General Robert E. Lee Acrylic Print

On a hot summer afternoon, I discovered “This old house” somewhere in northern Georgia. The property was abounded like many in the US these days. An old sign, already broken and on the ground, reminded everyone that the house was repossessed by a bank. The front door was wide open, windows broken, the owners long gone. While I don’t know them, a wheelchair, a painting of General Robert E. Lee, an old gramophone next to a bed that was badly corroded, and a broken Singer stitching machine told a story. After taking some pictures, I did see the broken sign again. It said “Please make an offer.” It made me feel sad.

Bernd F. Laeschke is an award-winning journalist and photographer whose career spans more than 30 years. While working as a full-time reporter and on assignments, images and articles appeared in many national and international publications in North America and Western Europe. He did work for commercial clients including the AOK, Germany's largest health insurance company, BMW, the British Plaster Board (Rigips), Hoechst AG, the cities of Toronto (Canada) and Vienna (Austria), The Province of Ontario, Canada, Magna International, and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Discovering and interpreting the many facets of life through the lens of a camera creates pictures that represent a personal, sometimes emotional snapshot of the world, recording...