Month: April 2009

Raised by Wolves

Some years ago I saw a photographic exhibit entitled “Raised by Wolves”. It was one of the most difficult and yet compelling exhibits I have ever seen. It touched a tender spot in the fabric of our society; children living in the streets.

I have long photographed almost everything I see, both good and bad, everyday life. My photos are not as raw as those of Jim Goldberg, but no less real.
One on the sad stories was the young man with the dog, on the sidewalk in front of a MacDonalds in New York City. I, as always, asked permission to photograph him, offering copies, He accepted saying he could send the photos home to his parents.

Picasso et les Maitres

Sometimes fortune smiles on you. While in Paris, we had the the opportunity to see the exhibit “Picasso et les Maitres”. The curator, a friend of my brother-in-law, learning we were in Paris, provided tickets for the exhibit which allowed us to “cut the line” and enter directly.

This exhibit as I understand was the most visited anywhere ever. It was also one of the most interesting I have ever seen.
The exhibit was at the Grand Palais at the bottom of the Champs Elysees and as you can see from the photo of the line to enter, we were indeed fortunate.

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR

In the summer of 1979, I believe, my wife opened the door to find a frenchman, Gerard d’Aboville. Parked in the street, on a trailer, was his unfinished boat. He had just retrieved the boat from the docks of New York. His first stop was our house as my wife’s family were friends of his family and we were the only contact he had in America.

He explained who he was and was welcomed into the house. My wife,Bernadette, to whom this story really belongs, not yet realizing there was a boat in front of the house, asked why he had come to Newport. Gerard explained that he intended to cross the Atlantic. My wife stated she was not impressed, as the number of people who had or were about to cross the atlantic, that had passed our threshold was not so unusual. Gerard then explained that he intended to row and the boat was outside.
At this point, Bernadette was ready to show Gerard the door, expressing that he must be completely crazy.
We found Gerard, who was being joined by his three brothers to help finish and prepare the boat for the voyage, a place to complete the boat “Captaine Cooke”. Gerard set off from Cape Cod in September of that year and successfully completed his crossing.
A few years later, Gerard crossed the Pacific.



LOUIS HAZARD

You do not see characters like this any more. Each generation sees a change in our cultural physiognomy. Just look back at films over the decades, if you need further proof. It was a chance encounter, I had my camera with me, I asked louie if I might take his photograph. He responded ” Let me stand next to my machine”

The name Hazard is an old and historied one in Rhode Island. Oliver Hazard Perry might be related to Louie, since I am related to Oliver Hazard Perry, through the Hazard family, Louie and I could be related.
Photographs become central to our memories. a visual diary, if you like. I am pleased to have these photos to look back on, and foolishly mourn the photos I did not take, and are only in my memory.

WATER SPOUT

I took the photo of the waterspout off the coast of Corsica in September 2001. I had gone to Porto Cervo to race on Columbia the twelve meter. we rarely got off the dock as one Mistral after another kept us ashore.

This was during 9/11. which delayed racing further, not that anyone was focused on sailing with such an event.
We were to be in Monaco for another regatta. The weather continued to delay our departure. Finally, it was leave or miss the regatta. The weather had abated a little. Valiant left before us, reporting big seas in the Straits of Bonifacio; losing her mast shortly thereafter.
We left, cautiously, once in the lee of Corsica, we felt somewhat relived. I took this photo of the water spout from the deck of Columbia; and very pleased to have taken it. Many years ago, while racing on Charisma off Palma di Majorca we started a race amidst more than twenty spouts all around us. It was a spectacular sight. I was never able to take a photograph then, I was otherwise occupied, and had been waiting for another opportunity.