Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Kaufmann residence in 1935 for a family from Philadelphia. It is a marvelous place to visit. Located in a woodsy area in Mill Run, southwest Pennsylvania, it has recently undergone restoration. Read about it. See link below.
When we went there, there were many photographers. It is considered one of the most important works of American architecture. We learned that Wright designed all the furniture inside and he even wanted to design the clothes for the lady of the house. Wikipedia on Falling Water
In a country churchyard, the last rose of summer. St.-Cirq- Lapopie, southwestern France. By Paul Goldfinger photo and darkroom print. Silver gelatin print. Blogfinger.net. Click to enlarge. Reposted from one year ago. August 18, 2015.
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
By Thomas Gray
“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.”
Pray here. Faith Baptist Church. Wickapecko Drive, Ocean, NJ. By Paul Goldfinger September 3, 2013. Click once to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
I frequently pass this church because Wickapecko Drive is a country road that provides an alternate scenic route coming back from Wegmans to the Grove. Just turn right off Sunset Avenue by the firehouse with Chief Wanamassa painted on the side (see below.)
Indians used to paddle their canoes around there. Sometimes they had to take a detour because of Township road work.
The Chief first met white men when the Ocean Township DPW began paving Sunset Avenue. That historic work continues to this day.
Legend has it that Chief W. had a vision that told him to open a Wegmans nearby. You can sometimes find him shopping there in the Kosher department for lox.
The Wickapecko Indians were Rutgers fans, and that is why they were called red men. They would go to football games with no shirts, painting RU on their chests. They have been upset since the 18th century over Rutgers football misfortunes.
The church has a woodsy setting, and the light often twinkles on the front and sides as the massive trees cast all sorts of changing shadows.
I have photographed it many times, but this image, obtained in late afternoon, after making a carrot, dill, and celery run for Eileen who was working on a batch of chicken soup, is what I had been looking for.
I shot it this time both in color and black and white, but the latter, with a “vintage” tint, looks fine.
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA From the Imus Ranch Record II
Ocean Grove. Auditorium Park. Aerial view by Paul Goldfinger. This is not a drone photo. 2022. Click to enlarge
Every summer, the day after Labor Day, the town of Ocean Grove, as we have known it all summer long, suddenly disappears, and another version takes its place. It’s magic like the story of Brigadoon.
Here are Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy with “The Heather on the Hill.” –Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Eugéne Atget (1857-1927) was a French photographer who received a commission in 1906 to document the buildings of old Paris. He took thousands of photos, but his work was largely ignored. Meanwhile, many of those historic structures were destroyed.
In 1925, the American photographer Berenice Abbott* (1898-1991) discovered a trove of Atget’s work and she popularized those images. Many great artists were influenced by Atget, including Matisse and Picasso. That is ironic since painting has long held a lofty position among the visual arts, while fine art photographers have sought respect in the arts community.
Eugene Atget. Paris. c 1910.
Atget died penniless. But his work is greatly admired today. Someone gave me a book of his Paris photos. That book is designed to be precisely the size of an old paving stone from the cobbled streets of old Paris. Atget was photographing buildings and streets, so what made his images so special?
I had the opportunity to ask that question of a professor of photography from the Savannah School of the Arts. He said, “It’s where you stand.” In other words, the composition of a photograph is so important in creating an image that is emotionally appealing while another photo of the same structure will just be ordinary.
When I visited Paris some years ago, I tried to emulate Atget in taking street shots, mostly around the left bank. The one above has never been shown before, but now I can re-visit old photographs through the magic of my digital negative scanner. I love the idea of taking the old technology (a negative strip) and then digitizing an image and trying to make it look like an old darkroom print.
Note: In Paris, they have worked hard over many years to preserve their architecture. One time I came upon a total rebuild of a house, where only the facade was retained, and everything behind it was newly constructed. On the other hand, you can see housing there that has been occupied for three hundred years or more.
As for Berenice Abbott,* I can see why she liked Atget’s work–she became famous for photographing old New York City.
Hardware store on the Bowery in 1938 by Berenice Abbott.
