Boscobel – Rose Garden

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This is the third of a series of posts on Boscobel, a lovely Federal style mansion in Garrison, NY the other two being: Boscobel – Objects; and Boscobel – Interiors.

It’s also one of the few exterior shots I took this time around – even if it was taken through a window on the upper floor of the building.

The Boscobel website describes the rose garden as follows”

Designed in the 1960s by renowned landscape architects Innocenti and Webel, the Rose Garden is a classically-inspired English style garden with a fountain at its center, hedgerow along its edge and vistas of the Hudson River in the distance. In warmer months, 150 varieties of roses represented in over 600 bushes create a vibrant, colorful and wonderfully-fragrant impression.

Boscobel – Objects

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This is the second in a series of posts on Boscobel. The first (Boscobel – Interiors) contained a few pictures of some of the interiors. This one provides some pictures of a few of the many objects inside the house.

Above is a miniature of what the tour guide referred to as “George and his wife”. You might be excused in thinking that this meant George Washington and his wife, Martha. However, the miniature is actually of King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte. While this might seem surprising it really isn’t when you consider that the owner, States Dyckman was a committed loyalist (for more information see The Boscobel Story, 1: The Short, Troubled Life of States Morris Dyckman).

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My wife tells me that this is an oil lamp. I do recall the tour guide mentioning it, but I can’t remember what he said it was.

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Longcase Clock. This type of clock is often referred to as a “Grandfather’s Clock”. However, the term “Grandfather’s Clock” didn’t come into common usage until 1876 and the creation of the song “My Grandfather’s Clock” by Henry Clay Work (who also wrote “Marching Through Georgia“). The term “Longcase Clock” has been in use since 1670 and so is arguably the better term to use.

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Kitchen Utensils. These were in what looked like it would have been the house’s kitchen. Apparently it wasn’t. The exhibition space next door is in what once was the kitchen. This room was instead used for the preparation of food.

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Wooden Box. Again I believe the tour guide explained what this is, but I was too busy taking pictures of it to listen. I just loved the shape, the holes and the veneer of the wood. I have no idea what purpose it served.

Boscobel – Interiors

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Entrance foyer.

My brother-in-law visited for a few days and we had to decide where to take him. It was still a little early in the year and many of the usual suspects (e.g. Lyndhurst, Sunnyside, Kykuit, Philipsburg Manor etc.), which did not open until May 1 and he was leaving before then.

Boscobel was open though. It has an interesting history; a picturesque location; it’s close to where we live and the tour is interesting. So we thought we’d take him there.

We’ve been to Boscobel a number of times before: to take the tour; to attend the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; to attend other events e.g. the Big Band Night and we’ve always had a good time. I’ve taken many pictures there and have even done a few posts on this blog:

Constitution Marsh and Hudson Valley from Boscobel
Details of Sculpture at Boscobel
Big Band Show at Boscobel

In the past I’d only taken pictures of the gardens and the views, understanding that photography inside the mansion was not allowed. However, this time on the tour everyone was taking pictures – many with phone cameras, but quite a few with small compact cameras. And the tour guide didn’t say anything so I thought – if they’re taking pictures I’ll take a few too.

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Sitting room.

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Dining room. Very tricky lighting. It was a very bright, sunny day outside and quite dark inside. This was the best I could do.

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Staircase. I liked the colors and the diagonal lines here.

Mike Eckman on old cameras

by Posted in Camera Collecting, Cameras Leave a comment

Source: Mike Eckman – Breathing New Life into Old Cameras

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I just discovered this site by Mike Ekman. The photography section has lots of information on classic cameras. Each camera has an extensive review (much more detailed than reviews on most other sites I’ve come across). Pictures of the cameras are also provided as well as sample photographs taken with the camera. So far getting on for 50 cameras have been reviewed (I think the actual number is 43).

There are also other useful articles not related to a specific camera such as: Breathing New Life into Old Cameras; Mike’s Guide to Buying Old Cameras; and What Is My Camera Worth?

If you’re into old cameras this is well worth looking at.

According to Mike:

I made my first old camera post in August 2014. At that time, I had no idea where this hobby would take me. I already had an interest in digital photography, but acquiring 100 year old film cameras wasn’t something I had ever considered. I was on my third Nikon DSLR and had already started to acquire some extra Nikkor lenses and accessories, but never did I think that I would become so interested in this “subculture” of photography, and certainly would have never thought I would one day be a resource for other people to learn about these wonderful devices or how to repair them.

Eighteen months have passed since that first post, and while I still would never consider myself to be an authority on old cameras or their repair, I have learned a few things along the way that I think are worth sharing. I’ve taken apart 20-30 cameras and in most cases, have been able to put them back together in better shape than when I started. Sure, there have been some failures like my attempt at replacing curtains on a Soviet made FED 2 camera, or correcting a mirror problem on a junk box Pentax Spotmatic, but my successes greatly outnumber my failures and I feel the time has come to try and pass on what I’ve learned.

Source: Breathing New Life into Old Cameras

Be sure to read his disclaimers (as described in Breathing New Life into Old Cameras) though.