Tag: History

Crooked Tracks – Englewood, N.J.

On By mvschulzeIn History, New Jersey, Photography, Pondering, Railroad, Trains5 Comments

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This former passenger line, crossing Palisades Ave, in Englewood, NJ and adequately guarded by flashing lights and long crossing gates, would not be a comfortable ride today. Still used for limited light freight, it was originally opened in 1859, providing passenger service for 107 years, till 1966. The re-purposed original station still stands aside the right of way, just behind me in this photograph. Many would welcome the conversion to modernized “Light Rail” for connections to Manhattan, via Hoboken, NJ.

As usual, thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome.  M 🙂

4:30 AM: Washington DC – The Capitol and the Moon

On By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Curiosities, Photography, Pondering2 Comments

 The top photo could have been taken last week. But when I stood on the Capitol lawn with the EXA camera, man was yet to step foot on the moon and our president was embroiled in a Southeast Asian war.  The camera was a manual SLR, with something called photographic film, from Kodak. (Admittedly some digital enhancing gave the image just a little more snap than the original snap! 🙂 )

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

Wildflower – 7/20/17

On By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Astronomy, Close Up, Curiosities, Daytrip, Flower, Hiking, New jersey, Photography, Pondering, Summer7 Comments

Late afternoon on the 48th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing, peace and tranquility abound along the local Rail Trail in Forked River, N.J.

 “Tranquility Base here… the Eagle has landed!”

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, find some spider webs, and ponder that this was taken with an i-phone! Thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

Martha’s Vineyard, (Two) – Magnificent Summer Cottages in Oak Bluffs

On By mvschulzeIn 1800's, Art, Buildings, Curiosities, Daytrip, Gardening, History, Photography, Pondering, Summer, Travel4 Comments

 

These colorful unique cottages date back to the late nineteenth century within a community of picket fences, pocket parks, and even an outdoor tabernacle. They are found in an intriguing area of shaded narrow streets and pathways ideal for walking.

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In addition to pondering the value of being a house painter in Oak Bluffs, one would be a bit envious of those who choose to rent here; close to shops, restaurants, waterfront parks and the harbor.

Read more on Wikipedia, here.

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

Martha’s Vineyard – Gay Head (Aquinnah) Lighthouse

On By mvschulzeIn 1700's, 1800's, Adventure, Beach, Daytrip, Exploring, History, Photography, Travel, Vacation6 Comments

This past week we visited Martha’s Vineyard, a quaint, picturesque island just off the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts 

Overlooking the Gay Head Cliffs, the original lighthouse (circa 1799) was modified several times to LOWER the light as to render it more visible underneath frequent fog. The current brick version dates back to 1855 and was moved a short distance away from the eroding cliffs in 2015.
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Above: The view from atop the lighthouse.
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The beach at the base of the sacred cliff is open to hiking, but protected under modern land treaties of the original Wampanoug tribe, ancestors of whom date back over ten thousand years.

A few more photo highlights of our ~48 hour visit will be posted shortly.

Credits: Wikipedia, The National Park Service, and Wampanoug Tribe info panels.

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

9/11: Fifteen Years Later… We’ll Never Forget

On By mvschulzeIn 9/11, Buildings, Photography2 Comments

Shortly after the first plane struck the North Tower, my daughter called to ask if I had heard the news that a small plane had crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, tower #1. Her ‘heads up’ was early and sketchy, and not too alarming, …as these things happen, rarely, but occasionally. Soon however, I was enveloped in what seemed like a nightmare fantasy – grappling with my emotions and becoming increasingly stressed and overwhelmed as reports and images from the TV were now almost too surreal to comprehend.

Below are some photos captured from that day and a week later, as the impact and aftermath  of 9/11/01 changed our world forever.

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I recall practically gasping for air as I watched it all unfold on the TV.  Commentators themselves were grasping for threads of understanding,  reporting on near simultaneous events in Washington DC and Pennsylvania. As the onslaught continued I thought: When will it end? Where is this all going?  And “What’s that? A truck filled with explosives heading for the George Washington Bridge????” No, that unfounded report was NOT  true….but what was next? 
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Later afternoon, from an vantage point in New Jersey, about 20 miles NE, the panic and fear was giving way to quiet disbelief and sorrow.
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Returning from the overlook, the quiet was palatable –  the communities slowely absorbing the magnitude of this insidious act of terror.  Contemplative silence underscored the juxtaposition of this otherwise beautifully clear day. 
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9/18/01, 11:31 PM a week later, …a consoling couple silently contemplates the aftermath as the searching for victims continues, as seen from Jersey City across the Hudson River.
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The skeletal remains of Tower #2 is seen fragilely standing, surrounded by dark shattered buildings, cranes, and hundreds of the tireless first and second responders in the rubble below.

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Summer, 2016

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

Lucy, the Inhabitable Elephant – Margate City, NJ

On By mvschulzeIn 1800's, Beach, Buildings, Curiosities, History, New York, Photography, Summer, Travel5 Comments

DSC_0548DSC_0567DSC_0549DSC_0578DSC_0580DSC_0550Recently, we climbed up the leg of this 65′ (20m) landmark to its surprisingly roomy interior, built in 1881 as a real estate promotion on the beach.  “Lucy” is located a few miles SW of Atlantic City, as seen from the “howdah” on top.  Refurbished some years ago, it is both remarkable, and ….silly – but worth the visit. 

 Cick on any image for a closer look.

Comments are always encouraged  and thanks for viewing. M 🙂

Pine Barrens, Lost Railroad and Civil War

On By mvschulzeIn Car, Civil War, Daytrip, Exploring, Geology, Hiking, History, MGB, New jersey, Photography, Pondering, Trees3 Comments

A few weeks ago,  I explored a small but typical part of an abandoned single track railroad constructed in the early 1860’s. It transverses the New Jersey Pine Barrens, an immense area of 1.1 million acres of sandy soil characterised  by oak and pine trees, cranberry bogs, blueberry cultivation and underlying aquifers. When new, these now forgotten rails carried some 17,000 troops to America’s Civil War.

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Images captured with an I-phone 5s, a few steps off Savoy Blvd., Woodmansie, NJ

Alien to the peace and tranquility of this warm afternoon, I could almost feel the undeniable apprehension of regiments of soldiers riding these very tracks towards the inevitable battles to the south, 155 years ago.  

As usual, click on the image for a closer look, and thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

 

Holy Man Shoos Huge Gull – On The Isle of Capri, Italy

On By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Art, Birds, Boats, Buildings, Daytrip, Explore, Geology, Hiking, History, Holiday, humor, Italy, Photo, Photography, Pondering, Travel3 Comments

This post contains seven images, and two maps. 

Exploring by boat off the south-west coast of Capri, Italy 2011, we sighted this territorial confrontation.

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“Sciò via” (“Shoo,  Away”)

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Continuing around the island brought views of rocky shorelines and local boating heritage.

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When the sun shines, the island’s coast offers stunning water clarity and colors…

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Below: Returning from our short excursion to Capri, broken clouds enhanced this nice view of Sorrento and its stunning seaside cliffs.  

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Below: Not far, on the next day’s bus tour along the Amalfi Coast, was Positano, typical for this region, it being built over centuries on the steep slopes above the sea.

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Below: As seen from off-shore –  a view of a few Italians relaxing on a beach along the Almafi Coast.

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Below: As seen from on-shore, a view of a few (thousand) Jersey Girls (and guys) relaxing on the beach along the New Jersey Coast (?!?)

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Seaside Heights, New Jersey, August 1968!    ‘Music Radio W-A-B-C…Ding’
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Capri is located just left of the Sorrentine Peninsula but not indicated on this map.

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Thanks for viewing…

and comments are always welcome. M 🙂

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge, NYC – Twenty Years Ago Today

On By mvschulzeIn Buildings, Daytrip, Explore, Hiking, History, New York, Photo9 Comments

Lacking an idea for a subject, (sharing every week or two is my usual routine,) I arbitrarily looked into my archives for today’s date and ultimately came across the following – on March 27th, 1995.  

This post contains eight photos.

Short on time? just scroll down and click on the images….and as usual, comments are always welcome. 

80.097 3-27-95 Brooklyn Bridge and Woolworth Building
From the Brooklyn side, looking back at the Woolworth Building on the left, once the tallest building in NYC.

My career had me working “on the road” that day at the NY Post Production plant in Manhattan, then located just north of the bridge. After, I took advantage of the beautiful day and walked across the iconic structure.

80.103 3-27-95 Intricate Brooklyn Bridge cables
From this vantage among the web like cables, the Twin Towers stand to the left, doomed to fall 6 1/2 years later on 9/11/11
80.110 3-27-05 Brooklyn Bridge webbing north side
On my Canon Rebel (film) SLR, I used a polarizing filter to bring up the contrast a bit, as these intricate patterns were awesome against the clear blue skies.
80.109.1 3-27-95 Main cable, Brooklyn Bridge
There are four primary cables stretched over the two towers. I love the simple but obviously adequate design of the drop cable’s attachments, shown here. 

Just imagine the forces (weight) sustained by these components!

80.090.1 3-27-95 Manhatten and brooklyn Bridges
In this close up view of a load cable and crossing “stabilizing” cable, the Manhattan Bridge is seen beyond,  completed in 1909, 25 years after the Brooklyn Bridge.
80.091.1 3-27-95 WTC from Brooklyn Bridge
With the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in the background, various “working lines” of the Brooklyn Bridge steadfastly remain taut after 104 years at the time of this photo – 129 years today.
80.087.1 3-27-95 Lamp and Woolworth from BB
Opened to the public in 1913, the Woolworth Building stands about 3 times taller, seen here with one of the bridge’s lampposts in the foreground.

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After completing this walk, I explored the City Hall Building just off the Manhattan side of the bridge, finding easy access to the rotunda on top with its awesome view of lower Manhattan. 

Thanks as usual for viewing. M 🙂