Tiny Daffodils
Good morning everyone. The New York Times doesn’t come until after 9.00 on Sundays so I wander around waiting for it to show up. These daffs are just outside the back door so after my third time checking for the paper, I realized I should take a picture and post it here. / I am at the beginning of a week where I plan to spend maximum time in my studio cleaning, organizing, and generally getting rid of stuff I haven’t used in years. I started yesterday and it feels great. Back to shooting suitcases tomorrow and am very excited to be going with Ilan Stavans, as he has an interest in a particular case. Wishing you all a great week, and early delivery of your Sunday paper.
Vivian Maier Movie
I have been wanting to see “Finding Vivian Maier” for a while, so I caught a matinee in Amherst this afternoon. It is an interesting piece of work and I would really recommend anyone interested in art and photography to see it. It goes in a different direction than I thought it would, but that is never bad in itself. Her work was amazing though, and what John Maloof has done in putting this all together is nothing short of remarkable. / It is rare that it happens, but catching a movie in the afternoon can sometimes be just the ticket.
Willard Suitcases / John R
Near the end of a day’s shooting yesterday I asked Peg how many suitcases she thought we had photographed. She went to her computer and checked the database. We were up to 248 (out of 420) with two left to do before we shut down for the day. So we are well past the halfway point, and I was really cheered that we have made it so far. I shot the first case in March of 2011 and haven’t really been paying attention to the numbers, so it was a very pleasant surprise to see our progress.
John’s briefcase is particularly interesting, with a varied collection of items. All of the onionskin papers in the background are English language word and sentence exercises. It is possible he worked at General Electric for a time as he saved the pension and insurance plan brochures. And he was clearly a fan of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, Dwight Eisenhower, Mickey Rooney as well as cheesecake shots of women. The reporter’s notebook is especially interesting as it is full of a stream of conscious like composition in his beautiful handwriting.
Thanks for all the support and interest in the project. Cheers, Jon
Wrong
I’m sorry, but this just seems wrong. Mid April and 3 inches of snow. I’m pretty sure these guys will survive though.
Feist / Peter Pan
I have been a huge fan of the Canadian singer Leslie Feist for a long time. When I heard she was playing the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, I got online and scored two tickets. When I looked at the date, I saw that I was also scheduled to shoot the final dress rehearsal of the UMASS production of “Peter Pan”. A bit of a bummer, but since I have to work, Cris is going with one of her grad students. I am sure it will be great.
Willard Suitcases / Anna H / Talk in Albany
After a bit of a break, we were back to shooting more of the suitcases yesterday. It was a productive day, and after the intensity of the Kickstarter appeal, it was nice to be back to doing what is the most important part of the project.
Anna’s case was in nice condition and the wicker pattern was lovely.
For those of you in the Albany area, I would love to see you at a presentation I will be giving at The University at Albany next Thursday the 10th. I will be talking about the suitcases and some of my other work to Katherine Van Acker’s class on documentary studies. Here are the details: Uptown Campus, Science Library Room SL G02, 5.45 pm. On our way back from Rotterdam yesterday, Peg drove me around the campus so I could get my bearings, and the first thing I noticed is that parking could be very difficult. There is a very small visitors lot (link to campus map), so if you plan on attending I would encourage you to get there early.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
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