Revisiting Joslyn Castle near Siouxland, Omaha, NE

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa, a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Making a return trip to see a place in another season is always fun. Places look different at different times of the year especially without white stuff on the ground. The Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE is a good excuse to get outside of Siouxland and do a road trip south. The grounds were nice to visit and the interior of the historic home this time was not decorated for the Christmas season and exuded another look in a way.

A docent shows off original tile work of the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa, a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903.Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa, a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (Photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Timbers in the ceiling of the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903.

The couple who built the home had material shipped in from around the world, the man having created a printing empire where he sold completed inserts into smaller surrounding communities’ newspapers with features and other world news not always available to small town papers. And in those days every small town had at least one newspaper, and larger communities sometimes had 2 or 3 newspapers, both morning and afternoon editions.

George and Sarah Joslyn rode their horses on their small estate, the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Omaha, NE and lived in a a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A photograph of the former glory of a dining room in the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The dining room in the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Care was taken in the details of the home with timber shipped in from a specific region of Russia, other material from Italy and also Scotland.

The home didn’t suffer from conveniences either as it had “running” water and even electricity along with gas lamps should there be a power outage.

Great care was given to the details in furnishing the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Gas fixtures and electricity were both available to the original owners of the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Omaha, NE. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

A sitting room in the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903.

At this time the Joslyn’s lived on the western edge of Omaha beyond which was prairie, which has since long disappeared as the community grew to become the small/larger city it now is.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

A detail of a wall mounted lamp at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020, Omaha, NE a 35-room Scottish Baronial mansion completed in 1903. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Visiting a Museum near Siouxland and missing the Exhibits, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

It’s a silly thought but sometimes when visiting museums and other attractions in and around Siouxland I miss seeing the attraction. That happens when one becomes too focused on photographing something, anything and not taking a moment to enjoy what is in front of one.

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

The architecture of the Joslyn Art Museum is fascinating and the light play inside and out is a feast for visual people as are the works hanging in the museum. I did walk through a current traveling exhibit exploring visuals in today’s society. How some of the visuals are contrived to reflect what may naturally be there but set up, indistinguishable from actuality. It was thought provoking and fascinating. Not the first time, and with today’s political scene, not the last where someone will take images, still or moving, and try to create a narrative, generally false, to make a point or to attack someone or some thing because they don’t agree or approve. Sad.

But once through viewing the exhibit I walked around various galleries I have seen previously still enjoying the permanent collection of art and trying to create my own imagery within the confines.

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

I will return again and try to be conscious the next time of stopping, maybe sitting, and looking and pondering those lovely works before me and the creativity these artists who have long since passed using paint, brushes or other means to share their vision with generations to follow and the foresight of someone to collect, display and share these works with others.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Visiting the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Light and Shadow in Siouxland, Joslyn Castle, Omaha, NE

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

I always like revisiting places I have previously been to, in Siouxland and elsewhere. Different time of year gives a different look to the area or place itself, such as the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE. The grounds are very nice and the tour inside was again informative as a different docent volunteer led this tour. Because of the coronavirus fewer people gives those on the tour more of an opportunity to ask questions. And having visited previously ask questions with some knowledge about the history of the place.

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

 

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

Having been here before I looked differently at the former residence of a prominent family and because the season was more summer than winter as last time the lighting inside was also different. Lights and shadows are always fascinating, at least to me. Enjoying the play of light inside a room. Of course one has to be content with how the sun is when on a tour. Planning for optimal light is never going to happen without unfettered access, and that is not going to happen either.

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)

But it’s always nice to spend a day out, hearing about an area and wondering how it looked in early pioneer days for those folk who lived there then. The castle at the time was on the western most edge of the community of Omaha with prairie beyond its borders, that is now occupied with homes, many homes. But as I listened I was looking, seeing those little things of interest to me, in my own reverie and speculating how many footsteps had passed these simple areas on how many years and if they appreciated where they were or were just busy with life around them to consider much else.

Jerry Mennenga

Sioux City, Iowa

Visiting the Joslyn Castle in Omaha, NE Thursday, September 3, 2020 , Sioux City, Iowa. (photo by Jerry L Mennenga©)