At last !  Updated Picture pages !

Due to work, health issues, and the sheer volume of pictures that came out really well, I admit I have been laggard in uploading pictures from 2003's trip to New England and the Brooklyn Festival, not to mention dozens of new cemetery photos.... Well, little by little, I will be remedying this sad state of affairs.

I now present the first part of the story.... Essex, Newport, and beyond !  I'm trying a new index format here, with an actual story.

Unfortunately, my first roll of pictures of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion and cemetery in Norwalk, CT. did not re-wind properly, and apparently was spoiled when I tried to remove it (darn the cameras that don't have back-up manual re-winders.)  However, I was soon back in business, as long as I stuck to using brands of film that seemed to catch the gears correctly.  Next year, I PROMISE to go digital at least part of the time.

*We open with some pictures of the historic gathering of DS fans at a fabulous Brunch at the Griswold Inn in Essex.  The mural in the background had a machine inside that churned it up and down, like looking out the window of a real riverboat.  Too cute.  We also posed outside, which, in this picture group, you can see we also did at the Black Pearl in Newport.  We kind of ate a lot on this trip, which you can also tell from the lower left hand corner, taken at the Newport Creamery ice cream restaurant.

However, we always managed to walk off our dinners.  We toured downtown Essex, set up as a pedestrian paradise, which included a pretty Church (something you never saw on DS), the Connecticut River Museum, and the river itself.  We enjoyed the architectural uniqueness.  Why are most of the buildings white?  However, there are some red brick buildings of prominence--- the Post Office, used as the "police station" on DS, and  the "Foot of Main" Street, which also had a matching birdhouse !  And Essex has a lighthouse--- not just for seafarers, river boaters needed "light and life."  In this picture, one can really see how long the Griswold Inn is, and the name of the antique store is SO DS.  My picture of the red, white and blue street stripes in the middle of the street didn't come out well--- you'll have to check Bob's site for a good shot of that.

Afterward, it onward to Newport.  While in Newport, we passed a church with quite the biggest rosary draped over it.  We had dinner in the Commodore Room of the Black Pearl, rather pricey.  However, we soon arrived at our true destination, the Mecca of DS, Seaview, for the traditional "virgin initiation" of new fan visitors, complete with soundtrack.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to get in that night, but ended up spending two entertaining afternoons there.  Here's a little mix of pictures of the group (the lower right one was taken while still in Essex.)

We were urged to take as many pictures of Seaview as possible, due to its deteriorating condition.  Of course _I_ followed this advice obsessively.  Henceforth, this will add to my already considerable historical documentation of this most unique of the Newport "cottages."  Sides of the building seldom seen even on other websites...  Outdoor carvings and windows,  lesser tower and archways, the "butt end" wing.  I tried to capture the ballroom ceiling, had somehwat better luck with more colorful ceiling murals
and carvings

From fanciful to utilitarian doors, to wrought-iron in the oddest places, wall decorations....  Eccentric sculptures carved by skilled artists and artisan who are now fated to remain anonymous.... A different, fancy window in every niche of the house, and even in the big tower.... It will be a shame if this building, which is the bone of contention in a war of attrition between the owners and the college that leases it as a dorm, is ultimately lost due to the inability to settle these conflicts in a spirit of co-operation.

On the third day, the small group I was with, which included Bobubas, Gooie and BuzzHackett. broke off from the others and headed for Salem, Mass, home of witches both falsely-accused and real, and afterward, Gloucester.  We spent one day in each place.