All posts tagged: High Bridge

First Solo Exhibit at Montefiore Medical Center

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My first solo photography exhibited – Connecting People, Strengthening Communities: The Harlem River Bridges – opened last Monday, January 11th in the ArtViews Gallery at the Moses Campus of Montefiore Medical Center located at 111 East 210th Street in the Bronx. 27 photographs – some are old and others are new – are included in this exhibition. The ArtViews Gallery is open daily from 8am – 5pm.  The exhibition will continue until April 1st.

High Bridge Exhibition Concluded

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High Bridge: Rebirth of the Harlem River, a group exhibition in which I was a part, concluded yesterday with an artist panel discussion.  Yesterday’s final day coincided with the High Bridge Festival, a public celebration of the recent reopening of the High Bridge. The turnout was small for our panel discussion yesterday, which was in sharp contrast to our exhibition reception the week earlier in which about 70 people attended.  Even the Deputy Commissioner of NYC Parks stopped by and posed with Wes, Nathan, and me. The response to our exhibit has been very positive.  Everyone has seemed impressed and happy.  Throughout this journey, we made wonderful contacts at NYC Parks and elsewhere which are, of course, invaluable.  We were even featured in a small piece by BBC World Service, which was broadcast on NPR this past Friday, July 24th. Now that it’s over, we’re looking for new venue where we can possibly continue our exhibit if not in total than maybe in part.

Bronx X Bronx @ the Bronx Documentary Center

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Last night was the opening exhibition reception for Bronx X Bronx at the Bronx Documentary Center. All are welcomed to attend this wonderful show of Bronx photographers and see the wonderful gallery space that has brought so much inspiration to this area of the South Bronx.  This free exhibition continues until October 12th. Yours truly is also fortunate to have one photograph of the High Bridge in the exhibition. Come and check it out!

High Bridge Article Published at Curbed NY

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Last week, my article – The High Bridge Reclaims Its History With $61M Restoration – was published at Curbed NY.  It’s a historic piece that dives into the origins of New York City’s oldest bridge and its rise as an important recreational destination; its most difficult period beginning in the 1950s, and then, its long desired rebirth beginning in 2001 and culminating in the present work to restore and reopen it for public use next year. I hope you enjoy it.

Postcards of Harlem River Bridges

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I’ve found and added a number of different paintings and photographs of the Harlem River Valley into my archives, but until only a couple of days ago I hadn’t thought much about postcards as sources.  It turns out that postcards are great sources!  They offer a historically accurate but also popular representation of each subject.  They are also fun to look at.  Below are a few of these postcards from the early 20th century.  Stay tuned for more.

It’s Official!

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So, it’s official!  The High Bridge will in in fact be restored and reopened. On Friday, January 11th, Mayor Bloomberg along with city officials, such as my Congressman Jose Serrano, gathered at the Highbridge Park’s Bronx entrance to the span to announce the groundbreaking of this historic crossing.  According to DNAinfo.com, the $61 million dollar project is expected to be completed in 2014. This past Saturday evening, I photographed the span from the Harlem River Speedway and it was clear that the restoration work had begun. On a very sad note, however, only a few days after the mayor’s announcement an engineer working on the bridge fell and died.  The cause of his fall is still under investigation.

A Bird’s Eye View above the Harlem River

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Here’s a fantastic new find!  It’s a wonderful illustrated view of the Harlem River reportedly from Fort George, which was the site of a popular amusement park that bore its name.  Beginning in the foreground is the Washington Bridge and then, continuing south is the High Bridge, followed by what I believe is the no-longer extant Putnam Bridge, and ending with the distant Macombs Dam Bridge.  King’s View of New York was one of several popular guidebooks by editor and publisher, Moses King, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This image was reprinted in color and sold as postcards too!