Writing, Photography, and the life lessons I learned from Street Academy
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about Albany’s currency and exchange materials during the Civil War. Quick background – during the Civil War, coinage was scarce, and many merchants and tradespeople struck their own tokens for use in exchange for money. In Albany, there were several examples of these “storefronts” or “storecards” –…
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Last week, I wrote a post about how my mother told me that allegedly I was related in one way or another to Braxton Bragg, former Civil War general of the Confederacy. The thing is, when it comes to my mother, I am a person who follows the rule of “Trust … but verify.” And…
Read MoreI want to show you some historic treasures today. It’s a window to Albany life from 150 years ago. And it’s a nice collectible series as well. Take a look at this. This is an actual minted token from 1863 for a shoe store on Broadway. And tokens like this were the norm in 1863…
Read MoreFrontier Town, January 1, 2017. BlackBerry PRIV camera phone. Photo by Chuck Miller You might have missed it when Governor Andrew Cuomo issued his recent “State of the State” addresses, but buried on page 102 of the adjoining “State of the State” budget report is a $32 million plan to revitalize what was once the…
Read MoreOne of my favorite charities during my late-year “Charity Season” is Historic Albany Foundation, and their BUILT: Albany’s Architecture Through Artists’ Eyes auction and fundraiser is an event I totally treasure. BUILT is an amazing charity event, in which Albany’s top artisans create breathtaking artwork and imagery inspired by the architecture – past and present…
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I knew it would happen. It was only a matter of time. But when I received a message from one of my loyal blog readers, I knew I only had a few moments to act. Background. I had just put the finishing touches on this morning’s blog, when I received a comment on one of…
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By now, I’m sure you’ve enjoyed watching the WMHT documentary “Charles R. Wood: A Storied Life.” It’s a great piece about the history of the man who created Storytown U.S.A. / The Great Escape, as well as creating Gaslight Village, the HH Ranch, all those great businesses and entertainment spots throughout the Adirondacks. And since…
Read MoreIf there was any hope of restoring the closed Frontier Town amusement park to any sort of former glory… this news pretty much quashed that hope. According to the upstate New York website Sun Community News, legislators have discussed with the Essex County Board of Supervisors the need to demolish and dismantle the original remaining…
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I’ve previously built Dream Windows that featured the Capital District’s iconographic artwork and architecture. Dream Window #5: The Thirst Quencher captured the Coca-Cola advertisement in Schenectady, for example. Now comes a new challenge – to build a Dream Window based on a disappearing Capital District advertising sign… and to make that sign dance once more,…
Read MoreWay back in ancient times – well, “ancient” meaning at least the 1970’s – if you wanted to watch a motion picture at home, there were few options. You could wait until the local television station broadcast it as a “Movie of the Week,” or you could purchase the movie and watch it at home…
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