Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

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The beautiful Art Deco church in the small Indiana town

Jim Grey
27 comments on The beautiful Art Deco church in the small Indiana town
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What was I thinking, photographing this Art Deco church building on expired slide film? I wanted beautiful photographs of my visit.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

Beauty is, of course, subjective. If you enjoy the color shifts of expired film, you probably find these photographs to be lovely. I guess they are, in their own way. I just hoped for realistic color and clarity, as I wanted to share this church as you’d see it if you walked up to it.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

It’s not that I couldn’t go back and photograph it again; Versailles (pronounced ver-SALES) is only about 80 miles southeast of Indianapolis. I’m sure I’ll do just that one day and get exactly the photographs I want.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

This church is named for its builder, James Tyson, who made his fortune as the first investor in Walgreen’s drug stores. Completed in 1937, Tyson built the church as a tribute to his deceased mother, a charter member of this congregation upon its 1834 founding.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

This carefully maintained building of brick, terra cotta, copper, aluminum, and glass famously contains not a single nail in its construction. Many of its materials were imported from around Europe, but the oak pews are of local timber.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

I was inside for a meeting of the Historic Michigan Road Association; Versailles is a Michigan Road town. Two alignments of the Michigan Road pass through Ripley County, of which Versailles is the seat. The original 1830s alignment lies a few miles to the west, but the road was rerouted through Versailles at the dawn of the automobile era.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

Such an architectural gem is unusual for a small Indiana town like Versailles. Tyson built two other Art Deco buildings here: a library and a school. The church is arguably the loveliest of the three.

Tyson United Methodist Church, Versailles, IN

Pentax Spotmatic F, 55mm f/1.8 SMC Takumar, Konica Chrome Centuria 200 (exp. 12/2003)

I’ve documented Indiana’s historic Michigan Road extensively. To read all about it, click here.

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Comments

27 responses to “The beautiful Art Deco church in the small Indiana town”

  1. J P Cavanaugh Avatar
    J P Cavanaugh

    How fascinating! I cannot recall seeing an art deco style of church before. There were probably not many building campaigns during the depression years when this style was popular.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      It took a man who didn’t lose his shirt to build it!

      Reply
  2. dan james Avatar
    dan james

    What I like about expired film photographs like this Jim is they look like scans of photographs made decades ago that have been hidden away in someone’s attic.

    That last photo especially looks like it could have been taken in the 60s!

    I personally don’t like to carry/use more than one camera on any one photowalk, but maybe in a situation like this next time you could use the expired film like you did, then take a few more shots on your phone or little Canon P&S to capture the colours more naturally, for comparison afterwards?

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      That is exactly what they look like! Or maybe an old postcard on that linen stock. I knew when I made this trip that I should’ve taken my little Canon camera – I’m not sure now why I didn’t. I think I was naively expecting this film to perform more like new.

      Reply
      1. dan james Avatar
        dan james

        What’s interesting with shooting with film and getting results like this, is I bet your memories of the place will be more influenced by these images of the place now, than the place itself.

        When you go back, you’ll almost expect to step into a 60s time warp, and may well be disappointed it looks so modern!

        I find this whole topic fascinating, how the photos we make of places become more vivid than the images we remembered when we were actually there. I should write a blog post on this!

        Reply
        1. Jim Grey Avatar
          Jim Grey

          Oh yes, that’s a topic I’ve thought about as well: the photos we take can very easily become the memories we have of a time or place or subject. It will be interesting to go back one day and be surprised by the place’s reality, in contrast to how these images record it.

          Reply
  3. Denny Gibson Avatar
    Denny Gibson

    I’ve only been inside that church once and it was when your film’s expiration date was still eight months away. A couple of additional details I remember are that a tunnel connects the church with the adjacent parsonage and that the ceiling is painted to duplicate the sky on the night of James Tyson’s mother’s death.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Right on both counts! They are in the process of adding a lift to the building now, so that the elderly members can easily get to the basement.

      Reply
  4. Mike Connealy Avatar
    Mike Connealy

    Wonderful series of photographs, Jim. Your sense of composition really shines in these. I’m sure you could return to the subject and get excellent results with more conventional color rendition, but it seems unlikely that a different treatment is going to result in a better portrayal of the intentions of the builder and architect. It would be worthwhile to spend some time in identifying the combination of qualities in these images which make them so compelling. While it is true that there is a resemblance to a faded postcard from the past, that only restates a general impression which does not explain the contributing effects.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Mike, thank you so much for your affirming and encouraging comment. One thing I would like to do is spend more time studying art so that I have the experience and vocabulary to better describe my work. I struggle with it. A couple times you’ve dropped a word or two — for example, chiaroscuro — that introduced me to something that has helped me see and describe. I’m fully living the middle-aged life, trying to see children successfully launched and helping elderly parents as they transition into late/final phases of life. It’s amazingly time consuming. But thinking about all I can do to learn more about art and photography does provide a thing to look forward to.

      Reply
  5. Roger Meade Avatar
    Roger Meade

    A beautiful building with a couple of odd quirks. The classic Greek columns flanking the front entrance seem out of place, and the pews are typical of most any church IMHO. I may need to make a road trip to Indiana next spring. I would include a visit to the Heston Steam Museum. That must be close enough to the Michigan Road.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Yes, those Greek columns are an oddity, as is the arch over the entrance. But most other details are spot on!

      The Heston museum is almost to Michigan, it’s so far up there, but you can still get most of the way there on the old Michigan Road! Be sure to see Rolling Prairie on your way.

      Reply
  6. DougD Avatar
    DougD

    Wow, never seen an art deco church before.

    Nice detail shots, as always

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      It was new to me too! And I’m all about the details, man.

      Reply
  7. Bill Bussell Avatar
    Bill Bussell

    Odd brands of slide film are always suspect. I used Perutz one time. I never used expired film that I can recall. Anscochrome was once my favorite, but it fades. I literally used thousands of rolls of Ektachrome on the job. I really regret not using more Kodachrome. A tremendous loss to the world.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Pretty much everything but Kodachrome fades, it seems. Lovely stuff it was.

      Reply
  8. SilverFox Avatar
    SilverFox

    Good show and the colours don’t take away much anyway. They add a certain something as has already been suggested. Versailles maybe another place to add to my must visit list.
    I need to ask one question though Jim, apologies it my be a stupid one but it’s been bothering me for a while; What is an Alignment? You use the term a lot but I am lost as to what it means (it’s probably that I am foreign).

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Ah! I forget sometimes that not everybody here is a roadgeek.

      Any road you follow is on an alignment — the path the road follows. Sometimes a road is moved to a new location. Then it is on a new alignment. Sometimes the old road is not torn out. Its previous alignment, then, remains.

      Reply
      1. SilverFox Avatar
        SilverFox

        Thank you :)

        Reply
  9. jon Avatar
    jon

    Very interesting Jim. I think these are some of my favorite pictures of yours that I have seen. I like the look a lot. Nice presentation.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Jon, thank you so much for the lovely compliment!

      Reply
  10. Dan Cluley Avatar
    Dan Cluley

    I have seen quite a few “modern” churches, but this one is a great merging of the modern art deco, with very traditional church architecture. I like it a lot.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      It’s a remarkable sight, quite unexpected to find in an Indiana small town.

      Reply
  11. Photography Journal Blog Avatar
    Photography Journal Blog

    Very nice subject for expired film.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Thank you!

      Reply
  12. Kurt Ingham Avatar
    Kurt Ingham

    Ver-sales! In the South we have My-lan, Cayro, New Mahadrid, etc.But- what a spectacular building

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Isn’t it something?

      We have a few other strangely pronounced towns here in Indiana as well, most notably Russiaville which is pronounced Roosha-ville.

      Reply

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