Hoeksema Written Project 02
Looking at the old photographs of what Amherst College used to be, I gained an even
larger appreciation of the place I now call home. The panoramic view of Fayerweather Hall
and Morris Pratt Dormitory would not be what someone saw if they were to be looking in
one direction back then. This panorama, however, both enhances and jumbles the viewer’s
senses of what Amherst use to look like. The buildings were the same size and in the same
place that they are now, but the way that the photographer positioned himself, and the
style of photography used makes the buildings look distant. The scarcity of trees and the
flatness of campus also add to the expansiveness of the photo. This photo almost makes
Amherst look like it does not have a real campus, but only a couple buildings grouped
together. It is interesting that my biased opinion of this photo would be so different from
what students back when the photo was taken would think of it. What I see as just a few
buildings is what many students would feel overly blessed to be able to access. This was a
common theme over all three photographs
The two photos of the burnt down building, Walker Hall, changes one’s perception of
campus as well. In each photo, Walker Hall looks large and magnificent. The photographer
creates this feeling by focusing solely on the building. In both of the photos, the Hall is front
and center. Walker Hall’s isolation in both of the photograph gives the building a sense of
importance that it would not have if there had been more buildings in each picture. In both
photos, there were other buildings located around Walker Hall that were neglected to be
included. Walker Hall also seems very tall, which adds to its prowess in the photos. It
towers above the trees in the fore and background of the building. In reality, however, the
Frost Library, which is in the place where Walker Hall was, is much larger. One can figure
this out by comparing the photo of Walker to Frost from both angles that the pictures were
taken. Although Walker Hall still seems taller, Frost is much wider. Students back when the
photos were taken probably saw Walker Hall as much more outstanding than Amherst
students now find the Frost Library. It shows that the size of a building may matter a bit in
terms of grandness, but it really depends on what the standard for a building was in the
time and place it was built.
These photos from the past really made me grateful for what Amherst College has
become. The scarcity of buildings in the panorama of campus really struck me. Students
now have so many more opportunities than they did back when the photos were taken. I
am also very pleased that academic buildings and dormitories are close to each other. I get
the feeling that there was not the close-knit community in the panorama that Amherst has
now become. These photographs from the past brought about thoughts about campus that I
would never have imagined would surface. Perhaps the adage that, “a picture is worth a
thousand words,” may actually be true in some circumstances.