SS United States Silver Screen Review: Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)

Ich war noch niemals in New York (German for "I've never been to New York") is a movie based off the eponymous jukebox musical showcasing the music of Udo Jürgens'. The musical premiered in Hamburg, Germany in 2007. From there, productions have mainly been staged through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but there was also one in Japan. There doesn't appear to be an English translation, but that could be due to Jürgens not being as well-known in English-speaking countries. The German-speaking movie came out in 2019. I was not familiar with Jürgens or the musical before seeing the film, so my review won't have any prior notions or influences from those sources. 

Ich war noch niemals in New York is the story of TV presenter Lisa Wartberg struggling to keep her show on the air. Her mother Marie has a fall and ends up in the hospital. When she comes to, she has lost all her memories -- except she knows she has never been to New York. After escaping the hospital, she stows away on a New York-bound ocean liner, with Lisa following her trail. Magic, hijinks, and dance numbers ensue on a cruise to remember!

The movie is a nonsensical, ridiculous, feel-good, fluff movie musical. It embraces many of the tropes of golden-age musicals, but with modern storylines. It's played over-the-top, but sometimes that's exactly what you need.

Even though it is a jukebox movie musical, the songs appear to fit well with the plot. They took a Mamma Mia approach to this story's creation.

Everyone in the cast just exudes enjoyment and fun. It's clear everyone loved filming this. Katharina Thalbach in particular (who played Marie) looks like she is having the time of her life. 

I really liked how, along with the main middle-aged main characters, there were also gay and older-age relationships represented. It's great to see more different couple groups represented. That said, the main cast is all white. Some extras are Black, but otherwise not much racial diversity present.

The time period seems vaguely 60's/modern-day. We have period costumes and ship décor, but also modern-day cell phones, laptops, and mentions of Brad Pitt. It's in its own universe, and you know what? I'm okay with that. I want to live there. Every color has high saturation to makes everything pop. It's so pretty. 

There gets to a point towards the end where I felt there hadn't been a dance number in a while. There had been songs, but they were emotional ballads, not with a lot of characters. I needed a little pick-me-up somewhere during that stretch. Of course, the finale features a dance number, so it still ended on a good note.

So, let's now stow away and take a look at this ship.

The SS United States plays the role of the Maximiliane, the ship our characters cruise on to New York, and the setting for a majority of the film. The ship shows up here via CGI. Unlike her last few movie appearances, she is fully restored in appearance to her cruising days. There are some gorgeous, gorgeous establishing shots of the ship sailing the ocean. It brought so much happiness to my heart. A good sample of them are featured in the trailer:

The film built a couple practical sets, including a dining room with stage and dance floor, cabins, the crew communal barracks/mess hall, hallways, and an outdoor pool. Much of the set features wooden décor and fixtures, but this film ship doesn't appear to be designed by William Francis Gibbs, so that's okay.

I initially assumed choosing the SS United States' exterior was a post-production choice. However, there is a ship map in a hallway that clearly shows the SS United States profile.

Still from Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)
Ship map on right, outlined in orange.

The outdoor pool is placed on the ship's forecastle. It gives the forward superstructure a cluttered look. It's also weird because the pool has its own lifeboats that are hanging a deck below the rest of the ship's lifeboats, so they're not in line. The pool would have made more sense if it had been midship or aft, but I'm not sure it would have been shown on film as often if it hadn't been placed on the forecastle.

Still from Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)
The Maximiliane / SS United States with updated forecastle
(Note the 3 gangways at the terminal (right) sticking out without any support!)

A change they made to the superstructure to accommodate the pool set was add an extra deck between the Sports Deck and the Navigation Bridge, so that the bridge could still be visible. You can really tell this when you look at the bridge wings' supports, they are longer than they are in real life.

Still from Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)
Orange arrow pointing to bridge wing and its support

An orange arrow pointing to a bridge wing and
its support on the actual SS United States

There's also a couple minor paint choices changes I noticed. The white aft line that curves down to include a lower deck level is missing. Instead, the line stays at the same level all the way around the ship. The aluminum mast is colored white in the film. The top of the funnels appears to be either black or dark, dark, dark navy. And then we have some red lines that are present when we have a couple of wide panning shots around the pool, but these do not show up in shots that are further pulled back.

When we reach New York, there's an establishing shot where the ship is docked at Pier 88, New York's current cruise terminal. Then, when two characters Otto and Costa are leaving the ship, the building says the ship is at Pier 57.

Like the movie itself, it makes better sense if you don't think too much about the details. I'm just happy it's here.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Movie: A fun, relaxing break from the crazy world we live in. 3.5/4
SS United States: We are on the ship so much! But it's not the real ship... 2.9/4

Sources:

Wiki: I've never been to New York (musical)

SS United States Silver Screen Reviews
Introduction / Conclusion

Sabrina (1954)

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955)

West Side Story (1961)

Bon Voyage (1962)

Die! Die! My Darling! (1965)

Munster, Go Home! (1966)

No Way To Treat a Lady (1968)
Invincible (2006)

The Water Horse (2007)

Baby Mama (2008)

2012 (2009)

Dead Man Down (2013)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)
American Gods (2017)

Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)

This series is to bring awareness to the SS United States, a historic American ocean liner. She is currently berthed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awaiting restoration. Learn more on her story at ssusc.org.

SS United States Streaming Screen Review: A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017) [UPDATED]

A Series of Unfortunate Events is a dismal, sad, depressing story. Its author, Lemony Snicket, advises everyone to avoid the tale at all costs. I advise otherwise.

I read this book series when it was first coming out in bookstores. I owned the whole series. I think I was into the mystery surrounding everything and the premise that this was indeed going to be a series full of unfortunate events. It was something you didn't see in the youth genre, and on some level I appreciated that. I did enjoy it, but I only read it once. Odd, because I usually reread books I liked. I think I was left a little miffed at the questionable ending. I actually got rid of the books, another weird move on my part.

When the 2004 movie came out, I only saw it once (Am I sensing a pattern here?). I remember I did not enjoy it, probably because it deviated so much from the book series. I was a real stickler for sticking to the source material. Still am, but I'm now a little more forgiving.

So, I was not super crazy excited when the Netflix reboot was announced, only pleasantly excited. Netflix has done some great series, and reboots of recently filmed stories are still in vogue. It sounded like a good idea.

Then everything changed with one teaser trailer:

0:01 through 0:19, I was nodding my head. Ah yes. Netflix does not disappoint. At 0:20, I would have done a spit take if I had been drinking something. The SS United States?? Here??

So, A Series of Unfortunate Events instantaneously became one of my newest obsessions!



So let's get down to it. The series chronicles the tale of the three Baudelaire orphans whose parents are killed when their mansion mysteriously catches on fire. The Baudelaires are sent to live with their relative Count Olaf, who will do anything to get his hands on the orphans' family fortune. A series of unfortunate events ensues.

Season one of the Netflix series covers the first 4 books, with each book being covered by 2 episodes. There are 13 books in the series altogether, so there should be at least 2 more seasons.

This was a book lover's dream. ASOUE was everything Harry Potter fans were asking of their adaptation to film. No detail was skipped, no character was angry when they were supposed to be calm (I'm still bitter, Goblet of Fire), and there was enough time to cover everything significant and showcase the little details. There were changes and small additions, but every change/addition felt natural, like it could have always been that way. It dissolved into the world like a tasteless, odorous poison into a drink. They didn't contradict major plot points in the book, unlike the 2004 movie did. Everything felt authentic. I was pleased.


The world that was created had a huge Pushing Daisies feel to it. Quirky, morbid, artistically stunning visuals, stoic children, zany one-off characters, timeless fashion, an amazing narrator, and architecture to the T. Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite series, so the feeling was welcomed with open arms. Stills from each show could be confused with each other, except PD took the color saturation to 11, whereas ASOUE muted colors. ASOUE also made everything dingy and run-down-looking. [Feb 2019 Update: I have since learned that Barry Sonnenfeld was executive producer on both series, and is probably the reason for this artistic connection. Thanks go to Zenith Haas for alerting me to the connection :)]



Let's be honest, I was only here for the ship, you're only probably reading this because of the ship. I have dawdled long enough. Let's depart to the dreary dock.


I didn't remember a ship of her magnitude in the book series, so I was interested in how the Big U would fit in.

The SS United States first appears briefly in the opening credits of each episode of the season. It's an image of the ship on a cork board, covered with strings tied to thumb-tacks. You later infer it is a montage of Lemony Snicket working, researching and figuring out how the different pieces of the story go together. I was pleasantly surprised to see the ship appear so soon.

Then we get to episode 3 & 4, aka "The Reptile Room." The SS United States stars as the SS Prospero, a ship headed towards Peru. Not much else is stated about the ship itself. It is supposed to take the orphans and their current guardian to Peru to finally get some answers and safety. What actually happens is the exact opposite. No one rides the boat, no one gets any questions answered, no one is safe (especially the guy that dies), and the season of unfortunate events continues on for 4 more episodes.

The SS Prospero in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
In the teaser trailer, she doesn't have a name on her bow.
In the episode, you can see "SS Prospero"

The ship enters the story (a-la the magic of CGI) in her current rusty state. The rust fits the look of the series well. Everything looks like it's been through a couple hurricanes. Only problem... like the current SS United States, there are no lifeboats on the SS Prospero. They should probably add some for future voyages, just in case...

Towards the end of the episode, Count Olaf boards the SS Prospero (as seen in the teaser trailer above). The inside of the ship is a set, and is not based on any of the SS United States' innards. One reason: wood. The stateroom walls look like wavy wood veneer, while the hallway you can see out the door is paneled wood. You can get a glimpse of the stateroom in the trailer below, 2:10-2:21.

Something has felt off. The SS United States feels like an odd fit. A very specific real world place was placed in this otherworldly series. There are no connections to the real world, except the SS United States and Peru. I can overlook Peru, because that was in the book series. The boat could have been any turn of the century steamship, and no one would have batted an eye. But no, they chose the SS United States. This is a very fine detail, but it won't stop bothering me, so I intend to get to the bottom of its mystery.



FINAL THOUGHTS
The Season: Absolutely Dreadful. 4/4
SS United States: It's CGI... but you see it a lot, relevant to plot, and you briefly go on it. 2.9/4


February 2019 Postscript:

The unfortunate Netflix series has concluded after three unfortunate seasons, so it is time to do a final review.

Should I have looked away? I believe I looked away at the right moment, during the end credits. It was a good adaptation through and through. The series stayed consistently superb.

Television/streaming series seem like the best adaptation medium for books that are dense/long/13 novels in length. It's a medium that can please old and new fans alike, and give every nitty, gritty detail. Everything can breathe, so you don't have to hit points every minute like you're decimating a checklist where everything on it has to be done in 2-3 hours. Simile, check!

Again, I have not reread the books, but I was surprised by what I could remember (They're actually triplets? Nailed it.). There was also a lot I had forgotten, so as the story progressed, it was harder to tell what had been added or changed. The changes I noticed (like adding VFD in earlier) seemed to enhance the story, rather than detract from what the original books were.

They slightly changed the ending of the series for Netflix. In the final book, the Baudelaires set sail away from the island into the unknown, and the fate of everyone is left up in the air. The contents of the infamous sugar bowl were never revealed. In the previous book, the plot that had been building up over multiple novels sharply about-faced and disposed of multiple storylines in one fell swoop of a fire.

It was frustrating to go that far in a series and not have answers, or a satisfying ending. I suppose that was the point: You don't always find out. You don't always get closure. You don't always find the ending of each story you come across. Life is nonsensical, and not always in a Dr. Seuss way. ASOUE was a series that was created to overturn the typical children's story, and its book ending did as well. I can appreciate that, but as a reader it was a hard pill to swallow.

For the Netflix series, the ending mostly stayed the same, but there were caveats. As Lemony's narration concludes, you get a montage of minor characters receiving happy endings and reunions for their stories. The Baudelaire's story is still left to mystery, but with Beatrice Snicket meeting Lemony and recounting the orphans' stories, it suggests they all did survive and at least made it to the mainland. And the contents of the sugar bowl were finally revealed.

There wasn't a thrilling conclusion, and it still ended with many open-endings. But just enough was answered to call the story concluded. Was this a concession to fans and for better ratings? I don't know, but I don't care. I am at peace with it.

Ending aside, from the actors to the makeup, costumes, sets, and more, it was a great series and should be commended for it.



As for the SS United States, it only appeared in episodes 3 & 4 of Season 1. After that season, the opening credits were changed, so the SS United States no longer appeared.

I did try to find an answer to why the SS United States was in the series. Multiple paths led to dead ends. My favorite attempt involved writing a letter to Lemony Snicket. I purchased a postcard with a picture of the SS United States on it, then charred and burned it to look like it had been through a fire.

Before & After charred SS United States
postcard 

Back of charred postcard

Note was as follows:

Dear Mr. Snicket,
   As a famed researcher + storyteller, I am humbled to be writing to you. I hope this letter reaches you in one piece. My enemies know no bounds to prevent me from learning the truth.
   I suffered through the newest adaption of your work "A Series of Unfortunate Events" on Netflix. I apologize I did not listen to your numerous warnings to look away.
   I have a very fine detail I would like to question you about that is crucial to my own personal investigations. In Episode 4 in the recent adaptations, the SS Prospero is portrayed by a CGI SS United States. The Netflix series avoids any specific tie-ins, except for Peru (but what is one more rope to an already tied-up country?) + the SS United States.
   My question, why was the SS United States chosen to appear as the Prospero?
   With all due respect,
   -A.J. Jelonek

The letter was sent, but no reply was received. I can only assume with the reignited interest in the Baudelaires' story, Snicket is on the lamb from his enemies.



FINAL THOUGHTS
My final thoughts remain unchanged.

SS United States Silver Screen Reviews
Introduction / Conclusion

Sabrina (1954)

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955)

West Side Story (1961)

Bon Voyage (1962)

Die! Die! My Darling! (1965)

Munster, Go Home! (1966)

No Way To Treat a Lady (1968)
Invincible (2006)

The Water Horse (2007)

Baby Mama (2008)

2012 (2009)

Dead Man Down (2013)
A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)
American Gods (2017)

Ich war noch niemals in New York (2019)

This series is to bring awareness to the SS United States, a historic American ocean liner. She is currently berthed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awaiting restoration. Learn more on her story at ssusc.org.

The Millennium Stage

Millennium Stage, waiting for the magic to begin!

[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]

I haven't written about my new job yet. I have been working in the Community Engagement department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Along with various festivals and community outreach, we are the curators and vanguards of Millennium Stage.

What is Millennium Stage? It is probably one of the hardest working stages around the world. Millennium Stage was created in 1997 by then-chairman James A. Johnson to offer the world one free performance a day at 6pm EST, 365 days a year, with each day a different artist. Could it be done? 19 years later, and it is still going strong.

All genres of performing arts are offered, from classical music, to avant garde inprov'd art creation. We have had theater, jazz, hip hop, dance, bboy battles, opera, new works, old works, genre-blending, "How dare you try to label me!" genres, and more. We have had performers aging from elementary school students all the way to 90+ year olds; from local DC-area artists, to international. Up-and-coming and already-there all in one space. It's exciting to say the very least.

Millennium Stage has two physical, home-base stages, but we like to think of "Millennium Stage" more as an idea (The home-base stages are also referred to as Millennium Stage, so it can be confusing). Millennium Stage's mission is to make the performing arts available for everyone, so it's our job to reach our audiences in the best way possible. Sometimes, that means moving the performance into different venues, or even outside. We also broadcast on digital stages. Since 1999, our performances have been live-streamed and archived on the Kennedy Center website (and just recently on YouTube). The stages are our vehicle.

It would be very easy to assume our performances are haphazardly chosen, with no rhyme or reason. To the contrary, most of our events are tied to other programming or festivals, a supplemental in a way. We help celebrate many building-wide and city-wide events and festivals. We also have a few annual traditions that we bring back every year: Merry TubaChristmas!, Let Freedom Ring! MLK Jr. Celebation, Page-to-Stage, and Conservatory Projects performances are a few of those. Then there are our own festivals we bring into the mix. Just this summer, we held American Acoustic with Chris Thile and partnered with Youth Speaks to host Brave New Voices 2016.

The list of examples could go on and on. Over 6,700 performances and counting worth of a list. Yet all of these are how we reach out to the community, and invite our audience to respond. It's been an honor to be part of such a hardworking and caring team.


FAQ:

What is your job specifically?
I run the show five days out of the week. It's a mix of a role, between stage manager, artist liaison, producer, and staff contact. I make sure everything is running smoothly. I also help out on the administration side with advancing upcoming shows.

Has the show ever not happened?
On occasion. The only reason we might cancel a show is if the Kennedy Center as a whole shuts down. This past winter, the building closed due to snowstorms.

If the artist doesn't show/can't make it, that's a different story. If we have time, we plug in another artist. This can be done with up to a few hours before showtime. If it's very last minute, and we don't have enough time to get anyone else, the show still happens. In the past, we have had talent shows from staff and our audience. Luckily, this scenario hasn't happened to me yet.

Why are there two home-base stages for Millennium Stage?
The Millennium Stages are on each end of the Center's Grand Foyer. The Foyer also serves as the lobby for the Center's three biggest performance venues. Millennium Stage's seating blocks access to whichever venue it is next to, either the Concert Hall or the Eisenhower Theater. So, depending on if there is a show in the CH or the ET, the Millennium Stage is able to switch sides without disrupting the other show's audience flow. If there are shows in both the CH and ET, then the Millennium Stage performs next to the venue that has the later starting time, then breaks down the seating as fast as possible after the show.

Let the show begin!

Welcome the Wave Breaker Blog!

As part of my Digital Humanities class, I was trying out different features to use for my website. One such feature was a personal blog, which I titled the Wave Breaker Blog. It chronicled "my journey through helping the SS United States, any way I can." Much to my credit I did try it out, but I didn't use it often. When I did, it felt cumbersome to use. Blogger's a lot easier, and also feels silly to have two blogs, so I have made the decision to consolidate them all into this one. For all intents and purposes, this is now the Wave Breaker Blog. On my website, the link for my blog will redirect to here.

Blog posts from there will be transferred to here, including the Silver Screen Star Series (which I am starting to work on again)

So here we are, ready to cast the anchor and leave port... again!

CNU Archive Donation

   This past summer was pretty busy for me. Along with The 35/15 Photo Project, I moved twice, held a full-time job, and performed in a community theater show. On top of all of that, I did yet another project! (I wondered why I never had any time) (The fall has kept me busy, which is why this is posting now instead of a few months ago)

   Since 7th grade, when I got my first digital camera, I have been taking pictures of everything. For a good bit of that, I've been surrounded by construction/renovation projects. It's fun to come by every week/day and see what has changed.

   During my time at Christopher Newport University (CNU), the college built and tore down several buildings. The campus of 2015 looks very different from when I started in 2010.

CNU campus via Google Earth. Areas in red roughly mark
what has been altered on campus between Summer 2010 to Summer 2015.

   Since I lived on campus, I saw and photographed all of the changes for fun. When I was getting close to moving out of the area, I started thinking on what could I do with these images. I am a chief believer in giving back to your community, so I decided to donate a portion of those to the CNU Archives, the record keepers of the college's history. As well as holding important documents and memorabilia, they have loads of pictures from 50+ years of college history. I interned for them in early 2012, scanning and filing things for their digital online archive SAIL. They have also helped me out from time to time in any research project I was looking into.

   In late May, I put all of my CNU construction photos together. I had taken 7,347 pictures. I knew this was not an acceptable number to donate, so long story short, I whittled it down. On August 12th, I had brought that number down to 2,049. Still a big number, but to be fair, there are almost 50 different categories I cover, giving an average of 41 pictures per category. The pictures cover every building constructed, every building demolished, any change that happened in established buildings, and a few sections covering random events during my time on campus (topping out ceremony, time capsule opening, etc). Some cutting decisions were easy (blurry, no actual importance, another pile of dirt), many were hard. I had to really push myself to keep cutting it down. I am proud to say the pictures that remain are essential to tell the CNU expansion story.

   In late August, I finally donated the pictures to the Archives. They are still developing a plan of action (it's not every day someone donates over two thousand photos), so none of the images are available to the public yet.

   All of these pictures were taken outside of construction fences, so these were shots anyone could have taken. To my knowledge, no student or staff member did anything like this.

   We live in a time where there is ample amount of documentation happening, but there is no organized method for what people should do with it all. So it's spewed out onto social media, to be forgotten about. It's very wasteful. No one's really thinking about the future, they are more about living in the now. There is nothing wrong with that, but the fact remains the present will be history tomorrow. Your documented memories could be worth something. That is why I try to preserve the past and present. Sometimes, you don't know what will have importance.


Back to the images, here are a four samplings I randomly picked:

Santoro Hall, Summer 2011

   Summer 2011, Santoro Hall (my freshman dorm). They installed new air conditioning vents on the roof that summer. During the same time, they took down the front corner roof structure (pictured in the bottom right, down to its metal beams). They never replaced it. Santoro looks incomplete without it there. Pictures of Santoro with its topper still cover CNU's website and promotional material.

CNU Front Entryway, Summer 2013

   Summer of 2013, they tore out the whole road in front of the Trible Library to create a shared pedestrian/vehicle road. Pictured above is when they had finished clearing the old concrete and asphalt away, getting ready for the new layout.

CNU, Fall 2010

   This view seems to be nondescript, but its value comes from hindsight. This view barely exists today. The road, parking lot, sidewalk, and trees are gone. The Wise Woods, to the right, were cut down for Luter Hall. The building at the end of the road is the Freeman Center, pictured in the midst of its expansion. The covered path was for students to safely enter/exit the building while construction happened around them.

Christopher Newport Hall, Summer 2014

   Here we see Christopher Newport Hall under construction. It's a massive building. CNU's scale for story height is huge compared to usual building standards. This shot is one of my series-shots, where I took an image from the same vantage point over and over. This is from the corner of the center brick partition of the access ramp for the Trible Library.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

There are plenty of more stories to tell, but that will have to wait until CNU opens the pictures up to the public.

I will leave you with this: When you donate your memories, you gain immortality. It is you who is narrating your life to the future. Someone will look at your name, and wonder "... Jalenec? Gilinic? Jell-O Neck? Glad I didn't have that last name."

The 35/15 Photo Project: Conclusion

   After over five weeks, we have finally reached the end.

    One hundred eight F.S. Lincoln photos were reshot and published here. That's not including outtakes and finished pictures that I decided not to post. The biggest Sections were Part 14 and 15, with 16 and 19 photo comparisons, respectively. The rest of the sections had 4-9 photos each, an easier amount to go through.

   Based on the photos I’ve come up with, I’m going to talk about some of the things I’ve thought of while working on this.

What was Lincoln looking for in photos?

   F.S. Lincoln specialized in architectural photography, which is one of my favorite kinds of photography. For me, it is conveying the building in the best way possible, giving an overview of a building/room while making it appealing to the eye. Lincoln was very good at this.

   I believe he extensively used a tripod. Once I figured this out, I squatted a lot more to get closer to his camera’s height. He had a professional camera, not some little point-and-shoot. For cameras back then, it was necessary to be on a tripod so the pictures wouldn’t end up blurry. You couldn't immediately check how an image turned out, you had to develop the film later. Better safe than sorry.

   He was very meticulous. He looked at the lines and shadows of how things ran. He was very precise with lining things up. The minute hands in clocks were always pointing at a number. The shadows of one window touched the corner/tip of another.

   He gave the buildings power. They feel impressive. Chimneys seemed to soar. By staging furniture just right, he could make interior rooms feel so much bigger than they were in real life. If he was working with a smaller building, like the Travis House, he would photograph one end of the building. It would make the building look like it continued on past the photograph, adding to its length.

   He also had to work around modern buildings still in town, not getting any anachronisms in his composition. His pictures make Williamsburg look like it is completely restored to its colonial appearance.

   Would Lincoln have taken the same shots in 2015 as he did in 1935? For the most part, no. Most of his shots today have something blocking the focus of the 1935 shots. He was a talented enough photographer that he would have found new angles to work with. That’s what photographers do.

   No pattern of how Lincoln traveled through town became apparent to me. His photos are from 3+ trips to town, so I saw them all mixed up.

   I want to know how he seemed to walk through Colonial Williamsburg in the middle of the day without any cars or people. Today, unless you go in the early morning or late afternoon, it is almost  impossible to get photos devoid of human life.

   Lincoln really had a great photographic eye, and that’s what helped make these pictures famous. He made Colonial Williamsburg stand out. What a grand introduction!



How has CW changed?

   When I first skimmed through the pictures, it was very apparent Williamsburg had changed. I decided to start this project to see what else I could find.

   Gardens and interior décor have changed the most, mostly because it is less expensive and easier to do so than architecture. In the 1930’s, Williamsburg was about being pristine, clean, and beautiful. That’s what Rockefeller wanted, and you don’t say no to who’s footing the bill.

   Every report I’ve read from the 1930’s speaks at how much care the Restoration team took in not going over-the-top, holding back to give a correct view of the 18th century. By the 70’s, curators thought what they created was over-the-top. I really want to see what would happen if the initial Restoration folks let loose. If they were holding back, what was their imagining of the 18th century?

   Plants outside of gardens are interesting. Things seem less maintained, but there seems to be more control. It is less maintained in how town is allowed to look rugged and dirty, the plants more natural. There is more control in where plants can grow or how big they can be. In 1935, plants are growing everywhere. I think it reflected the struggle of the 18th century man with nature. Now, things are cut back. There are imaginary fences as to where plants can or cannot grow. In 2015, man has conquered Mother Nature.

   Visitors have helped shape Williamsburg. Less props are set out, less antiques are in arms reach of guests. To be fair, a lot less people visited Williamsburg in 1935 than in 2015. A lot less wear-and-tear happened on the buildings and the antiques used.

   What happened to all the chandeliers? Where did they all go? I got tired of the Chandelier charade.

   Formal gardens have come and gone. There are still remaining 1930’s gardens, some which are not accurate for Williamsburg. On the other hand, Williamsburg had a large part to do with the Colonial Revival movement in America and has the most Colonial Revival gardens in America. In that light, these gardens are historic, just not 18th century historic. If you have a third hand, there’s also what the public wants as well. Some of these gardens are endowed by donors. People enjoy and want these gardens here. How do we balance what the public wants while still giving an accurate representation of Williamsburg?

   These questions can be applied to not just gardens, but every interpretation decision in town. These are complex issues that require understanding of every detail to make the best possible choice as to how to proceed.

   Any change eventually boils down to money. But if our goal is to continue to be considered as a living history museum instead of a ‘Historical Disneyland’ which critics love to say, these problems need to be addressed at some point.

   (I’ve enjoyed reading Ed Chappell's thoughts on the 1981 reinterpretation of the Palace and Elizabeth Cushing’s 2014 book "Arthur A. Shurcliff: Design, Preservation, and the Creation of the Colonial Williamsburg Landscape")



How the project went?

   This was my first Then-and-Now photo series, so there was a bit of naivety in some of the goals. It always bothered me how shadows never lined up in now pictures. I learned it is hard enough figuring out what angle you need to be at, how high, are you too left, is that gutter-hole lining up to where it needs to be? I could have finished shooting in a week, maybe even a day, if I hadn’t decided to match shadows. And retaking photos would have been much easier as well. Retaking photos was rarely done, so I think shadows hurt the project more in that respect.

Drawing in my notebook to help identify shadow times

   What made the research portion difficult was there isn’t much information easily available on 20th century Williamsburg. CW Research Reports helped to tell a building’s complete history… up until the point when they were written. Some haven’t been updated for decades, and that does not help figuring out what happened inbetween great important changes. The reports missed things like the second partial demolition of the John Coke Office building and sometimes basic facts about what rooms were used for.

   Another difficulty was the Rockefeller's Omeka collection. In the Williamsburg books I had, I kept finding random Lincoln photos that were not part of the online collection. Either the library did not upload them all, or they never got the complete collection. Another complication were the captions that went along with pictures. Quite a few incorrectly labeled where a picture was. While good for a starting-off point, I learned not to rely on what the Omeka said.

   I really should have said I was going to be writing about 20th century history more than 18th century history. I figured that 18th century information is out there and is more accessible. I personally love learning about the Restoration. It was a revolutionary time in preservation history. Here come these men with the will and the means to bring a town back to the 18th century. Who does that??

   I'm a slow worker, and it takes a while to get my thoughts down. When I was working full-time, it could take approximately 2 days to write up a blog. There were quite a few days where I was scrambling the night before to finish. If I had days off, I could usually crank out a blog in one day. The largest one, Part 15, took 3 days with no work days.

   This project became my life. It’s going to be strange without having to work on it. I was focused on angles and research instead of enjoying the sights. I wish I had focused on the ride, letting Lincoln take me around Williamsburg. Maybe one day I will walk a little slower with him.



What did I learn?

   I never saw this as only a then-and-now photo series. I saw it as an opportunity to understand the how’s and why’s around town. I know a lot more about Colonial Williamsburg now, just maybe not about 18th century Williamsburg. I did learn house names though, which helped when someone asks about a building I don't work at. Sometimes I do catch myself calling houses by their former names, i.e. “Semple” always comes to my mind before “William Finnie” does.

   I learned how to spell Botetourt. That was a major achievement.

   I received a better understanding that Williamsburg is still a real town. While Williamsburg might stay in the same years, the town is still evolving. It's still changing and breathing.

   I forced myself to look at topics I never showed any interest in before. I never knew words like “boxwood” or “andirons.” I never cared about garden designs, it just looked pretty. I made it matter to me, and I hope that a little bit of that came out of the project.



Future Project Goals

   If I were to continue this project, I would look into F.S. Lincoln more, learn about his life and when he actually visited Williamsburg. I would find his same camera model, then shoot some comparison shots with it. I would dig through archives to discover more of the little cracks of information I left off. I used a lot of secondary sources, especially the CW research reports and guidebooks. While extremely helpful, I would love to dive into more primary sources. I would expand this project’s format to maybe other mediums (exhibit, gallery, book, etc), or maybe introduce digital then-and-now photo comparison sliders.



Ideas for Williamsburg

   While I have no power towards changing anything, I’ll run a little "If I Ran the Zoo" theoretical and suggest some things that I would do with Williamsburg.

   In town, there is nothing about W.A.R. Goodwin, the father of the Restoration. Rockefeller takes center stage with his lovely Bassett Hall. Goodwin should have something in town chronicling his life.

   If this summer at the Archibald Blair dig site proves, archaeology is still popular. A lot of people wondered what we were doing, some asking “What are you planting there?” I think there should be more explanation of archaeology in town. Right now, it is delegated to a wall in the Art Museums on the reconstruction of the Coffeehouse.

   I think there should be a combined Archaeological and Restoration Museum. We can speak about W.A.R. Goodwin and our unique history. We can have exhibits on how we excavated, what we have found, and what it all means. The ENTIRE Williamsburg story is the story of the American life, the American Dream, and patriotism.

   Here are my top three locations that would be a good space for a museum in town:

1. The Ludwell-Paradise House. It would be a symbolic home for telling the story of the Restoration, as it was the first building bought for the Restoration. It has already served as an exhibit/gallery space, so it has precedence. It would be in the middle of town in a dead space between Chowning’s and the Prentis Store. With a name including Paradise, how could you go wrong?
   
   

   

   Ludwell-Paradise House

   
   
2. The Robert Carter House. It’s a big, beautiful, original building right next to the Governor’s Palace. And it is empty. A museum would be a great opportunity in such a prominent location, and would not involve kicking out current tenants like the other two options would.
   
   

   

   Robert Carter House

   
   
3. The Elkanah Deane House. I only submit this because its garden was one of the most famous Colonial Revival gardens in Williamsburg, which is now pretty much nothing. Using the Deane House as a museum, the Garden could be brought back to its former glory. Signage could be placed explaining while this is not an accurate 18th century representation, it depicts Williamsburg’s own history and its influence of the Colonial Revival period in America.
   
   

   

   Elkanah Deane House
   

   
   

   

   Elkanah Deane's Garden, 2015
   (Here is a picture of it from better days.)

Conclusion of the Conclusion

   You never know what you will find at Williamsburg. You go on a historic house tour in your hometown, you get a good run-down of the history and lots of fun facts. They’re scraping for anything to stand out. Williamsburg has the opposite problem: it has a city's worth of stories. What do you tell? Which do you pick to showcase the Williamsburg/Colonial/Revolutionary experience? What will stick with people? There is always more to find out here.

   I wanted to share a Williamsburg story that isn’t told much, yet interested me the most. I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I had. Thank you for joining me on it.

Governor's Palace Front Gate towards the Palace Green

View the whole 35/15 Project:
Introduction
Part 1 - College of William and Mary 
Part 2 - Merchants Square
Part 3 - Buildings that Move
Part 4 - Market Square
Part 5 - Ludwell-Paradise
Part 6 - Queen Street to Botetourt Street
Part 7 - Raleigh Tavern
Part 8 - Paints
Part 9 - Botetourt Street to the Capitol Area
Part 10 - Capitol
Part 11 - No Longer Here
Part 12 - Francis and Nicholson Streets
Part 13 - Garden Edition
Part 14 - The Governor's Palace Gardens
Part 15 - Inside the Governor's Palace
Conclusion (You are currently viewing this one)

Bonus 35/15 Posts:
35/15: A Dessert Order
35/15: Life in Williamsburg in 1935
35/15: Governor's Palace Wallpaper

SS United States: Digital Humanities Projects

Time has flown. I am in my last semester of college and have not had much time, so less necessary things fell to the wayside.

For my Digital Humanities class, we created digital "artifacts" to advocate for a cause. I chose my cause as saving and redeveloping the SS United States.

I tried to challenge myself, using web mediums I had never used before. I was able to feel like I learned new skills as well.

Social Media Artifact - I created a Pinterest. I liked how I could speak on many different subjects but still keep it organized by using boards.

Website Artifact - I created a website using Wix. Along with that, I created a professional website for myself. (Also included is an SS United States blog, which, like this one, has been neglected...)

Infographic Artifact - I made 3 of these (so far). My first seemed too long, but it was getting used to the software. The second and third are variations of each other.

Timeline Artifact - I did a timeline of the history of the SS United States. That took a lot out of me. I just kept finding more tidbits and I put them down. A lot can happen since 1952...

Memorial Artifact - We had to make a virtual memorial and take our own sorrow and make it "political." I made mine a Slide.ly, bringing up the fact that so many ocean liners are no longer with us, so we should save what we still have.


As always, if you want to help save America's ship of state, visit www.ssusc.org for more information.