PLAIN PEOPLE AT THE AMTRAK DEPOT, LA PLATA, MO., NOVEMBER 19, 2008
Pentax K10D
Sigma 17-70 at 40mm
1/250 f9.5
ISO 100
The people in these and the following four photographs are either Amish or Mennonite, a later offshoot. While, I am told, it is not possible to determine for sure what denomination a Plain Person belongs to, Mennonites do use a bit more blue in their dress than the Amish normally do. These unfailingly polite people do not believe in pushing their way to the front of lines waiting to board trains, but always wait until they are the last.
2 comments:
Henry,
I've come back to this group of photos at La Plata a number of times, and each time I'm lead to believe that these folks in the photos at the La Plata, MO, Train Station are Mennonites. Both Mennonites and Amish live in the area and use this Amtrak Station and when seen together, the Mennonites seem to have a better class of clothes and use blue and black. I've tried to check on the internet for pictures of the garb the lady in your photo is wearing, but since they might not use the Internet, that's a bit foolish. Looking forward to more pictures and blog entries. Carl Morrison
Carl -- I checked with a couple of experts, and they said that it's not really possible to tell with a reliable degree of certainty precisely which of more than 20 distinct Amish/Mennonite churches a photographed group might belong to, just from their dress. They suggested I just call them "Plain People," and so I have corrected the caption to reflect that. That said, you're probably right that they're Mennonite.
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