Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
Interesting article and slideshow on Salgado
Before he was known as a photographer, Sebastião Salgado was something even more essential to his identity: an émigré. His left-leaning politics and commitment to social justice had led him to flee Brazil in 1969 to study economics in France. There, he found countless other exiles — the lucky ones — who had managed to escape the murderous grip of Latin America’s Operation Condor.
Tom O’Reilly
Apparently there are a large number of these strange stone chambers all over Putnam County. Most people don’t even know they are there. Some are very close to roads and people drive past them without ever noticing. Their origins are in dispute. Many believe that they are colonial period root cellars. Others, including Tom, believe that they are much older and date back to the same period as the megaliths (think Stonehenge) of Europe. I’m not sure yet what I believe (I haven’t done enough reading). One thing is certain: wherever they come from they are an interesting part of the history of Putnam County and are worth preserving. At the moment they are disappearing through land development, vandalism etc. – a situation which needs to change.
For more information: the York Times, April 22 2001 had and article on “Putnam’s Mysterious Chambers of Stone“. If you don’t mind investing a little more time this article on “Stone Chambers of Kent” provides a wealth of information (of course “Kent” refers to the town of Kent in Putnam County, not the County in the United Kingdom).
I live on the east side of the Hudson River and seem to spend most of my time there. This time, however, I went across the Bear Mountain Bridge and turned north along Route 9w. Later I turned south on 218 (Storm King Highway) through Cornwall-on-Hudson. I didn’t know that this road existed, but it’s well worth the drive. There are some spectacular views.
I recently posted about the annual blessing of the animals at the Hammond Museum and Stroll Garden. Even without the dogs this is an interesting place to visit. Although small it has some pleasant gardens. As its name implies it’s a nice place to just walk around. The museum is also the venue for “..Cultural Events; Weddings; Educational Events; Conferences; Galas; Meditation; Exhibits” etc.
Their website states:
The Japanese Stroll Garden provides a place of natural beauty and tranquility, to delight the senses and refresh the spirit. It is a place where aspects of Eastern and Western culture can be appreciated through art exhibitions, concerts, special 2010 Events and educational programs in order to promote global awareness and understanding. The museum also supports the efforts of artists and performers in the Greater New York Metropolitan Region.
Our Goals are:
To stimulate interest in Eastern and Western artistic traditions through presentation of exhibitions from the museum’s collections and through loaned shows; through music, dance and theatre, featuring historical and contemporary material representing Eastern and Western cultures; through general art classes, lectures, films and seminars, involving the public of all ages in specific learning experiences about the East and West.
To preserve and develop the Japanese Stroll Garden which serves as a model for teaching people about the environment, design, gardening, etc., through lectures, walking tours, classes and workshops.
To promote the efforts of artists and performers in the Greater New York Metropolitan Region, involving them in the presentation of work, performances and teaching opportunities, especially for school groups
