'Rural German Kitchen, Hessen Region' - Limited Edition of 15 Photograph

Heating and other energy in modern Germany -- like the rest of Europe -- is expensive. This is a rural kitcheni in Germany's Hessen region. Like many dwellings in Germany, it is necessary to fight harsh winter cold by economizing on heat.. In older dwellings, wood burning stoves, like this, have remained relatively common in older homes from far before the time of this image, 1994, until present -- especially for middle and lower income families for whom such economizing is important. Northern and northwestern Germany has large forests, including the famous 'Black Forest' -- tall coniferous trees with canopies largely at tree top that spread out at tht leveland tend to block the sun -- hence the name 'Black Forest' for any area with large stands of such conifers. Trees grow aundangly in Hessen. Though houeholders generally are not free to scavange the forests, handholders are free to burn their on scraps and chopped or sawn wood isrelatively cheap compared to alternative heatring sources. The wood burning kitchen stove, as here, in winter,is the center of family life in mamy households. Meals are taken in an adjacent table or contiguous eating area and kitchen stove heat is allowe to heat atjacent occupied rooms. Winter meal cooking can often be 'from scratch' which tends to be far more time than meals from boxes and frozen food, and preparatin of 'from scratch' meals plus ample heat, tends to bring the household to the kitchen.as a gathering place. This particular kitchen has been photographed in summer and summer heat makes cooking by burning wood impractical, so another,electric range is used,supplemented by bar-b-cue. The wood burning stove is a 'green' method heating. Not only is wood burning for cooking relatiely heap, at most times the stove is the primary source for winter heating. In addition to the wood stove houseolders often turn off their regrigerators in winter. For regrigeration and eve freezing, an adjacent pantry that opens from the kitchen usually also is open in some way to the ourdoors and the such pantries can be quite large, allow storage of food from a vegetable and fruit garden, Pantris often have voluminous storage and can be used year round for 'canned' goods, which often are preserved in jars. This kitcen has various groupings of 'threes'. The warming drawers on the oven have three identical handles. The pet food dishes are arrasged in a group of three. On the right wall are three molds arranged for declration. There is anther grouping of 'three' that is not so obvious -- even fairly obscure. See if you can identify the fourth grouping of 'three' as I have. Warning: The forth grouping is far fromobvious and is quite different from the three other groupings. Use of wood stoves such as this date far back in history and easily predate electic and gas stoves and the same with refrigeration from a pantry cooled by winter chill. Commonly in rural homes, such as this, winter cooking is almost exclsively done on wood stoves such asthis in older dwellings. There may also be a separate stove and/or range for summer cooking to avoid heating an already warm house. Many kitchens will have their refrigerator turned off in winter. An adjacent pantry is not only unheated but often is constructed to allow winter's chlll to turn the pantry into a walk-in refrigerator. In that way, cost of running a refrigerator are avoided during coldest months without sacrificing refrigeration. The entire pantry then is a refrigerator, and the cook enters the pantry to retrive for stored cold food, and even frozen food. This particular kitchen shows the elements of an artist who uses it; there are groupings of three that lend some semblance of order, in addition to a fourth such grouping that is natural and more obscure. . This is a kitchn of economy and a household center in a cold winter. To the right, unseen, is a table where meals are taken. The area is warm, so when more time-consuming cooking is one 'from scratch,' the kitchen is in use for long periods and family and guests often gather in the kitchen during cold. With radiant heat from the stove's fire, the kitcen is an ideal gathering place. Kitcen in rural area north of Frankfurt, in Germany's Hessen region. John (Crosley) ©1994-2021, John Crosley, all rights reserved. No reproduction or other use without express prior written permission.

Photography:Black & White on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:15

Size:26.5 W x 40 H x 0 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.