Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
It started a few weeks ago when I spotted a groundhog (See: A visitor to my garden). After that I started seeing more and more. I imagine they’re all pretty recognizable, but just in case: above a Chipmunk.
Taken with a Sony RX10 III
I’ve posted one very like it before. In that one she was looking pensively to the side. In this one she’s looking directly at the camera.
Taken with a Sony A7IV and Rokinon/Samyang AF 75mm f1.8 FE
Above: the cover page to the exhibition brochure. I guess that they do this exhibition annually, because although the brochure reads “2023” it seemed to work with no problems for this exhibition taking place in “2024”. In any case the brochure provides very little text, and only five examples of the over 60 exhibited works. Or possibly I picked up the wrong brochure?
I’ve been to the Newington-Cropsey Foundation a couple of times before. The first time (See: Newington Cropsey Foundation, Hastings on Hudson) I got as far as the garden, but the house was not open for visitors. This post also contains basic information on the Foundation, which is just as well because as of today (6/1/2024) their website merely provides a splash screen informing you that a new website is coming soon and providing some basic contact information. The second time I didn’t even get as far as the garden, and merely took a few pictures through the fence.
Still, I was determined to come back and see the interior of the house. So, when I saw that this exhibition was taking place I decided to go again.
First stop was the gardens again – with a few shots of the exterior of the house.
Above: Saint Michael the Dragonslayer. An inscription on the base reads: “A victorious St. Michael lays down his sword having won the final battle for our God”.
In spring, 2000, on the Newington-Cropsey Foundation property in Hastings-on-Hudson, a bronzed statue of St. Michael was installed. Saint Michael is watching over the Gallery of Art Building with a pensive countenance. He’s kneeling, resting on his sword having just expelled the Dragon from Heaven. The statue is very significant to the Foundation, particularly as we entered the new millennium in a dark period in American art and culture. One of the goals of the Foundation is to bring to light the virtues of classic art training and strong cultural values. The recently discovered Dead Sea Scroll, War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness, calls St. Michael the Prince of Light. Traditionally, chapels, (Michael’s Mounts) and statues devoted to Michael are erected in trying times when the Earth Dragon is thought to be strong.
The Foundation seeks to shed light on present times and reveal the goodness that exists in our world be sharing our permanent collection, programs, and events with the public.
The artist that created Saint Michael is Barbara Newington, founder of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation. Mrs. Newington is a great-granddaughter of Jasper F. Cropsey, Hudson River School artist. The Foundation was originally conceived as a venue to display and preserve the works of Cropsey and his home Ever Rest, a National Register Historic Site. (Text from an attractive brochure available in the lobby of the house).
Above a view through the gate to the Foundation towards the Hudson River. In the background you can see the iconic Irvington Water Tower. (See: A Walk Around Hastings-on-Hudson. The Iconic Water Tower).
Then finally on to the house. I’d already passed a security guard on entering the property. When I got to the lobby, I encountered two more who directed me to the elevator to the second floor where the exhibition was. When the elevator doors opened, I was greeted by two more people. This time they seemed to be docents rather than security. They gave me the above brochure and I walked around by myself looking at the paintings. Everyone (guards, docents) was very friendly. The docents didn’t offer to answer questions, but I’m sure that if I’d asked one (which I didn’t) they would have.
I wasn’t allowed to photograph, so to give a feel for the exhibit, I’ve provided a couple of links of two of the pieces on display
How did I feel about the exhibit. To be honest it didn’t really do much for me. Just not to my taste I suppose.
Now Cropsey‘s works are another matter. I’m very fond of the Hudson River School artists, and from the brochures and what little I saw of the house there seems to be a good selection of Cropsey’s work there. Unfortunately, I wasn’t allowed to see the rest of the house – just the room where the exhibition was taking place.
I asked the docents what I needed to do to see the rest of the collection. They informed me that I have to make a reservation for a tour and told me how to do that. So, it looks like I’ll be going back to the Newington Cropsey Foundation. It’s a really pleasant spot right next to the Hudson River and the Hastings-on-Hudson train station. The garden is small, but very attractive. A tranquil spot, it’s perfect for just sitting, reading, and reflecting. The house exterior is beautiful and from what I saw of it the interior seemed spectacular. If I lived in Hastings-on-Hudson I’d probably be there all the time – at least in the garden.
Taken with a Panasonic Lumix GX85 and Lumix G Vario 14-140 f3.5-5.6
Seen by the Hudson River in Peekskill, NY.
Taken with an Olympus OM-D EM-10 and Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42 f3.5-4.6 II
It’s not an insect (insects have only six legs). It’s not an arachind (e.g. a spider. Arachnids only have eight legs). So what on earth is this? It certainly has a very impressive set of legs. Some kind of centipede?
It’s seemed my guess was correct. After a very brief search I can now confirm that it’s a centipede:
Centipedes (from Neo-Latin centi-, “hundred”, and Latin pes, pedis, “foot”) are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek χεῖλος, kheilos, “lip”, and Neo-Latin suffix -poda, “foot”, describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an arthropod group which includes millipedes and other multi-legged animals. Centipedes are elongated segmented (metameric) creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful stings, injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules or toxicognaths, which are actually modified legs instead of fangs. Despite the name, no centipede has exactly 100 pairs of legs; the number of pairs of legs is an odd number that ranges from 15 pairs to 191 pairs.
Centipedes are predominantly generalist carnivorous, hunting for a variety of prey items that can be overpowered. They have a wide geographical range, which can be found in terrestrial habitats from tropical rainforests to deserts. Within these habitats, centipedes require a moist microhabitat because they lack the waxy cuticle of insects and arachnids, therefore causing them to rapidly lose water. Accordingly, they avoid direct sunlight by staying under cover or by being active at night.(Wikipedia)
I always thought that, as the name implies, centipedes had 100 legs. But apparently not (see the sentence above in bold). Mine seems to have 15 pairs.
After some more research I conclude that this is a house centipede:
Scutigera coleoptrata, also known as the house centipede, is a species of centipede that is typically yellowish-grey and has up to 15 pairs of long legs. Originating in the Mediterranean region, it has spread to other parts of the world, where it can live in human homes. It is an insectivore; it kills and eats other arthropods, such as insects and arachnids…Unlike its shorter-legged but larger tropical cousins, S. coleoptrata can live its entire life inside a building, usually on the ground levels of homes. Many homeowners may be unsettled by house centipedes due to their speed and appearance. However, they pose little to no threat towards humans, and are often beneficial as they catch other, more harmful pests, such as cockroaches.[14] They are not aggressive and usually flee when disturbed or revealed from cover. Sting attempts are therefore rare unless the centipede is cornered or aggressively handled. Its small forcipules have difficulty penetrating skin, and even successful stings produce only mild, localized pain and swelling, similar to a bee sting. Allergic reactions to centipede stings have been reported, but these are rare; most stings heal quickly and without complication.
Taken with a Sony A7IV and Venus Optics Laowa 85mm f5.6