Holidays on the Hudson
Richard J. Garfunkel 12-19-05
The Hudson River Museum is an enchanting place nestled into the banks of the Hudson in northern Yonkers, not to far south from the Village of Hastings. Linda and I invited Warren and Mary Adis to join us for the day on a sojourn to this wonderful hidden jewel yesterday (Sunday). Its off Route 9 and when one drives past Saint John's Hospital and turns down the steep Odell Avenue hill one will find Warburten Avenue, that parallels the mighty Hudson.
We were virtually alone as we sauntered through their exhibition of still photos from the archives of many of DW Griffith early film works. But the focus of the museum was the works of the famous celebrity photographer George Hurrell (1904-1992).
As Esquire Magazine said about him, “A Hurrell portrait is to the ordinary publicity still what a Rolls Royce is to the roller skate.” And, of course the great Mae West said, “George's work throughout the years reminds me that too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” Unfortunately, the show was devoted to Hurrell's men only (and that was fitting in more ways then one) and his fabulous photos of the great Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Marlene, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, and Katherine Hepburn, among others were left for another day and visit. But it did feature fabulous pictures of a handsome young Gary Cooper, a remarkable one of Johnny Weissmuller in a pre-Tarzan, Paris-Olympic's study, Robert Taylor, the great Leslie Howard, the oily Adolph Menjue, an early Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Tyrone Power and Loretta Young (how did she get in there), the garrulous Wallace Beery, and a plethora of other luminaries of the silver screen. It's too bad I didn't take any photo's of those shots. But if you open the attachment you can see pictures of the Victorian Home that abuts the museum and its fabulous rooms festooned for the holidays.
It is always exciting to see these magnificent relics of the Gilded Age, still preserved as they were a century ago and in their holiday finery. One can just imagine the warmth of the fireplaces and the smell of mistletoe and candles wafting through the air.
Happy Holidays
The Hudson River Museum is an enchanting place nestled into the banks of the Hudson in northern Yonkers, not to far south from the Village of Hastings. Linda and I invited Warren and Mary Adis to join us for the day on a sojourn to this wonderful hidden jewel yesterday (Sunday). Its off Route 9 and when one drives past Saint John's Hospital and turns down the steep Odell Avenue hill one will find Warburten Avenue, that parallels the mighty Hudson.
We were virtually alone as we sauntered through their exhibition of still photos from the archives of many of DW Griffith early film works. But the focus of the museum was the works of the famous celebrity photographer George Hurrell (1904-1992).
As Esquire Magazine said about him, “A Hurrell portrait is to the ordinary publicity still what a Rolls Royce is to the roller skate.” And, of course the great Mae West said, “George's work throughout the years reminds me that too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” Unfortunately, the show was devoted to Hurrell's men only (and that was fitting in more ways then one) and his fabulous photos of the great Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Marlene, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, and Katherine Hepburn, among others were left for another day and visit. But it did feature fabulous pictures of a handsome young Gary Cooper, a remarkable one of Johnny Weissmuller in a pre-Tarzan, Paris-Olympic's study, Robert Taylor, the great Leslie Howard, the oily Adolph Menjue, an early Clark Gable, Franchot Tone, Tyrone Power and Loretta Young (how did she get in there), the garrulous Wallace Beery, and a plethora of other luminaries of the silver screen. It's too bad I didn't take any photo's of those shots. But if you open the attachment you can see pictures of the Victorian Home that abuts the museum and its fabulous rooms festooned for the holidays.
It is always exciting to see these magnificent relics of the Gilded Age, still preserved as they were a century ago and in their holiday finery. One can just imagine the warmth of the fireplaces and the smell of mistletoe and candles wafting through the air.
Happy Holidays
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