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Tickled Pink: Springtime in Charleston offers a colorful backdrop for photographers

Tickled Pink: Springtime in Charleston offers a colorful backdrop for photographers
March 2021
WRITER: 


When Dr. Jack Keilen took this photograph of his wife, Eleanor, in the spring of 1944, he almost certainly found her vibrant smile as dazzling and colorful as the blooming azalea backdrop at Hampton Park. An avid traveler and hobbyist photographer, Keilen captured several thousand images throughout his life with nearly 600 color slides taken in Charleston and the Carolinas alone. He shared a passion for the outdoors with Eleanor, who became a member of The Nature Conservancy, an advocacy group for environmental preservation. Keilen’s collection, available through the Lowcountry Digital Library, includes images of his wife and friends, however the majority of his photographs capture floral scenes within Hampton Park—home to a gorgeous variety of flowers across 60 acres. Winding along the paths today, visitors can enjoy heritage roses, Southern magnolias, a variety of camellias, and of course, the beloved springtime azaleas.