Two years ago, I photographed an abandoned gas station with a graffiti-tagged ironic comment. Six months ago, I photographed the inside of an abandoned church, finding a juxtaposition of a fetid sofa against a mournful stained glass window. And today, I’m dropping off prints of these two artworks to Historic Albany Foundation, for their use…
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Alexander Hamilton’s powder horn up for auction
He’s on the face of the $10 bill. His name is part of my collegiate alma mater. There’s a Broadway musical about his life, a musical that will most likely sweep the Tony Awards. And now there’s a chance for one lucky bidder to claim one of Alexander Hamilton’s personal items. His powder horn. Bear…
Read More“That’s lower case ‘m’, lower case ‘o’, lower case ‘e’, period.”
The other day, one of my Facebook friends and former editors of the music magazine Goldmine, Wayne Youngblood, went on a screed about the use of two spaces after a period. He was editing his latest magazine, a stamp collecting guide called Topical Time, and posted this: Time to vent: Typographically speaking, two spaces before the start…
Read MoreWanna buy a “Fish Fry” sign?
If you want to own a piece of Albany’s cultural history, now’s your chance. Get your disposable income ready. You could own a fish fry sign. Collar City Auctions has consigned to auction off the entire contents of Bob and Ron’s Fish Fry, including tables, chairs, a couple of fryolators, serving trays, everything but the…
Read MoreBob & Ron’s Fish Fry and A Charlie Brown Christmas
I have many memories of good meals and quiet reflection at Bob & Ron’s Fish Fry on Central Avenue. Last Wednesday’s news that the restaurant was closing its Albany location kinda hit me hard. I should explain why. //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsLike thousands of Albany residents, I grew up on their fish fry dinners. I ate at the…
Read MoreGoodbye Schenectady’s Coca-Cola ghost sign…
Last August, I drove by a building on 412 Broadway in Schenectady – only to see hazard tape surrounding it. Construction crews coming in and out of the facility. I really hope it isn’t what I think it could be… but then again, I won’t know if I don’t ask. Hey, there’s a hardhat construction…
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A memory in tile
I barely remember my Grandpa Ben. My few fleeting childhood memories of my paternal grandfather involve my riding in a little baby stroller as he pushed me around the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. Unfortunately, he passed away while I was still a toddler, so my memories of him are few and far between. Last…
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Bye-bye Trading Port / Freihofer’s ghost sign…
Five years ago, I photographed various “ghost signs” – vintage advertisements that were painted on the brickface of buildings – throughout the Capital District. One such sign was on the corner of Washington Avenue and Colvin Avenue, and it was right next to the Mobil station. Okay, this was a nice find. This may have…
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A coffee-table book on Frontier Town’s history and legacy
I’ve written about Frontier Town, the Adirondack Wild West theme park, in past blogs. I’ve even taken some photographs on what’s left of the amusement park’s campus. And over the weekend, I received a new book on the park’s history and legacy. The cool thing? It’s a coffee table book with tons of pictures and…
Read MoreRemembering Betty George and “Moo”
There was once a time when the Capital District’s on-air television and radio personalities were as big in our area as national personalities. You know, Commander Ralph Vartigan, David Allan on Pick-A-Show, Ernie Tetreault and Ed Dague and Howard Tupper and Bob McNamara on the local newscasts… And then there was Betty George. The first…
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Chuck The Writer 
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