‘Then & Now' photo exhibit of county opens at the Port of Call

Warwick — The Orange County Citizens Foundation and Port of Call are currently hosting the photographic exhibit “Then & Now: A Black & White Photographic Essay of Orange County. The exhibit provide viewers with a startling contrast between today’s Orange County and that of yesteryear. It will be at Port of Call, at 40 Main St. in Warwick, through Wednesday, March 1. A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, free of charge. Working with local historians, photographers from around the county compared black and white photos of specific locations at the turn of the 20th century with recent pictures of the same sites. Citizens Foundation President Nancy Proyect said, “Land use, transportation, and demographic changes have all played a large role in converting Orange County from a rural, farming community to a more suburban area.” Exhibit committee co-chair Marie Liu believes that the largest changes can be seen in the cities, which have been drastically transformed by a decline in manufacturing. “Urban renewal and the end of the trolley system devastated some of the most vibrant portions of our cities,” she said. Other areas have remained intact over the years. “We’ve been fortunate to work with local photographers and historians who really know their communities, and who have been able to share the historical gems of Orange County with us,” added Liu. “Working farms that have been in the family for generations, historic homes that have been renovated to their former glory, and downtown areas that have managed their growth well, are all part of the exhibit.” Some highlights of the event include a comparison of a Memorial Day parade in the City of Middletown in 1918 with that of 2005, Tuxedo’s train station, locations in the villages and towns of Monroe and Chester, and Warwick, and the Newburgh waterfront in the late 19th century and the present. The exhibit made its debut at the Seligmann Homestead in Sugar Loaf in September 2005, and will travel throughout the county over the next year. The citizens foundation works to safeguard the county’s historic and cultural heritage, to preserve open space, agriculture, clean air, and a serene environment, and to encourage improvement in jobs, transportation, parks and recreation, and government. This project was made possible, in part, with funds from Orange County Tourism, Orange Arts, and the County of Orange, and the law firm of Jacobowitz & Gubits. Port of Call is open seven days a week, Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 469-9459 or 986-9500.