My Grandfather, A Person Of Few Words

Photographer Brandon Dunning is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this photo essay. From the ‘Quiet Courage’ series. To see Brandon’s body of work, click on any image.

Quiet Courage is a series that focuses on the life of Sylvester “Frank” Dunning, my grandfather; he belongs to the “Greatest Generation” consisting of Americans who came of age during WWII and the Depression. In 1953 he was drafted into the Army and served until he was honorably discharged in 1955. My grandfather embodies the characteristics of his generation: persevering through difficult times and putting the greater good before himself. Through his constant persistence he developed values of personal responsibility and duty.

I am trying to connect with my grandfather’s past while photographing him in the present. Through this perspective I compare my own life to my grandfathers. I was conflicted and constantly trying to subjectively photograph my grandparent’s interactions and domestic lives without romanticizing the way my grandparents live. It’s uncertain what thoughts my grandfather has of himself he is a person of few words so explore a history lived through the act of remembering.