02Pilot
Malcontent
Hudson, NY is a strange place. Outwardly it appears simply one of many post-industrial towns along the Hudson River, but it has in its past some interesting history. Unlike most river towns, Hudson made much of its 19th Century fortune in whaling, despite being close to 100 miles from the open ocean. In the 20th Century, it had one of the greatest concentrations of prostitutes on the East Coast. A successful and prosperous city for many years, it was almost selected the capital of New York State. In spite of economic difficulties after the Second World War, it still shows the evidence of that prosperity, with many houses now designated historic buildings. More recently, it has begun to gentrify and revive economically, though this process has been slow and uneven.
We went up a few weeks ago to get lunch at a pizza place we like, and of course to walk around and take some photos. I had B&W in one of my Leicas, but these were all shot on out-of-date Kodak Gold 200 with my Rollei 35. It was overcast, which worked well with color. The palette is reflective of the city itself, with muted colors of a long history offset here and there by splashes of bright new paint applied by those trying effect a revival. While the latter draw the eye more readily, the view is still dominated by what came before.
We went up a few weeks ago to get lunch at a pizza place we like, and of course to walk around and take some photos. I had B&W in one of my Leicas, but these were all shot on out-of-date Kodak Gold 200 with my Rollei 35. It was overcast, which worked well with color. The palette is reflective of the city itself, with muted colors of a long history offset here and there by splashes of bright new paint applied by those trying effect a revival. While the latter draw the eye more readily, the view is still dominated by what came before.
02Pilot
Malcontent
JRG
Well-known
Very nice! I like the colors, especially in shots like this one:
https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7451/27291595983_e9dec38a6e_c.jpg
And thanks for the history lesson. We visited Hudson just about a year ago, for a long weekend --- and wondered how the place had managed to be so prosperous long ago.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7451/27291595983_e9dec38a6e_c.jpg
And thanks for the history lesson. We visited Hudson just about a year ago, for a long weekend --- and wondered how the place had managed to be so prosperous long ago.
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
Nice photos. Hudson NY has become quite popular in the last decade or so.
We enjoy visiting whenever we stay in Columbia County or The Berkshires.
Chris
We enjoy visiting whenever we stay in Columbia County or The Berkshires.
Chris
Graybeard
Longtime IIIf User
Nice work.
The whalers came to Hudson from New England during the War of 1812. Their native home ports were subject to raids by the British Navy and they decided to go inland of New York City (100 miles) and West Point for safety.
Question: How were you able to post so many photographs in a single message? The limit seems to be three attachments when I try.
--Graybeard ( 17 miles north of Hudson (and, one might presume, even that much safer from marauding Brits))
The whalers came to Hudson from New England during the War of 1812. Their native home ports were subject to raids by the British Navy and they decided to go inland of New York City (100 miles) and West Point for safety.
Question: How were you able to post so many photographs in a single message? The limit seems to be three attachments when I try.
--Graybeard ( 17 miles north of Hudson (and, one might presume, even that much safer from marauding Brits))
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
No pics of copper colored 1953 Hudson Hornets with Twin H power, 
02Pilot
Malcontent
Indeed, Hudson, like some other river towns (notably Beacon, further south), is in the midst of reinventing itself. I always have mixed feelings about this sort of thing; I miss the authenticity of the gritty old town, but it's nice to have a choice of good restaurants and craft beer.
That makes a lot of sense - I wondered what the reasoning was. I need to read more on the War of 1812. If you're interested, and if you haven't read it already, Eliot Cohen's Conquered into Liberty is a great book about the military history of the region between New York and Montreal. Remember, marauding Brits can come from the north or the south....
I hosted the photos through Flickr and linked them, so there's no limit. I broke it into two posts just to make it easier for me to manage.
No pics of copper colored 1953 Hudson Hornets with Twin H power,
Nope, not this time. I do love those old Hudsons, though.
farlymac
PF McFarland
Great series of detail shots, things most folks overlook everyday.
PF
PF
Shirley Creazzo
Well-known
Delightful photos, thank you 02Pilot. And nice to find other interested in Hudson's whaling history. Graybeard is right. These whalers were from New England. More specifically from the long-time whaling strongholds of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The beautiful Hudson River has been prominent in many an intriguing tale of NY history as the lovely river towns still dotting its shores memorialize.
Thank you again for your lovely photos and the reminder.
Thank you again for your lovely photos and the reminder.
