Edmund Bacon   May 2, 1910 – October 14, 2005

To the best of my memory, it’s 1999. I wanted to do a series of American Artists with my 8×10 Deardorff named Margaret. My ex-wife Deb was instrumental in making this work. Anyway, I made photos of Artists I could gain access to. One day, I got a call from the AIA—American Institute of Architecture. The woman told me that a ranking member wanted to meet me and discuss some ideas. So, we set a time and I went to the AIA to meet this member. I go into the space and there’s about 40 people standing around sipping champagne and nibbling on wee little wrapped hot dogs.

A tall elderly man approaches me and says, come get a snack. I said I’ll pass but would like to have a discussion with you. I know he was Ed even if he didn’t know that I knew. Ed invited me to his home and we set a time and date, a week later.

That was the start of the Passing of Time with Ed. He showed me the upstairs of his home. It was a workspace of sorts. There were so many interesting things all around. He had the original books of the layout of the city.  Then, then he called me over to a table. There was a 3-dimensional layout of something. Ed said this is my idea for the LibertyBell and a Visitor Center at the Historic Park. Ed said that another High-End Archetec won the construction contract. Don, the design has nothing to do with the people and the visitors. It is completely a commercial space. In time, you’ll see, McDonald’s will be there. I laughed but he said, during the Passing of Time, we either remember or forget our roots. The new home for the Sacred Liberty Bell will be a shallow open grave.

Ed wanted to go for a walk in the Historic Park. He told me his friend Louise Nevelson had a sculpture that he wanted a good photo of. So we trekked over and stood in front of the statue. I had my 2 M-6’s  Ed said, we don’t have digital yet so we need to make the photos and inspect them by hand. haha  He placed his hand on my shoulder and said. If we look at the sculpture and a thing then that’s what we will see and pass on to others. The sculpture is not something that is in our world and time but lives amongst us in the Passing of Time.  I spent a long time making photos of the sculpture and never really satisfied Ed. He always had another idea for it. One of our last times together, he said… see the point of the sculpture? We need it to be in color and right here,(he sticks a pin on the left point) and says, the photo wants a red person right there. I said it may take a long time to find that. Don, you have a mission now.

It’s March 6th, 2024 and I am out making some photos. I am at the Historic Park walking about and then, I feel some energy tugging at me. I looked across the street and felt, I needed to be over there. The next thing I knew, I was at the Nevelson statue.  It has been more years than I can remember since Ed and I stood in this exact spot in time and space. together. I have Penelope the Olympus OM-5 in hand.  I’m looking at the statue and feeling kinda melancholy and watching as time passes us all and the statue just smiles. I start to turn around and all of a sudden. a man walks to the statue and he’s wearing RED.  Penelope is a shakin’ and a vibrating in my hand. I put her to eye and then, a lifetime of time passing just flows in my vision. Click!