My Dad Smiled Today

The sound of a Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin engine rang out at the Asheboro, North Carolina airport Saturday afternoon. Alex Newsom of Cheraw, South Carolina flew his dad’s P-51D  Mustang into the airport for the annual fly-in. Arguably the best propeller powered fighter ever built, my Dad flew 39 combat missions in an identical one during his service in World War II. He was looking over my shoulder all afternoon and smiling.

(Photographs copyright 2013 by Dan Routh)

Back to My Major

I got my start in photography shooting artifacts for the State of North Carolina. Recently I’ve been doing some similar work for MESDA (the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) in Old Salem (in Winston-Salem, North Carolina). Here is a gorgeous early 19th century cavalry sword made in Richmond, Virginia by James Winner. You can see his mark on the edge of the blade.

(Photographs copyright 2013 by Dan Routh. Used with permission of MESDA. Do not reproduce.)