In 2023, I looked in the stereograph collections of the Library of Congress as part of my residency, and suddenly found a photograph that I recognized – of a group of Korean people shoveling together with a single shovel – a Together Shovel. It was a much clearer image than what I’d seen in the past! And dated to 1904, to the construction of a post office.

The left pane of a stereogram showing a group of white-clad people gathered on a riverbank, around a single shovel, holding ropes tied to it, with grasslands and wooden buildings being constructed in the distance.

I had started researching what I’ve been calling the Together Shovel over a year ago, building a replica from a series of old photos I’d found, and learning to collectively shovel with others at Movement Education Outdoors. As a part of the Bburi Roots collective show, I installed the reconstructed Together Shovel in the window of the AS220 Aborn Gallery in Providence, along with two other pieces which offer a glimpse into ancestral moments through virtual reconstructions.

This new photograph included amazing moments like someone eating lunch in a partially completed hanok - offering a detailed glimpse into another deep interest of mine: traditional Korean joinery. And the delighted expression of the kid watching the shoveling is joyful to see.

The stereogram can be found at: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003666476/