Skidmore College Saratoga County History Center Present…

Left to right: John R. Greenwood, Cayden Bobley & Alex Western.

Alex Western (left) & Field Horne (right) setting up in the Long Room at Saratoga County History Center a.k.a. Brookside Museum.

Hanging with

The Skidmore Students

WRITTEN BY JOHN R. GREENWOOD | PHOTOS PROVIDED

In the spring of 2022, Field Horne and the Saratoga County History Center asked if I would like to be involved with a new exhibit. The Saratoga County History Center and the History Department at Skidmore College collaborated on a photo exhibit titled "County Life in Photographs.” As a lifelong resident of Saratoga County, I embraced the opportunity to join in. I support any project that helps promote and preserve this area's vital history. As a bonus, I got the chance to look through vintage photographs of the county where my roots run deep. Field assembled a team consisting of three students from the History Department at Skidmore: Cayden Bobley, from Sea Cliff, New York, Chloe Hanrahan from Andover, Massachusetts, and Alex Western from Northampton, Massachusetts. Exhibit management was Maris Lau, from Hong Kong. Department Chair Professor Tillman Nechtman was the student's faculty advisor. My function was to help the students familiarize themselves with the various historical societies within the county. They would then select 26 Saratoga County-specific photos that would interpret the way residents interacted in social, political, and celebratory contexts. Although a few of the images were collected from surrounding historical societies, the majority of them were found within the Saratoga County History Center's photo collection.

Time constraints and a hectic end-of-year student schedule kept our meetings to a minimum. Cayden, Chloe, and Alex did an exemplary job researching and scripting labels for the photographs, while Maris skillfully managed the preparation and assembly of the needed materials. My role became more hands-on when I volunteered to paint the room that would showcase the photos. When the existing Country Store exhibit came down, the walls had to be prepped for the next one. I committed a Saturday to fill, sand, prime, and paint Brookside's "Long Room." It was fulfilling to know I was helping to preserve county history in one of its oldest documented spaces. The most rewarding part of my involvement with the students wasn't at the May 5th, 7 PM opening; it began that morning when Field, Cayden, Alex, and I had to hang the 26 framed photographs. My wife and I are art and photography lovers, and with five grandchildren and a long list of artists we call friends, my home is filled with both. I am constantly hanging a framed something on a wall somewhere. This is where the title of this piece comes into play. Field's expertise as a museum curator and delegator shone bright that Thursday morning. I went from grandfather to student and from mentor to mentee. The students and I learned about proper viewing height, how to calculate the distance between photos and labels and which hooks and hangers to use. We all learned about working together as an efficient team. As someone who traded a college experience to raise a family and earn a blue-collar paycheck, I was enjoying a semi-college experience alongside two promising students at sixty-seven. I've also been involved with the Empire State College's Academy of Lifelong Learning as a member and instructor. Higher education doesn't simply begin after high school. In cases like my own, the freedom of retirement allowed me to dig deeper into the history of my community. It's like living in reverse, and that's a good thing at my age. Saratoga County is fortunate to have many active historical societies and historians. It's steeped in historical landmarks and history-altering events. Every one of them requires community support. If you decide to join one of these organizations, don't be surprised if you're the one that benefits most. You can begin that journey by becoming a Saratoga County History Center member. "It's a nice place to visit, but you might want to live there." “County Life in Photographs” can be viewed at the Saratoga County History Center, 6 Charlton Street, Ballston Spa. Hours: Thursday-Sunday 1-5 pm. SS