Charles Cushman

I heard a fascinating story today on NPR about amateur photographer Charles Cushman.  Charles was an Indiana native who loved to travel and take color photos- in the 1940's!  He was an ardent user of Kodachrome, one of the world's first color films, which at the time was extremely expensive and hard to come by.  His 14,500 (!) photograph slides were bequeathed to the college from which he graduated, Indiana University, upon his death in 1972.  An excerpt from Mail Online about his New York City photos reads:  

He went around the city taking photos of architecture such as the Brooklyn Bridge and other parts of the Manhattan skyline - and it’s hard to believe they were taken while World War Two was going on. But what is even more intriguing are the street scenes and daily life Cushman documented in his photos, showing 1940s New Yorkers going about their daily business.  The images are even more significant at a time when Americans are remembering the fallen World Trade Center, showing that a city ultimately transcends its buildings.

Here are some of my favorites: Enjoy!

Plus, a story about photographer Steve McCurry: he heard Kodak was going to discontinue Kodachrome, and asked for the last roll of film.  They gave it to him, and you can read about his trip east and see the photos here. 

California Dreamin'

It's been a while since I've been to California, and I was only there for a short time.  It was during a two month cross-country trip with National Theatre for Arts and Education shortly after graduating college.  The West holds me in complete fascination, and recently I've been itching to get back out there.

With tour mates at Sequoia National Park, 2005.

There's something magical and wild about being in the vastness of the west as opposed to the cramped east (large cities being the exception).  It makes me want to build a log cabin and turn off my iPhone.  For good.  Then the thought of missing civilization, as well as family and friends, creeps in and the thought returns to a dream.

I remember visiting Sequoia National Park.  As you can tell from the picture, it looked like Middle Earth:)  I listened to a lot of Loreena McKennitt during that drive; her expansive, medieval sounding music fit the mood perfectly.  We saw the redwoods, and both brown and black bears during our day trip in the park.  

San Diego was one of the cleanest cities I've ever been in.  It had a lovely waterfront park, Seaport Village, in which we played Frisbee.  There is also a fantastic bookstore called Upstart Crow!

 And then there was San Fransisco...

I was very much in a hippie phase at the time, and spending my birthday weekend on Haight-Ashbury Street suited me just fine.  I bought a little wood carved traveling chess set at one of the shops, and we lounged in a park close by before going to an all-beer bar that had hundreds of brews on tap.  I tried looking up this haven online, but unfortunately it was many years ago, and my birthday ;) so I was unable to find a link for it.  If anyone else knows which bar this is, feel free to mention it in a comment!

 

 

Besides it being so crowded, there were some parts of Los Angeles that were enjoyable.  I was surprised to find out how compact certain landmarks were, such as Grauman's Chinese Theater and Rodeo Drive.  Santa Monica Pier was beautiful, and we had dinner one night at a family style Italian restaurant in Venice Beach that was superb.  We sat on the patio at large banquet tables, surrounded by candles and large bottles of Chianti.  At one point, servers handed out the words to That's Amore and the band played the song while everyone in the restaurant sang.  It was truly unforgettable.

Will and I have been talking about a California visit this fall, and I hope we can manage it!  Is there a place that is in your mind to visit right now?

1. Taken by my pal Adam.  2. Destination 360  3. nps.gov  4. News and Prayer  5. IgoUgo  6. Found SF  7. Thundermoon  8. World Gallery  9. Asymptotia 

Wouldn't You Like To Go To...

...The Great Barrier Reef?

This is a trip I would love to make, even though the plane ticket alone is pricey.  To be able to swim with the sharks and see the coral would be a dream come true.  

Some of these clams can grow to over 120 years old!

Ah-mazing.

There are a lot of companies that have diving tours.  Here are a few...

1. Diving Cairns 

2. Dive the Reef 

3. Deep Sea Divers Den 

So much beauty and adventure in one place!
 

1. Love These Pics  2. Cairns Unlimited 3. BBC

Wouldn't You Like To Go To...

...Fairbanks, Alaska?

As winter truly sets in, I've been thinking more and more about ice and polar bears, and escaping to see the Northern Lights.  Now is the perfect time to catch them in Alaska, as they are at their strongest between December and March.  

The red aurora is said to be the most rare, caused by high altitude oxygen mixed in with the colliding gas particles.

The Chena Hot Springs Resort, about an hour outside of Fairbanks, looks like a fantastic place to stay.  I love the idea of the hot springs in the morning before setting about your day.  You can even elect to get an Aurora Borealis wake up call, since they are best seen past midnight.

I love that this map shows the way to the North Pole!

Scientists are predicting 2013 to be the height of Aurora activity in this particular lights cycle.  Wouldn't it be amazing to see? 

What to See in January

The Columbus theatre scene has hit the ground running in 2012!  Here are some local productions that shouldn't be missed this month.

~33 Variations, by Moises Kaufman.  Presented by Available Light Theatre and directed by Eleni Papaleonardos.  Runs Jan 12-21 at The Columbus Performing Arts Center, Van Fleet Theatre:  

Ludwig van Beethoven fights through his failing health, his encroaching deafness, and his poverty to work with mystifying obsession on his Diabelli Variations.  Two centuries later, Katherine, a terminally ill musicologist, navigates a tenuous relationship with her daughter and the onslaught of her disease, even as she marches forward with determination to discover the true origins of Beethoven’s most confounding creation.  It's a beautiful and evocative story about the inspirations that get us through our darkest days, and family we find when we need it most.

~If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, adapted by Jody Davidson.  Presented by CATCO-Phoenix and directed by Joe Bishara.  Runs Jan 6-15 at the Riffe Center Studio One:

A small boy learns that giving a mouse a cookie has many implications that lead to madcap adventures as the house is turned upside down to please the mischievous mouse! A fast-paced script loaded with a ton of mouse-filled fun brings this best-selling children's book to life. 

~Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw.  Presented by Columbus Civic Theatre and directed by Richard Albert.  Runs Jan 12-Feb 5 at the Columbus Civic Theatre:

"Shaw employs irony in the title of his play, taken from the opening line of the epic poem 'The Aeneid' written in 19 BC by  the Roman poet Virgil- 'Of arms and the man I sing...'- in which Virgil glorifies war.  Shaw's purpose in this play, however, is to attack the romantic idea of war." From the National Arts Centre English Theatre Programmes Study Guide for the play.

~Weekend Comedy, by Jeanne and Sam Bobrick.  Presented by Little Theatre Off Broadway and directed by Jim LeVally.  Runs Jan 13-Feb 5 at Little Theatre Off Broadway:

Two couples rent the same Catskills cabin for the same weekend by mistake. One couple is staid and middle aged; the other free wheeling and young. After too much rich food & way too much alcohol, they decide to share the cabin. Before the weekend is over, both couples learn valuable lessons from each other's relationships and what they ultimately want out of life.  

~MadLab's January offerings: The Twinight Zone, running Jan 5-14; Love@1stPlight, running Jan 19-21; FFN's Date Night, running Jan 26-Feb 18.  All presented at MadLab. Check out the new sign they got for their wonderful building!  Synopsis for their main show, FFN's Date Night, directed by Andy Batt:

This Valentine’s Day, Full Frontal Nudity will tell you a story of love … YOUR story of love! Based on the best and worst true-romantic stories you tell us, FFN will retell that story from a different point of view.  New characters!  New circumstances! Maybe an alien or two, who knows? You’ll have to come to the show to find out.

I'm also excited about some fantastic shows happening outside of Columbus.  I'm really hoping to finagle a trip to Chicago to see Elizabeth Rex!

~Elizabeth Rex, by Timothy Findley.  Presented by Chicago Shakespeare and directed by Barbara Gaines.  Runs through Jan 22.

~Penelope, by Enda Walsh.  Presented by Steppenwolf and directed by Amy Morton.  Runs through Feb 5.

~Richard III, by William Shakespeare.  Presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, more affectionately known as BAM, and directed by Sam Mendes.  Runs Jan 10-Mar 4.  Starring. Kevin. Spacey.

~Mathilda, The Musical, adapted by Tim Minchin from Roald Dahl's book.  Presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company's London branch, and directed by Matthew Warchus.  Runs through Mar 31.  I loved this book as a kid: what a treat it would be to see their production!

If you are outside of Ohio, what productions are going on in your area?

Those of you in the Columbus theatre community: is there a show I missed for January?  Let me know at helloerinfisher@gmail.com.  I'll make sure to update the post with your info.



 

Throwback Post #2

This past year, I was fortunate enough to be a part of the weddings of these two amazing friends:

and

Tori is my best girlfriend from high school.  She married Leah in a charming and intimate ceremony in Gloucester, MA on New Years Eve of last year.  We all even stayed in the hotel the wedding was held at, the scenic Ocean View Inn and Resort.

My gal pal Meggie married Jon this past October.  Meggie and I met through by boyfriend and her husband, who have been friends since high school.  It was a lovely outdoor ceremony with a whimsical woodland theme.

Here's to your future lives together, in the upcoming year and beyond:)

Wouldn't You Like To Go To...

...Urnatur?

I came across this beautiful nature resort from an Anthropologie email a while back.  The email guided me to their Anthropologist webpage, and this video.  Enjoy the serenity.



Urnatur is Swedish for "ancient nature".  Can't you just imagine little fairies and gnomes moving through the woods?  Here are some photos from this dream of a place set deep in the forest...