JEANINE MICHNA-BALES

Through Darkness to Light:

Photographs Along the Underground Railroad

Artist Statement

The 1,400 mile path from Louisiana to Ontario (Copy)

Through Darkness. 2014

Decision to Leave. Magnolia Plantation on the Cane River, Louisiana, 2013

On the Run. North of the Cane River Plantations, Louisiana, 2013

Wading Prior to Blackness. Grant Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Southern Pine Forest. Following El Camino Real, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Catching a Breath. LaSalle Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Black River Crossing. Continuing along El Camino Real, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Stopover. Frogmore Plantation, Concordia Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Bog. Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Gathering Provisions. Outskirts of the Myrtle Grove Plantation, Tensas Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Moonlight Over the Mississippi. Tensas Parish, Louisiana, 2014

Through the Forest. Jefferson County, Mississippi, 2014

Resting Place. Church Hill, Mississippi, 2015

Hiding Out Back. Slave cemetery, Mount Locust Stand and Plantation, Jefferson County, Mississippi, 2014

Sunken Trace. Claiborne County, Mississippi, 2015

Avoiding the Coyotes. Hinds County, Mississippi, 2014

Determining True North in the Rain. Along the southern part of the Old Natchez Trace, Mississippi, 2014

Tracking the Deer. Skirting the Osburn Stand, Mississippi, 2014

Cypress Swamp. Middle Mississippi, 2014

Off the Beaten Path. Along the Yockanookany River, Mississippi, 2014

Following the Trace North. Attala County, Mississippi, 2014

Doubling Back. Webster County, Mississippi, 2015

From Whence We Came. Following Robinson Road, Mississippi, 2014

Stopping for Directions. Meadow Woods Plantation, Oktibbeha, Mississippi, 2014

Crawling Ahead. Chickasaw County, Mississippi, 2014

Crossing Open Space. Lee County, Mississippi, 2014

Keep Going. Crossing the Tennessee River, Colbert County, Alabama, 2014

Through the Underbrush. Along the Old Natchez Trace, southern Tennessee, 2012

Downed Tree. Wayne County, Tennessee, 2014

Twisted Thicket. Lawrence County, Tennessee, 2014

Devil’s Backbone. Lewis County, Tennessee, 2014

Shelter from the Storm. Hickman County, Tennessee, 2014

Tennessee Valley Divide. Williamson County, Tennessee, 2014

Taking to the Hollow. Davidson County, Tennessee, 2014

Hidden in Plain Sight. Rose Mont Plantation, Sumner County, Tennessee, 2014

A Lesson in Astronomy. Southern Kentucky, 2014

Fleeing the Torches. Warren County, Kentucky, 2014

Hidden Passage. Mammoth Cave, Barren County, Kentucky, 2014

Following the Green River. Edmonson County, Kentucky, 2014

Secret Tunnels. Munfordville Presbyterian Church, Munfordville, Kentucky, 2014

Old Man Moon. Hardin County, Kentucky, 2014

Into the Night. Spencer County, Kentucky, 2014

Racing the Stars. Between Oldham and Shelby Counties, Kentucky, 2014

Over the Hills. North Trimble County, Kentucky, 2014

The River Jordan. First view of a free state, crossing the Ohio River to Indiana, 2014

Eagle Hollow from Hunter’s Bottom. Just across the Ohio River, Indiana, 2014

Dr. Lott’s House. Georgetown District of Madison, Indiana, 2013

Woods on the Way to Wirt. Jefferson County, Indiana, 2014

Wade in the Water. Graham Creek in Jennings County, Indiana, 2013

On the Way to the Hicklin House Station. San Jacinto, Indiana, 2013

Follow the Tracks to the First Creek. Just outside Richland, a free black community, Stone Arch Railroad Bridge, Vernon, Indiana, 2013

Follow the Drinking Gourd. Jefferson County, Indiana, 2013

Elias Conwell House. Along Old Michigan Road, a major north-south artery between Kentucky and Michigan, Napoleon, Indiana, 2013

Moonrise Over Northern Ripley County. From the Decatur County line, Indiana, 2013

Nightlight. Passing into Fayette County, Indiana, 2014

Friend or Foe? Station just outside Metamora, Indiana, 2014

Nearing Brookville. Franklin County, Indiana, 2014

A Brief Respite. Abolitionist William Beard’s house, Union County, Indiana, 2014

Go to the House on the Hill. Possible Underground Railroad station, Cambridge City, Indiana, 2013

Look for the Gray Barn Out Back. Joshua Eliason Jr. barnyards and farmhouse, with a tunnel leading under- neath the road to another station, Centerville, Indiana, 2013

A Very Good Road. Drawing near the Bishop Paul Quinn Station, Richmond, Indiana, 2014

A Safe Place to Regroup. House of Levi Coffin, who was unofficially dubbed the president of the Underground Railroad, Fountain City (formerly Newport), Indiana, 2014

Approaching the Seminary. Near Spartanburg, Indiana, 2014

Taking Cover with the Fireflies. North of Winchester, Indiana, 2014

On the Safest Route. James and Rachel Sillivan cabin, Pennville (formerly Camden), Indiana, 2014

Orange Moon. Adams County, Indiana, 2014

Walk Along the Ridge. Between the Maumee and St. Joseph Rivers, Braun-Leslie House, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2014

Lying Low. William Cornell House, outside Auburn, Indiana, 2014

Queen Anne’s Lace. South Steuben County, Indiana, 2014

Bird’s Eye View. Erastus Farnham House, south of Fremont, Indiana, 2014

Dirt Road. Outside Coldwater, Michigan, 2014

Concealed in the Fog. Near Jonesville, Michigan, 2014

Nearing the Farm. Royal Watkins farmstead, Jackson County, Michigan, 2014

“Liberty to the Fugitive Captive.” Waiting for the all-clear to head to the Captain John Lowry Station, Lodi Plains Cemetery, Nutting’s Corner, Michigan, 2014