Deidre Purcell

About her FaceBook profile photo, Deidre Purcell says this: “very old mirror in a very old house, probably an old trick as well.”   I do believe the very old mirror is in the front hallway in our very old house, but it’s probably the very old trick that has me fooled. Although the images of Deidre, herself, are unmistakable the setting is a bit mysterious. Perhaps that’s the way it is with mirrors and fine photographers.

Deidre took a good many photographs in our house the last time she was here. I can’t even think when that was – last winter sometime maybe. She was working on a group of images that were displayed earlier this summer at Camerwork Gallery in Portland – “Oysterville Series 1.” This past weekend she was here again – ostensibly to photograph the regatta – but I have no doubt that she found interesting subject matter everywhere she looked. I do hope “Oysterville Series 2” will be forthcoming soon.

Powell’s Books, Portland

Meanwhile, her husband John was here part of the weekend and playing with his band at the Sea Hag for another part and having a sleepover with friends in Seaview for yet another part. But John was here in time for breakfast and to talk books and the publication biz – he works at Powell’s in Portland which, as every Northwesterner knows is THE best bookstore this side of Foyles in London. (Foyle’s was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest bookshop in terms of shelf area [30 miles/50 kilometers] and number of titles on display.)

John and Deidre are more my son Charlie’s age than they are ours but, as with many simpatico folks, the years and generations matter not at all. They seemed like new old friends or, perhaps, old young friends. We enjoyed every minute of their company!