Found: Mallard Lake, near Spooner, Wisocnsin by Don Bingham, circa 1965
Caption: Relax and enjoy fishing, boating or swimming on this beautiful lake in the "Fish Bowl of Wisconsin."
"I'm over lakes," pronounced a friend as we approached the picnic table situated along the Lake Michigan shore in Manitowoc. Cynics were perhaps compelled by the abundance of color lake photographs and general fawning over lake views. Such views were among the most predominant depictions of Wisconsin for decades--often featuring slogans like "the land of sky blue waters" or "Relax and enjoy fishing, boating or swiming on this beautiful lake." Lakes in the days of Medford, Wisconsin photographer Don Bingham were portrayed as spaces for recreational and visual pleasure and the staging ground of many a nostalgic memory as families retreated to their lake cottage for the summer. Twenty-first century lakes in Wisconsin, politicized by Nitrogen fertilizers, noise from Jet Skis, and over-development of the shoreline, are the primary source of drinking water for many cities. Lake Michigan, for example, supplies Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Chicago, and other cities with their water. The Great Lakes Compact established a management plan for preserving the water resource in the Great Lakes Basin as awareness of the fragility of lakes grows. |
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