Lost Crossings
Lost Crossings: A Contemplative Look at Western North Carolina’s Historic Swinging Footbridges is a collaboration between photographer Shane Darwent and author KateySchultz. It began as a community-funded exhibit and small print run and grew into a mini-documentary featured on PBS, becoming somewhat of a regional phenomenon. The work includes a 7″x7″ 60-page soft-bound book with essays and color photos, and is the only comprehensive written record of the footbridges to date.
Before Hurricane Helene, there were 23 swinging bridges in North Carolina, 13 of which were in Mitchell and Yancey Counties—including the oldest swinging bridge in the state, dated to 1947. Following Helene, it is unknown how many footbridges remain (though 3 bridges have been confirmed still standing). We do know that at least one footbridge was used as emergency pathway for a trapped community in need of supplies.
Reading Lost Crossings now will help those who have never been to these mountains understand just how special, and communal our region really is. And those who are still here—survivors—will appreciate seeing our beloved rivers and footbridges as they once were. For a limited time, Appalachian Rebuild Project has partnered with Schultz, making the out-of-print book available once again, as a fundraiser for the nonprofit.
The writing in Lost Crossings is a literary excursion told through personal narrative. The photos are interpretations of the swinging bridges and everything that came together to make each setting unique in its own right. Together, these works seek to make meaning of the remnants of an older way of life and what these swinging bridges can teach us now. During the course of Schultz and Darwent’s fieldwork in 2009, they interviewed primary sources, crossed each swinging bridge, and took the time to photograph and experience each place. The book includes quotes from direct sources, narrative descriptions, facts backed up by the Department of Transportation databases, archived photos, and directions to some sites.