forgingahead&trade

« Previous \| Home \| Next »	Cohoes Windows Monday, January 30, 2006
EXIF: KONICA MINOLTA MAXXUM 5D \| 1/800 sec \| f 10.0 \| 70.0mm (35mm equivalent: 105.0mm) \| ISO 400 Finally we had a decent weekend to get out and do some picture taking. Saturday was warm and beautifully clear. In the morning I took a long stroll up and down Remsen St. in the City of Cohoes. It is a sad place in many ways. Cohoes has played two key roles in the historical development of the United States. In the early 19th Century, Cohoes was a major cog in the development of the Erie Canal, which enabled settlement of the western territories. Later, because of the massive water power available from the falls of the Mohawk River, Cohoes became the world's major producer of cotton thread during the late 19th Century and into the early years of the 20th century. Earlier I have posted some pictures of the remaining mill buildings that are now being converted to apartments. But the downtown part of Cohoes, clearly once a major and thriving commercial district, has slipped into a near ghost town-like state of emptiness. Building after building lies empty. Only a few of the older places still house their original tenants -- a bank or two, a pharmacy, and the Cohoes Music Hall, which I keep telling myself I must go see and take in one of the many concerts they still put on there. So I walked the street. I did not get as many good pictures as I wished for. I did notice a positive sign however. Many of the buildngs are sporting new building permits and there is evidence of something of a renaissance of business starting to take shape. I don't know what the character will be, but at least they are not tearing down the old to make this rebirth possible. ---------------------------------- This afternoon I went to see the movie The New World. In a previous career, I worked as an archaeologist for nearly 17 years. I cut my teeth in the field working under the tutelage of Dr. William Kelso, now the Director of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project. I worked side by side with several other people who now are immersed in the realities of the first permanent European settlement in the 'New World.' So when Beverly Straub, the Curator for the Jamestown project, wrote me to say that they had been technical advisors on the movie and told me that I should see the film, I went as soon as I could. She advised me not to watch the film as a portrayal of historical fact, but more as a film about the difficulties and significance of two totaly different cultures coming together. The movie is beautiful. As a photographer I was amazed at some of the incredible scenes. As a film critic (which I am not), it seemed a bit too hung up on the 'love affair' between John Smith and the Indian princess (never called by name in the movie, but we all saw the Disney movie, right?). But I heartily recommend this film for its beauty and for its message of how difficult it is when people with such disparate world views clash. This is a timeless challenge, and one we face today yet again.
Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Most Commented On, Architecture, Found Things, Around Cohoes	Permalink \| Comment (22)

« Previous \| Home \| Next »	Cohoes Windows Monday, January 30, 2006
EXIF: KONICA MINOLTA MAXXUM 5D \| 1/800 sec \| f 10.0 \| 70.0mm (35mm equivalent: 105.0mm) \| ISO 400 Finally we had a decent weekend to get out and do some picture taking. Saturday was warm and beautifully clear. In the morning I took a long stroll up and down Remsen St. in the City of Cohoes. It is a sad place in many ways. Cohoes has played two key roles in the historical development of the United States. In the early 19th Century, Cohoes was a major cog in the development of the Erie Canal, which enabled settlement of the western territories. Later, because of the massive water power available from the falls of the Mohawk River, Cohoes became the world's major producer of cotton thread during the late 19th Century and into the early years of the 20th century. Earlier I have posted some pictures of the remaining mill buildings that are now being converted to apartments. But the downtown part of Cohoes, clearly once a major and thriving commercial district, has slipped into a near ghost town-like state of emptiness. Building after building lies empty. Only a few of the older places still house their original tenants -- a bank or two, a pharmacy, and the Cohoes Music Hall, which I keep telling myself I must go see and take in one of the many concerts they still put on there. So I walked the street. I did not get as many good pictures as I wished for. I did notice a positive sign however. Many of the buildngs are sporting new building permits and there is evidence of something of a renaissance of business starting to take shape. I don't know what the character will be, but at least they are not tearing down the old to make this rebirth possible. ---------------------------------- This afternoon I went to see the movie The New World. In a previous career, I worked as an archaeologist for nearly 17 years. I cut my teeth in the field working under the tutelage of Dr. William Kelso, now the Director of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project. I worked side by side with several other people who now are immersed in the realities of the first permanent European settlement in the 'New World.' So when Beverly Straub, the Curator for the Jamestown project, wrote me to say that they had been technical advisors on the movie and told me that I should see the film, I went as soon as I could. She advised me not to watch the film as a portrayal of historical fact, but more as a film about the difficulties and significance of two totaly different cultures coming together. The movie is beautiful. As a photographer I was amazed at some of the incredible scenes. As a film critic (which I am not), it seemed a bit too hung up on the 'love affair' between John Smith and the Indian princess (never called by name in the movie, but we all saw the Disney movie, right?). But I heartily recommend this film for its beauty and for its message of how difficult it is when people with such disparate world views clash. This is a timeless challenge, and one we face today yet again.
Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Most Commented On, Architecture, Found Things, Around Cohoes	Permalink \| Comment (22)