DOI article:
Kowal, Tomasz: Changes in a landscape: a case study of three postcards from Risan
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41947#0050
46
Postcard no. 3 [Fig. 4a-b]. A card measuring 9 cm by 13.8 cm. The picture occupied almost
the entire reverse, leaving an even white margin, which is typical of postcards from the interwar
period.31 The sawmill of Carine is shown in the image, photographed from the vicinity of the local
road leading from the centre of the town towards the Orthodox church of St. Luke, located on the
slopes of Gradina. The sawmill, the river Spila, a stone bridge and a steel one can be seen in the
center. As mentioned before, the sawmill was opened in 1927.32 The bare trees suggest a late
autumn or early spring date for the picture. The sawmill is obviously the most important element
of the postcard. It has a wooden fence surrounding the structure with vast barracks full of wood-
cutting equipment, including a ‘■‘trak” (frame-sawing machine), as well as various utilitarian build-
ings with two bulky chimneys, complementary to the saw. Some cut timber can be seen in the
eastern part of the yard. Wooden logs were piled under the roof in the southeastern part of the
yard. Timber depots were situated on the waterfront, next to the southern fence of the yard, ready
for sale. In the harbor, opposite the sawmill, two two-masters ships were moored awaiting their
load. Two bridges across the river were also framed in the panorama: a stone bridge and another
one of steel. Only the upper part of the stone bridge is visible, the pillars being submerged in water,
the foamy water barely pushing through under the spans. A path ran across the bridge and along
the river to the east, turning north to encircle the sawmill. The steel bridge, located at the mouth
of the river, has already obviously captured most of the traffic. It was built to serve the needs of
the sawmill, which obviously reorganized local traffic and necessitated a new convenient crossing
for the new main road running along the shore, connecting major cities in Kotor Bay. A waterfall
called Sopot can be seen in the background, on the slope of a mountain, which is a part of the
Krivosije plateau. The waters of the lagoon create a general background for the view with the
stone terraces of the Gradina captured at the right edge of the image.
* * *
The experiment with superimposition of images conducted in 2012 involved a comparative analy-
sis of co-occurring objects. Modern photographs were taken from exactly the same places as the
ones on the postcards and then superimposed.33 Many hours of trial runs were necessary to search
out the proper positions, angles and perspectives for the shots. An Olympus El Digital SLR Camera
with splash proof Zuiko Digital 14-54 mm 1:2.8-3.5 zoom lens was used for the project; its
parameters, including correct color rendition, which is particularly desirable in outdoor photo-
graphy, and technical factors like focal length and crop correlated with the equipment of the origi-
nal photographers, enabled a comparative analysis of the two views.
The experiment took a total of three weeks. The first stage was to find the exact location of
places from which the photographs, later transferred to the postcards, were taken. Google Earth
software proved of assistance in this respect. By analyzing the angles of inclination of the land
and searching for similar terrain structures (mountain tops, the coastline, river beds), areas of about
20 m2 were selected. The next step was to find the locations with an accuracy of 2 m from the
original site and to take a series of photos of the closest vicinity. Finding these points in the field
with such a high degree of accuracy was necessary to reproduce images in great detail. A relevance
assessment of selected spots demonstrated that even a slight shift in angle or position resulted in
pictures that were not suitable for comparison. Subsequently, the imposition of photographs made
in the field on photographs from the postcards and relevance assessment of the selected sites was
made. Finding the right place was time-consuming and did not always mean the end of work. In
some cases, for example, postcard no. 2, it proved necessary to cut down trees and bushes growing
31 Zaucha 1992, p. 70. tent on the skills and experience of Piotr Kajak, member
32 Drobnjakovic 2003, p. 170. of the Risan archaeological expedition and photographer,
33 The success of the experiment depended to a large ex- who took the modern views.
Postcard no. 3 [Fig. 4a-b]. A card measuring 9 cm by 13.8 cm. The picture occupied almost
the entire reverse, leaving an even white margin, which is typical of postcards from the interwar
period.31 The sawmill of Carine is shown in the image, photographed from the vicinity of the local
road leading from the centre of the town towards the Orthodox church of St. Luke, located on the
slopes of Gradina. The sawmill, the river Spila, a stone bridge and a steel one can be seen in the
center. As mentioned before, the sawmill was opened in 1927.32 The bare trees suggest a late
autumn or early spring date for the picture. The sawmill is obviously the most important element
of the postcard. It has a wooden fence surrounding the structure with vast barracks full of wood-
cutting equipment, including a ‘■‘trak” (frame-sawing machine), as well as various utilitarian build-
ings with two bulky chimneys, complementary to the saw. Some cut timber can be seen in the
eastern part of the yard. Wooden logs were piled under the roof in the southeastern part of the
yard. Timber depots were situated on the waterfront, next to the southern fence of the yard, ready
for sale. In the harbor, opposite the sawmill, two two-masters ships were moored awaiting their
load. Two bridges across the river were also framed in the panorama: a stone bridge and another
one of steel. Only the upper part of the stone bridge is visible, the pillars being submerged in water,
the foamy water barely pushing through under the spans. A path ran across the bridge and along
the river to the east, turning north to encircle the sawmill. The steel bridge, located at the mouth
of the river, has already obviously captured most of the traffic. It was built to serve the needs of
the sawmill, which obviously reorganized local traffic and necessitated a new convenient crossing
for the new main road running along the shore, connecting major cities in Kotor Bay. A waterfall
called Sopot can be seen in the background, on the slope of a mountain, which is a part of the
Krivosije plateau. The waters of the lagoon create a general background for the view with the
stone terraces of the Gradina captured at the right edge of the image.
* * *
The experiment with superimposition of images conducted in 2012 involved a comparative analy-
sis of co-occurring objects. Modern photographs were taken from exactly the same places as the
ones on the postcards and then superimposed.33 Many hours of trial runs were necessary to search
out the proper positions, angles and perspectives for the shots. An Olympus El Digital SLR Camera
with splash proof Zuiko Digital 14-54 mm 1:2.8-3.5 zoom lens was used for the project; its
parameters, including correct color rendition, which is particularly desirable in outdoor photo-
graphy, and technical factors like focal length and crop correlated with the equipment of the origi-
nal photographers, enabled a comparative analysis of the two views.
The experiment took a total of three weeks. The first stage was to find the exact location of
places from which the photographs, later transferred to the postcards, were taken. Google Earth
software proved of assistance in this respect. By analyzing the angles of inclination of the land
and searching for similar terrain structures (mountain tops, the coastline, river beds), areas of about
20 m2 were selected. The next step was to find the locations with an accuracy of 2 m from the
original site and to take a series of photos of the closest vicinity. Finding these points in the field
with such a high degree of accuracy was necessary to reproduce images in great detail. A relevance
assessment of selected spots demonstrated that even a slight shift in angle or position resulted in
pictures that were not suitable for comparison. Subsequently, the imposition of photographs made
in the field on photographs from the postcards and relevance assessment of the selected sites was
made. Finding the right place was time-consuming and did not always mean the end of work. In
some cases, for example, postcard no. 2, it proved necessary to cut down trees and bushes growing
31 Zaucha 1992, p. 70. tent on the skills and experience of Piotr Kajak, member
32 Drobnjakovic 2003, p. 170. of the Risan archaeological expedition and photographer,
33 The success of the experiment depended to a large ex- who took the modern views.