chapter 389

6/28/2015

Kodachrome

everything looks worse in black and white

Fifty years ago, that's (1965) a half century for millennials, I took my first 35mm slides with a used crappy fixed lens '50's Ansco Memar viewfinder camera having to guess at exposures and focus distance. A photo club guy gave me his projector last week so I wanted to bring out these few choice pictures from my first box of slides.

Above is a view from 89 Main Street in Cortland. Kind of makes you think all the world's a sunny day. Had no idea till now, but I captured the Shay Law Offices. Richard J Shay went on to become Surrogate County Court Judge who Mom worked for during many years. And goodness sake, they both ended up in the same assisted living center. The Cortland Democrat reported July 23, 1964 that the Law Offices had just won a Supreme Court decision to build that front entrance on Main Street.

In the foreground Grandma is behind the wheel of her green '59 Chevy Impala [6X4060], later donated for Dale to drive in Army (Virginia). Her later chevy powered the saw mill.

Brautman's Deli, Royal Barber Shop, Triangle Shoes, First National Bank, Montgomery Wards, Harry Alpert Jeweler, Brotan's department store, Stauber Drugs, Sarvay's Shoes are shown. Just wanted to capture a little bit of MY city knowing that most all these stores would be gone, as they are now. Snapshots were taken very very sparingly due to cost.

A buddy Jim Noyes at the College of Forestry was a horizontal chop specialist. (maybe 14 inch Yellow Pine bolt) Safety footgear was available but said it slowed him down. I also competed in the cross cut saw, pulp throw, and bronco ride at these field days on a road trip to Penn State. Got the timing of the chop and perspective just the way I wanted. Talked to Jim lately, a log trucker between VT and Canada and Maine. We never set the world on fire, but we could read the writing on the wall.

High school buddy Tracy Short and I did a road trip to Montana to visit at Bob Hammer's new home. Somewhere on I-90 before sunset and tenting in the Bad Lands of South Dakota. Just had to capture the feeling. Believed I made Tracy stop the car and walked into the driving lane.

We stopped for a break at the Reptile Gardens in Rapid City South Dakota on our way to Mt. Rushmore where I snapped this Macaw under the diffuse light of their terrarium dome. Kodachrome, gives us those nice bright colors.

Hit Yellowstone National Park on the way home from Montana. Toward sundown a storm was brewing off in the distance as this Bison strolled on the grassy plain. Bears stole the Rainbow Trout we caught right out of our cooler as we set up the tent. Not cool.

We went to Jackson Hole Wyoming for lunch and a quick view of the Grand Tetons before heading home.

Archbold Stadium for a football game at Syracuse University, frosh with beanies. Third oldest concrete stadium in the US, built 1907. The crowd was more of a subject than the actual players, though I'd like to have had a wider angle lens to include the players. Gives us those greens of summer, yes we played on real grass.

A fellow stumpy and house mate, Zoltan Gaal (Hungarian) came down to Virgil for some Brown and Brook trout fishing by the slag rip-rap next to Connolly's Dairy Farm. Historic Saltsman's Feed Mill in background long gone now. A little software enhancing to match my sweet imagination of numerous trips to that favorite fishing spot.

Thanks Paul.

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