Reader-submitted snow pix the Internet ate (last week's storm)

The above shots are from reader Cherie B., out her back window and a favorite pillow.

Annette B's dogs refused to go out unless a nice path was shoveled by guess who.

Plainfield Today readers submitted pix of last week's snow storm, which the Internet seems to have eaten.

Herewith, again, plus a few of my own.

Lisa S. had this dramatic view of Berkeley Avenue toward Dixie Lane.

Meanwhile, Gerry H. found this nice composition on Madison Avenue.

While NJT provides the bus shelters throughout the city,
removing the snow is the City's responsibility.
Conditions like this invite slip-and-fall lawsuits against the City.

Another view of Berkeley Avenue, from Tony R., who labels it 'Plainfield, Alaska'.

And a few from my house --

A view of the house by Nat.

And a view by moi, after shoveling the walk.

The vehicles, and the PMUA cans were immobilized.

The Victorian 'gingerbread' makes nice patterns with the snow.

T.J., our daily house guest, doesn't like the snow that much,
but he knows there's a warm blanket and a treat waiting at the end of the walk.

Feel free to send any you like from the current storm -- as there is supposed to be a lot of ice, there may be some interesting frozen trees and shrubs tomorrow AM.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Reader-submitted snow pix: January storm

More storm pix, these from Plainfield's late-January seventh snowstorm of the 2010-11 season.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Snow, snow, snow: Reader-submitted photos

Reader Jose M. had to start here...

With Plainfield buried under its seventh snowstorm of the 2010-11 season, here are some reader-submitted pix from the December storm.

...And then deal with this street scene.

A series from reader Rob, from top --
West 8th Street facing west; the French School of Music and Victorian next door;
Higgins Home for Funerals; Library Park from his front porch; and West 8th Street toward Park Avenue.

These shots from reader Nancy U. are from her Sleepy Hollow Lane neighborhood:
Homes across street; Sleepy Hollow Lane plowed but empty; and a car waiting to be dug out
at Fernwood and Sleepy Hollow Lanes.

Lastly, reader Joan sends a snap of her deck, referencing the national anthem
with the title 'And our flag was still there'.

Have some interesting shots of this latest storm?

Forward them to me at plaindan at gmail dot com and I'll put them up. (Details about location appreciated.)

Now, pardon me while I get out the shovel and get to work...again.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield Blizzard of 2010 pix

Patio behind our house.

Two views of Plainfield after the Blizzard of 2010.

Above, the patio at our house. The torch stands mark the near and far ends of the patio. Two feet of snow? I didn't even try to get out back and measure it.

The picture below is the view from snowbound Questover, courtesy of Randy and Cheri Bullock.

Do you have any blizzard pix to share? Family, pets, vehicles, views? Send them to me at plaindan@gmail.com and I'll post them.

The view from a snowbound Questover.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Jackie spots a special holiday greeting to Bibi from the Mayor

Fellow blogger Jackie S. spotted a special holiday message.

Plainfield Today readers know I am inordinately fond of Jackie Schnoop's photography, especially her weekend roundups of shots around town during the past week (see this week's full post here).

Jackie, who blogs at The (TV) Show Must Go On (see here) is also a regular entrant (and winner!) in the Plainfield Public Library's annual photo contests (see full list here).

I took a snap yesterday of the 'Free Parking' bag -- it's free to holiday shoppers through January 2, 2011 -- but what could possible top the one that Jackie spotted!

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Library hangs Plainfield photographers

With a limit of five entries, this shot of mine did not make the cut.

For the fifth time, Plainfield photographers will be hung by the Plainfield Public Library.

And, with no rumble of tumbrels, they're all looking forward to it.

The twenty entrants in the Library's 5th annual photography contest will gather tomorrow for the exhibit's opening reception and awards presentations.

Realizing that the Library's extensive collection of photographs documenting daily life in the Queen City for the past century and a half could use constant freshening with contemporary images, Library Director Joe Da Rold started the annual event with the express purpose of continuing to add to the Library's collection.

"Even though prints are submitted for hanging the show, most of the images are originally captured digitally which is an ideal format for the Library's archival purposes," Da Rold said.

More than seventy images have been submitted for this year's contest, which had as its theme 'East Side, West Side, All Around The Town'.

The reception, to which the public is cordially invited, is from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in Room 2 on the Library's lower level. The exhibit will hang through December 31.

NOTE: For those not sated by the photo exhibit, Swain Galleries will open its 'Antique Engravings' show with a reception from 3:00 - 5:00 PM Saturday afternoon. The Galleries are at the corner of East 7th Street and Watchung Avenue.

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5th Annual Plainfield Public Library Photography Contest

Opening Reception and Awards Presentation
On view through December 31

Plainfield Public Library
Room 2, Lower Level
Park Avenue at West 8th Street

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Kean U. website boasts historic Plainfield photos

Home of Alexander Gilbert, early Plainfield mayor, at West 8th Street and Central Avenue.
While an apartment complex is now on the site, the home to the right is undergoing restoration.

A treasure trove of early Plainfield photographer Guillermo Thorn's pictures is being mounted by Kean University Library on its ContentDM website (see here).

Many thanks to Plainfield Public Library Director Joe Da Rold for the heads up.

Thorn (1837-1920) was an early photographic chronicler of Plainfield life and people, operating out of his home and studio on East Second Street with a long career that spanned the decades of Plainfield's explosive growth as a post-Civil War railroad suburb attracting a wealthy elite of Wall Street bankers and financiers and executives in some of America's largest corporations.

The Plainfield Public Library holds a sizeable collection of Thorn's images, some of which have been organized as part of its online survey of Plainfield in photographs from 1870 to 1970 (see online exhibit here).

Kean's images are from a collection of more than 300 Thorn items that came into the possession of Prof. Frank Esposito in the late 1980s and are now part of Kean's holdings. He and his colleague Donald Lokuta organized the material into both an exhibit mounted in 2005 and a book (published by Kean U. Press as Victorian New Jersey: Photographs of Guillermo Thorn and released on the 100th anniversary of Kean's founding) -- see more here.

Plainfield's own Jean Mattson, former president of the Historical Society of Plainfield, worked with Esposito and Lokuta to research much of the Plainfield material. Much background information on the photos was supplied by Mattson, who at the time was also on the faculty of Kean University.

To use the Kean collection website, go to its home page (here) and click on the BROWSE link which will take you to the two pages of items currently online. Clicking on any image will bring up a large version of that item, with the available background information.

Note that the CONTACT US link at the bottom of the page is not yet set up (you get a blank email). For more information regarding the collection or to supply background information on any of the images, contact the Kean University Librarian, Luis Rodriguez, at (908) 737-4646 or by email here.

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• Kean U. Library: "ContentDM: Guillermo Thorn photographs"
• Plainfield Public Library:  "Chronicles of Plainfield: 1870 - 1970"
• Kean University:  "Guillermo Thorn photos on exhibit"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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'Fisher and Monfort' ring a bell?

A Salvation Army lass gazes serenely in this cabinet card.

Okay, Plainfield history buffs, here's one for you: Who were Fisher and Monfort?

The current photography exhibit at the Plainfield Public Library ('Chronicles of Plainfield', see here) got me to wondering about what other photographers may have flourished in the Queen City over the years.

Searching the internet turned up some 'cabinet cards' produced by Fisher and Monfort, a studio working in Plainfield probably in the last quarter of the 19th century. You can view scans of the original cards on Cabinet Card Gallery, the blog of the modest 'bmarshphd' (see here). This collector has posted two images by the Plainfield studio, the Salvation Army lass pictured above (see post here), and a wildly mustachioed gentleman (see card here).

Cabinet cards were popular in the latter part of the 19th century as an inexpensive form of portraiture (though they were originally conceived of with landscapes in mind). The photograph was mounted on a stiff piece of cardboard which made it suitable for display on a small stand on a mantelpiece, table top or in a cabinet (hence 'cabinet card').

When George Eastman developed a viable emulsion film in 1885, the days of the cabinet card were numbered, and their demise was hastened by the Kodak box camera which became available to the public in 1888 and made outdoor and more naturally posed photos a possibility.

Though popular, the original Kodaks had the drawback that the user had to mail THE ENTIRE CAMERA back to the manufacturer for processing of the prints (any parallels with replacing batteries in Apple's iPod?), which were then returned, along with the reloaded camera.

Eastman's offering of the Brownie camera in 1900, with its roll of removable film, finally put photography firmly in the hands of end users, and was the last nail in the coffin of American cabinet cards, which seem to have disappeared within a few years of the Brownie's debut.

The Plainfield business' partners were Charles W. Fisher and George W. Monfort.

What happened to their studio after cabinet cards waned in popularity? Did they adapt to the changing times or did they disappear?

Anyone have any clues?

This mustachioed gentleman is a good example of a cabinet card.

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• Plainfield Today: "'Chronicles of Plainfield' exhibit at the Library"
• Blog: "Cabinet Card Gallery"
• Cabinet Card: "Bespectacled Salvation Army worker in Plainfield, NJ"
• Cabinet Card: "Great Mustache in Plainfield, NJ"
• Wikipedia: "Cabinet cards" | "Kodak and film" | "The Brownie" | "Eastman Kodak origins"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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'Chronicles of Plainfield' exhibit opens today

The Plainfield Public Library once again opens the treasure trove of its unparalleled photography collection, to the delight of Plainfield's history and photography buffs.

'Chronicles of Plainfield, 1870 - 1970' features previously unexhibited images of the four most important photographers in the Library's collection: Guillermo Thorn, Reina Lawrence, Paul R. Collier and Irving Georges.

The exhibit, curated by Sonja Sekely, opens today with a reception from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

Mr. Georges will be on hand to greet visitors and discuss his photographs, which cover the most recent period in the exhibit.

In the Anne Louise Davis Gallery at the Plainfield Public Library, Park Avenue and 8th Street.

Detail from a Collier image of businesses along East Front Stree (no date).

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Wind topples tree in Library Park

Winds toppled this large tree.

Windy conditions in Plainfield Wednesday led to the toppling of a large tree in Library Park. Got a coupls of snaps.

Yellow warning tape had been placed around the tree, but no DPW workers were in evidence yet at 2:30 PM.

-- Dan

Scene around town

Aarons Furniture store on Somerset Street
was attacked by an unidentified flying (or nearly so)
object, Saturday night October 24.

Is that DPW Superintendent John Louise
mounting holiday decorations
outside the (original) Texas Weiner
near Watchung Avenue and East Front Street?
(Photo courtesy Cheri Bullock)

Her Hillside Avenue family home displays
a proud and happy welcome home from Iraq
to Chief Warrant Officer Denise Barnes.

Bernice and I were struck by the same sign
in a Dollar store window -- showing even
dollar stores are subject to price escalation
and must adjust their marketing statements to match the facts.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield photo contest deadline nears

The Plainfield Public Library's annual photo contest theme for 2009 is 'Four Seasons in Plainfield'.

Entries in the contest will be exhibited at the in the Anne Louise Davis Galley at the library during the months of November and December.

The contest, made possible by generous support of the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library, invites amateur and professional photographers to submit up to five contemporary photographs of Plainfield locales, activities or people reflecting the theme. Cash prizes and ribbons are awarded at the receptioin opening the exhibit.

With extensive historic photographic collections documenting Plainfield life and activities back to the mid-19th century, the photo contest is intended to make the gathering of a contemporary record of the community an ongoing process, according to Library Director Joe Da Rold.

Complete details on the contest and the required submission form are available on the Library's website (see here; the form is available here [PDF]).

The deadline for entries for this year's contest is September 30.

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-- Dan Damon

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Snoopy puts the 'IF' in Plainfield

Famed ace fighter pilot Snoopy was spotted putting the 'IF' in life above Plainfield on Wednesday......

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-- Dan Damon

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Local photographers show their stuff at Library tomorrow

Sign for North Avenue attorneys, one of my submissions.

Plainfield photographers show their stuff tomorrow when the Library's Third Annual Photography Contest exhibit opens. The opening features a reception with light refreshments from 1:00 - 3:00 PM, with presentation of awards at 2:00 PM in the Library's Anne Louise Davis Gallery.

"We are thrilled with the number and quality of this year's submissions," says Library Director Joe Da Rold. "The contest is really catching on and this year we have submissions from 23 photographers, the most to date."

Da Rold notes the judges were also excited that this year's theme -- 'Storefronts and Shopping Scenes' -- inspired photographers to go off the beaten path and explore Plainfield's many neighborhood shopping and business experiences as well as those from the downtown shopping district. In all, nearly 90 photos were submitted this year.

The Plainfield Public Library is unusual among New Jersey libraries for its fine and extensive collection of photographs documenting the community and its everyday life from the chartering of the city in 1869 up to recent decades.

But Da Rold realized that times had changed and the best way to continue to build a collection that captures contemporary community life was to enlist the photographic talent of the entire community.

Hence an annual contest, in which cash prizes are awarded to outstanding entries in several categories. The project is underwritten by the Friends of the Library, and the photographs submitted become a part of the library's permanent Local History collection.

The exhibit will be on public view through the rest of November during regular library hours, but you won't want to miss the festivities tomorrow, where you can get to see the photos and meet the shutterbugs.

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Exhibit Opening and Reception
Third Annual Photography Contest

Saturday, November 15
1 - 3 PM (Awards at 2 PM)

Anne Louise Davis Gallery
Plainfield Public Library
Park Avenue at West 8th Street

-- Dan Damon

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Get cracking, photogs!

'Everybody', by Paul LeGrand,
from the 2007 Plainfield Public Library Photo Contest.

The Plainfield Public Library's 3rd annual 'Documenting Plainfield' photography contest is under way.

This year's theme is storefronts and shopping scenes.

Amateur and professional photographers are welcome to submit up to five photographs of contemporary images of the shopping experience anywhere in Plainfield (photos need not be only of downtown or South Avenue).

Complete submission rules and instructions can be found on the Library's website (here) or picked up at the Library, Park Avenue and West 8th Street. Entries must be received at the Library or postmarked no later than October 3, 2008.

In addition to cash prizes for winners in various categories, entries become part of the Library's permanent collection of Plainfield photographs.

The contest is made possible through the support of the Plainfield Cultural and Heritage Commission and the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library.

For more information, contact Jessica Myers, head of the Local History Department at (908) 757-1111 x 136 or visit the Library's website.

-- Dan Damon

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Toiling in the hot summer sun

In Plainfield, man and beast alike toil in the hot summer sun to make the world go 'round.

'Beast' may be a stretch, but the bee above gathering nectar from a Bloodroot, or Scarlet Asclepias, in the Shakespeare Garden at Cedar Brook Park caught my eye. The plant is a gussied-up version of the milkweed commonly seen along country roads and in open fields.

With the help of a rail-riding crane, workers place a heavy metal plate as part of the ongoing reconstruction of New Jersey Transit's Plainfield rail crossings. The work shown here is at the Madison Avenue crossing, after which the crane moved west to the Central Avenue overpass. Reconstruction of the overpasses is scheduled to be finished in 2009.

The bee did not appear to break a sweat; can't say the same for the NJT workers.

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-- Dan Damon

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Plainfield Library contest: Photos due Friday

NOTE: The deadline for entries to the photo contest is this Friday, OCTOBER 12.

OK, shutterbugs! Time to get serious. Rustle through those shots and find your five best. Print 'em up and submit to the Library's photo contest -- this week.
The Plainfield Public Library wants to beef up its collection of photography reflecting contemporary life in Plainfield.

What to do?

Hold a contest, of course. Last year's photo contest was such a hit that Library Director Joe Da Rold decided to make it a regular affair.

Residents are invited -- regardless of level of photographic skill -- to submit photos of Plainfield life, activities and people reflecting this year's theme: 'Plainfield - A Multicultural Community'.

Swing by the Library and pick up a copy of the Call for Entries, or give Local History Librarian Jessica Myers a call at (908) 757-1111 x136.

Or check out the Library's website and download an entry form (PDF).

The deadline for submissions IS THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12th.

Get cracking!

-- Dan Damon

A Pleasant 'Welcome' to Plainfield

First impressions count. When I was selling Plainfield real estate full-time, I would plan how to drive customers into the city so as to take the most attractive approach to whatever neighborhood we were looking at, trying to minimize glaringly shabby houses and unkempt yards along some of the main streets into town.

I was struck how much of that has changed when driving in along Norwood Avenue from Route 22 recently.

At Front Street, where Norwood becomes Richmond, a visitor is treated to the attractive, flower-filled yards seen in the slideshow below.

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A refreshing -- and welcome -- 'welcome' sign.

-- Dan Damon

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ARCHIVED POSTS OF PLAINFIELD TODAY FROM 11/03/2005 THROUGH 12/31/2006 ARE AT
http://plainfieldtoday.blogspot.com/