So this marine scene ought to be pretty easy, but it’s a holiday and our gift to you. Tell us where it is and something about any facet of the photo. Send your best guess of what it is to feedback@statehousereport.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.
Our previous Mystery Photo
Only three readers identified our June 26 image, “Pretty Lowcountry gazebo,” which was a structure on Race Street in Charleston adjacent to the Greek Orthodox church. Congrats to Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; and Jay Altman of Columbia.
Peel provided some great context: “In the center of the domed structure is a sand-carved glass sculpture of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus that was created by Lowcountry native artist Lex Melfi. In his late 40s, Lex Melfi became interested in sand-blasting glass as an art form after seeing a piece of such work in Opa-locka, Florida over 22 years ago. Born and raised in Summerville, he comes from a large Italian family that immigrated to the Charleston area in 1847.
“The highly technical and challenging process of sand-carved glass involves the use of high pressure air and sand digging into the glass rather than scratching the surface. The sand blaster uses different nozzles, air pressures, and grits of sand to carve-out varying degrees of depth into the glass, giving it a three dimensional look that is breath-taking to look at, particularly when light is refracted through the glass. Melfi’s first commissioned piece of work was the 8-foot tall, 8-panel window in the Bell Tower at the Grace Episcopal Church in Charleston. The sand-carved sculpture of Mother Mary and Baby Jesus in today’s mystery photo is 7′ 6″ high and 3′ 4″ wide. If you would like to learn more about Lex Melfi and his passion for sand-carving glass, click here to view a WCBD News 2 YouTube video clip about the artist and his work.”
- Send us a mystery: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com and mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!