Monday, April 20, 2009

Then and Now #4.

In 1899, increasing financial difficulties pushed Miss Florence Griswold to open her old family home to boarders. Among the first few to stay there was Henry Ward Ranger, a landscape artist from New York City. It is said that he was so taken with the pastoral estate he told Miss Florence he would return the following summer with more artist friends. Thus, the famous artist colony of Old Lyme, CT was born.

Below is a photo from 1905 of several resident artists and their wives--the Hot Air Club--taking their lunch in the shade of the side porch. And, of course, below that is that same porch today.

“How little people know and realize what a student in art has to pass through in order to master his profession – the deep thought and patient labor to put upon canvas some event of daily life, or spot on this green earth. It is no play, but hard earned work – work that has no end.” ~ William Henry Howe. One of Old Lyme's resident artists.

8 comments:

  1. Any idea who the artist are in the first picture?

    Also look at the difference in perspective between the two lenses used. Assuming the well head and building in the background are in the same physical location to old camera squashes the scene while the new camera elongates it. Shows very clearly how the film size and lens can change the look of a scene.

    Very interesting.

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  2. Mine was shot at 12mm... equivalent to roughly 18mm. I would guess the old one was probably shot with a lens that had a focal length equivalent to 35mm in the SLR format, which I doubt it was, so... I don't know. ;^}

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  3. The fellow I quoted above is at the head of the table. (far end) The rest I'd need to look up.

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  4. I like that you add your own style to these images, rather than a literal reshooting of the aged photo! The stormy weather, and your wide angle really makes this a strong photograph.

    Keep 'em coming!

    Cheers, Jeremy

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  5. I agree with Jeremy here. I too like how they are the same but different. The only thing... I would have preferred yours if Rachel was wearing the same shnaaaazzzzeeee outfits as in the first image. Just something about the baseball cap that doesn't work for me... ;-)

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  6. Rob, I'm sure I can dig up one of my old waitressing bow ties. (I'd have better success replicating the dudes' outfits than I would figuring out how to get my hair up like the ladies.) - RKK

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  7. I'm with you on that one Rachel, there's no way I'd be able to get my hair up like that, but then again I wouldn't have a clue as to how to tie a bow tie either.

    Oh well, pass me that baseball cap. ;-)

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  8. Funny! And by the way, I'm not that cool - the bow tie is a clip-on.
    - RKK

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