Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Excuse me, is that my chair?

all started with a chair and an artists eye for an awesome photo. The trip includes a photo of that little chair in Prescott.

Curtis Krueger said he was visiting with a neighbor - Mrs. Davis - when he noticed a small wrought iron chair. He borrowed the chair, took it for a walk, and shot photos of the chair in an array of settings.

Krueger said he shot three rolls of film that first day, then returned the chair.

Krueger said he was actually aiming for a degree in art when he slipped into a darkroom class and was immediately hooked. He said he enjoys the mechanics of the darkroom and has made his living as a photographer for the past 20 years.

On the subject of Mrs. Davis, Krueger said the elderly lady had become an icon of the neighborhood. After Krueger borrowed the chair, he took the photos to show Mrs. Davis.

She obviously thought I really liked her chair so much she gave it to me, Krueger said.

He didnt take the chair until Mrs. Davis passed away at 102. He said he didnt give the chair much thought, but began carrying it along on his trips and began slipping it into various settings.

I finally had to admit to myself, after the 25th state, what I was doing which was photographing it in all 50 states.

Along the way, Krueger made two stops in Arkansas to photograph the chair. One of those was in Prescott.

My moms a Coke-a-holic, he said. When I see a Coke sign, I always think of her.

The Coke sign on the side of the building on First Street seemed to beckon, not only because of the advertisement but because there were two signs, one over the other, and theyd both aged to create a suitable backdrop for the chair.

It just had a lot of connections, Krueger said.

Alaska and Hawaii were challenging because the airlines wouldnt allow Krueger to include the chair with his luggage. He boxed it up along with his camping gear and shipped it Fed Ex.

Today, Krueger is working on a book about the saga of Mrs. Daviss chair.

To see photos of the chair, go to www.artistic-photos.com, choose the photographic images link, then select Mrs. Davis Chair.