By the way... this thread reminds me to mention that, about three years ago, Ted connected with the NPS folks at the Marsh Billings Rockefeller estate in Woodstock, VT (about half an hour from our house), and had made a good deal of progress on the way to getting permission to photograph the art there... and, I think I remember, was either able to or going to see negatives from Carleton Watkins' photographs, which are archived there as well. He was pretty excited about it... maybe something someone else close by would be interested in too.
http://www.nps.gov/mabi/historyculture/collections.htm
While he was immersed in the library at the estate, I would go see the cows at Billings Farm... happy days in Woodstock
My parents moved to Vermont right after I graduated from High School in 1979, and while I've taken many pictures there none are on LF gear
Fantastic shots, Joseph. They made me smile.
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Last edited by jnantz; 27-Sep-2008 at 19:04.
Yes Jospeh, there is lots of red barns. You cannot dwell in Vermont without having a red barn. Red barns, white homesteads, and a sugar maple shack out back is an integral part of the farming culture in Vermont. It is very much holistic with an independent people seeking self sufficiency.
After seeing this string, I went out and bought my wife and I some plane tickets to Vermont for late fall. I have no intentions of bring my camera. I do not want any distractions except with my interactions with the people, the land, and the colonial architecture.
Hmm, I can smell that thick moist air and the decaying fall leaves as I write this...
I used to live just across the Ottauquechee River from the Billing estate on Elm St. two houses down on the east side in a restored slate cottage that was recessed about 70 yards in from Elm Street. I loved Woodstock, and I used to take walks on the Billings estate all the time. There was a beautiful old barn with an amazing green copper roof in the forest about a 1/4 mile behind the main house. We shopped at Gillinghams for most of our provisions, and my daughter was born in Woodstock. Wow, my brain is being washed out with all of these amazing memories that I have not thought about in years...
Pawlet, Vermont
Stephen, even if you don't bring your camera, you really may want to stop by the M-B-R house and talk with one of the rangers about the Watkins photos and the archived materials... Annette (the curator, if you will?) was very "giving" with info and look-sees. Feel free to mention "Ted Harris" if you do... my name won't mean anything to her, but his will.
Don't forget brunch at the Inn on Sunday...
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