Northgate Revisited

by Posted in Black & White, Ruins Leave a comment
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Front Facade.

I’ve posted about Northgate before in Former Stern/Cornish Mansion: Northgate , a ruined mansion just north of Cold Spring, NY. Although the ruin was essentially unchanged other things were different: Different time of year (May rather than December); Different Season (Spring rather than Winter) and perhaps most importantly a different camera/lens combination. The last time I was there I had my Nex 5N with a Nikon 50mm f1.8. While this is a decent combination it wasn’t entirely the right one in this case. The 50mm lens is equivalent to 75mm on my Nex. Unfortunately the woods came close to the ruins so it was hard to get a wide enough view of the mansion without going into the trees and having them obscure your view and clutter up the picture. This time I had the RX100 with its 28mm-100mm lens. This was fine for the wide angle shots.

In addition to the wider views I tried to find some new viewpoints and even some areas of the ruins that I had missed (e.g. the swimming pool) before.

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The old swimming pool.

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Ruined Mansion from the Swimming Pool

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Steps to the Front Facade.

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Interior.

Wigwam

by Posted in Black & White, Buildings/Structures Leave a comment
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I came across this during a walk at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. It’s an large park (larger than the Rockefeller Preserve and Teatown reservation I believe). It’s very well maintained with lots of trails. There’s also a trailside museum that didn’t look too impressive. I enjoyed the walk, but I don’t think I’ll go again. It’s not that it’s not a nice place, it’s that there are other equally nice (or even nicer) places where I can walk and not have to pay the $10 entrance fee ($5 if you have the Westchester Parks Pass).

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Wigwam – Interior

Storm King Art Center Revisited

by Posted in Places, Things Leave a comment
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Five Swords, Alexander Calder and in the background Pyriamidian by Mark di Suvero.

I’ve posted a couple of times before on Storm King Art Center:

Something’s afoot at Storm King Art Center
Storm King Arts Center, New Windsor, NY

I find it a fascinating place and had the occasion to visit twice in rapid succession in the past few weeks: taking visiting friends. On the bus tour they mention that the best way to experience the center is to walk around it. I’d have to say that I agree with this. However, it’s a very large site so be prepared for a lot of walking. So far I’ve stuck to the bus tours and a little walking. I think I’ll go back early one morning and stay there all day. That way I can hop on and off the bus and also have time to walk around the various installations and see them in all of their glory.

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Endless Column, Tal Streeter and The Arch, Alexander Calder.

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Crescendo and Double Fountain, Mother and Child, For Anand. Lynda Benglis. Part of the Water Sources installation.

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Volton XX by David Smith.

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Volton XX by David Smith.

My Mother’s Birthday today

by Posted in Black & White, People Leave a comment
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Today is my mother’s Birthday. She would have been 89 had she not been carried away about 20 years ago by Emphysema caused by a lifetime of heavy smoking. She’s seen here with my father on their wedding day in August 1950. I wasn’t born until 1952 and so clearly could not have taken the picture, which came from their wedding album. I remember being fascinated by this album with the white, shiny, textured cover when I was a child. But I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t in any of the pictures.