Hooker Day Parade

Thomas Hooker was one of the founders of Hartford.  The annual Hooker Day Parade was last Saturday, close to Halloween.  Given the timing and the double entendre of the name, it is an intentionally goofy parade.

Mayor Pedro Segarra marched near the front of the parade, dressed like Thomas Hooker. 

Hartford Parks Bike Tour

The annual bicycle tour of the Hartford parks took place last Saturday.  Trails are as short as 11 miles and as long as 45+, to accommodate different skill levels.  Tough decision for me.  Photograph or bike?  Here are my pictures.

 

Patti Smith

The singer/photographer/poet Patti Smith was at the Wadsworth Atheneum last week.  An exhibition of her photographs opened on Friday.  She was present to sell and sign her recent book Just Kids, a biography that focuses on her youth, when she and her lover, the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, were starting out in the New York art scene.  She was placed in a corner, in front of a disturbing Magritte painting of a female head with blood on it.  Inspired.

I came along near the end of her book signing, when she was tired and told the staff "no more pictures."  Fortunately, I can look in one direction, aim the camera elsewhere, and stealthily push the shutter button undetected.

The exhibition was also closed to photographs, so I took a shot from outside the room.  Since Mapplethorpe was best known for his homoerotic photographs, the placement of a nude male statue to guard the room was also inspired.  It is Statue of a Youth by Gaston Lachaise.

Her photographs are very small, perhaps 2" x 3", so I didn't miss much by not taking photos inside the exhibition rooms.

Bushnell Hall

The Bushnell is Hartford's main performing arts venue.  The beautiful Depression-era Mortenson Hall (on the left) holds about 2200 people and the new Belding Theater (in the annex behind the red Chihuly chandelier) holds about 900 people.  On a recent night, Jersey Boys and a Mahler program by the Hartford Symphony were both being performed at the Bushnell.  I am going to see Jersey Boys Friday night.

Old Sturbridge Village V

Covered bridge in Old Sturbridge Village.

This finishes Old Sturbridge Village for now.  On to other things tomorrow.

Please visit Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges for more photographs of bridges.