightbb.com
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