I have an old Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera that Dave gave me back in 2009. I used it pretty heavily for several years, but it's been sitting in a bag in our closet since I bought my much bigger Canon EOS 5D Mark III in 2012. I've been saving the smaller Canon as a backup, but I haven't touched it in all this time, and to be honest, if I needed a camera backup these days, I'd probably just use my phone.
I don't think the Rebel has much value, being 12 years old -- an eternity in digital equipment. So I decided to donate it to the school where I work. They use DSLR cameras in their photography classes and it has some lenses -- a zoom and a macro -- that could be passed around too. (They don't fit my current camera, which has its own bigger, better lenses.)
Anyway, this is a long way of saying that I cleaned out the old camera's bag yesterday and I found a couple of memory cards, and on one of them were these pictures. I took them at a public attempt to break the world record for longest marathon hug, held at St. Pancras train station in January 2012.
I visited the event with a photography class I took that month -- in fact I briefly mentioned it on this blog, and when I re-read that post not too long ago (trying to find something else) I thought, "What ever happened to those pictures?" I never did anything with them -- never posted them to Flickr or blogged them. Now we know why. I don't think I took them off the memory card!
It was funny to stumble across them yesterday.
As you can see, the marathon huggers were a mix of people: older, younger, women and men. I wonder where they are now? This was almost ten years ago!
The pictures are of variable quality. I really like the second shot from the top, for example, but it's blurry -- as are many of my pictures from the event. I obviously didn't have my shutter speed set fast enough. (Probably another reason I never bothered to process the images.)
Still, I got a few decent shots.
Four of the marathon hugging couples were ultimately successful in setting a record, by hugging for slightly more than 24 hours. (The older women above got disqualified, along with another couple that was already gone by the time I arrived with my camera.) Their record was broken a few years later by some guys from Norman, Okla., who hugged for more than 32 hours straight!
This is why St. Pancras was chosen as the venue -- it's the site of a huge sculpture of a hugging couple called "The Meeting Place." The marathon huggers undertook their project at the base of this statue.
Anyway, a fun little journey back in time and memory!
34 comments:
Fun event. I like the real people a lot more than the statue.
Wow! What fabulous photos. I especially like the second one, don't know why but they are all so good human captures. I've been at St Pancras a couple of times and missed the statue.
What an amazing event! And what an appropriate place, given the presence of the statue. Great pictures too - nothing like pictures of people "in the moment".
BENJAMIN KANNENBERG and BENJAMIN THOMPSON hugged for 32 hours and 32 minutes. I wonder how they visited the bog (American: restroom) during their successful record-breaking hug. I am sure that you and Dave could break that record with planning and determination. With sponsorship you could raise a lot of money for the charity of your choice. I would be happy to throw in a tenner.
I remember hugging...it was wonderful. What terrific pictures!
The point of that Hug-a-Thon escapes me. What were these people trying to prove?
The Sculpture is lovely. A brief, authentic moment in time as should be.
U
Hugging! We remember that! Once I get my second dose (early April), I look forward to hugging my children and grandchildren again (and again). Although, to be honest I have already snuck in a hug or two with grandchildren - while wearing a mask - it is hard to resist a grandchild that wants a hug!
I like a good hug, but twenty-four hours of it might be a bit disturbing.
What a cool find. I wonder where all those huggers are now.
I love how in every picture except the one of the two ladies in jackets hugging, there is at least one person whose face wears a sort of loveliness and light. Almost as if the hugs were "real". Do you know what I mean?
I like this post.
It's surprising what we find that we have forgotten. The old photos bring back many memories.
What a find, and how nice of you to think of donating that camera!
If you think that any of these are blurry you must have a hard time looking at my point and shoots! these are wonderful shots, Agree with Mary, those two jacketed women are just not into each other. Such a great find and such a great gift to the school!
How fun to find these photos. It does make you wonder where all these people are today...and are they still hugging each other from time to time.
That's so nice of you to give the camera to the school.
It's amazing to me to see what people will do to get into a record book. Good photos, though.
Let's celebrate the end of this pandemic with another hugathon!!!!!
I wonder how you get disqualified from a Hug-A-Thon. I need a hug. A real hug. The nice lady across the street gives great hugs, but we've been keeping our distance for obvious reasons.
Love,
Janie
Yeah, the statue is not universally loved.
Thanks! I like the second one too. If only it wasn't blurry!
Thanks -- it was fun to find these images again.
According to the rules, as I understand them, competitors are allowed one five-minute break per hour -- and they can save up their time to take cumulatively. Can you send me a tenner anyway?
Thanks! They ARE especially poignant images in this time of no-hugs!
None of the records in the Guinness Book of World Records really has much point. It's just doing something to do it.
I think sneaking a hug now and then is perfectly understandable. As I've said before, it's all about balancing the risks and the rewards.
Yeah, I agree. I couldn't do it. It looks pretty uncomfortable, especially with nosey people snapping pictures!
I wonder too! And do they still tell stories about breaking the world record for longest marathon hug?
I think even the older women look pretty joyful!
They do! It was fun to discover them again.
Well, someone may as well get some use from it!
Ha! It cracks me up that you and Mary get that vibe from those women.
I bet they never hugged each other again! LOL
Yeah, and this is pretty mild compared to many record-breaking stunts!
I agree. A global hug-a-thon would be an excellent celebration.
Apparently one of the older women pointed at something, and that disqualified her because to do so, she removed her arm from around her friend. Or so I read somewhere.
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