Latest news with #Blatchford
Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- General
- Boston Globe
A Gloucester of another century, when fishing was king, returns in pictures
Blatchford (1868-1947) was a Gloucester native. After a few years living in Boston and Kittery, Maine, he returned home and never left. He spent four decades working as a bookkeeper for the New England Fish Company. His workspace overlooked the inner harbor. Think of his office window as a much larger version of a viewfinder. Blatchford started photographing in the 1890s, and the 27 photographs in 'Down to the Sea'(drawn from more than 250 in CAM's collection) date from that decade and up through 1913. This was a time when some 350 fishing vessels were working out of Gloucester. Ernest L. Blatchford, "Launch of the schooner Helen Miller Gould at John Bishop's Shipyard, Vincent Cove, Gloucester," 1900. Cape Ann Museum Advertisement Blatchford was an amateur photographer. Amateur can mean more than just not a professional. It tends to get forgotten that the word derives from the Latin 'amator,' 'lover,' and Blatchford's feeling for his subject matter can be felt in every image. Even more important than the obvious knowledge and experience he brought to bear was a sense of emotional connection. Ernest L. Blatchford, "Tugboat Startle in Gloucester's Inner Harbor," circa 1900. Cape Ann Museum Gifted amateur would be a more precise description of Blatchford. Although he was less concerned with form than content, his work has a lot going for it formally. Blatchford was a member of the Cape Ann Camera Club. One of the club's goals was 'to show the rest of New England that we can keep abreast of the times.' This Blatchford did. The graceful plume of steam from a tugboat in Gloucester Harbor evokes Pictorialism, the most artistically ambitious photographic movement of the era. Advertisement Elsewhere one notes the elegant spindliness of the bare masts of an iced-in schooner; the foamy wave raised by the launch of a schooner; the way Blatchford nearly fills the frame with the pile of salt that two sailors are shoveling in the hold of a ship. The removal of any larger context adds to the in-drawing unreality of the scene. Ernest L. Blatchford, "Shoveling salt in the hold of a salt bank in Gloucester Harbor," circa 1900. Cape Ann Museum Salting fish was crucially important in preservation. It was the reality of the fishing industry as well as its romance that drew Blatchford. The variety, too. He photographed not just fishing schooners, but also barks, sloops, shipwrecks, lighthouses, ferries, tugboats, and a US Customs launch. It was later used during Prohibition to chase rumrunners. That kind of detail is representative of how informative and thorough the wall texts are. 'Down to the Sea' honors Blatchford's documentary impulse with an ample selection of items relating to the industry. Three dozen objects related to fishing are in display cases. They lend a three-dimensional immediacy to the world we see in two dimensions in Blatchford's photographs. The items are marvelous as objects — many could be works of vernacular sculpture — and bear names no less marvelous. There are thole pins (to support oars), baggywrinkles (woven coverings for cables), wooden fids (a tool of conical shape used on rope and canvas), a heaver (a lever), a marlinspike (for rope work), a monkey's fist (a kind of knot used to secure the end of a rope). Advertisement Less esoteric are net-mending needles, glass floats, a wheelbarrow, a block with swivel hook and tackle, and both a fog horn and a speaking horn. Two insurance maps of the harbor area in 1917 give a rich sense of how much was going on there commercially. Of special note are a full-size in-shore dory, circa 1900, and two models. One is of a fishing schooner, the John Hay Hammond. The other, and it's truly a thing of enchantment, is of a steam ferry from the early teens, the Little Giant. Ernest L. Blatchford, "Waterboat Aqua Pura in Gloucester Harbor," circa 1900. Cape Ann Museum So much of the fascination of 'Down to the Sea' is the window it offers on a now-distant world. There's one photograph, though, that feels depressingly prophetic. It shows the Aqua Pura, a water boat that serviced the fishing fleet. Ads cover its sail. Baggywrinkles and wooden fids are all well and good, but even 125 years ago you couldn't get away from branding and marketing. DOWN TO THE SEA: The Photographs of Ernest L. Blatchford At Cape Ann Museum, CAM Green campus, 13 Poplar St., Gloucester, through Sept. 28. 978-283-0455, Mark Feeney can be reached at
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Construction going full steam ahead in Blatchford: city
Progress is being made on construction in Blatchford, Edmonton's renewable energy-powered neighbourhood. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg reports. Despite construction delays, Edmonton's renewable energy-powered neighbourhood is trucking along on the site of the former city centre airport. Tom Lumsden, the development manager for the Blatchford Redevelopment Project, said the community is receiving a lot of interest. 'The talk has been that it's not going as fast as people think it should be going, but there's people living here,' Lumsden told CTV News Edmonton Wednesday. 'We have 300 homes either constructed or under construction (with) another 200-ish coming on right away.' Blatchford Once completed, Blatchford will be home to up to 30,000 Edmontonians. (CTV News Edmonton) Today, most of the homes in Blatchford are townhouses, but apartment buildings and condos will be added to the development along with retail spaces. Mixed-use buildings known as the 'Blatchford Market' will be built near the new NAIT LRT stop while the main floor of the decommissioned airport control tower will be turned into a public space. Blatchford The former air traffic control tower is seen in Blatchford on July 9, 2027. (CTV News Edmonton) Emily Taylor moved into Blatchford about a year ago. 'I didn't know what exactly to expect when I moved here, obviously it's still growing,' said Taylor. 'Even in the year I've been here, there's been a huge number of new developments that have gone up. 'It's a really nice community.' Taylor said the quiet neighbourhood is designed for walking and biking – which is perfect as the LRT station is close by. 'It's just really convenient,' said Taylor. There are communal gardens and playgrounds in the community as well as walking and cycling trails. Blatchford A community garden is seen in Blatchford on July 9, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton) City council approved a business case to transform the decommissioned Edmonton Municipal Airport into an urban infill community in 2014. Once completed, Blatchford will be home to up to 30,000 Edmontonians. The community uses 100 per cent renewable energy and is carbon-neutral. But there's still plenty of construction to do until the development is fully realized – the projected date of completion is sometime in 2042. 'We still think we can achieve that,' said Lumsden. 'Things are working the way we think they should.'
CTV News
10-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Construction in Blatchford full steam ahead
Progress is being made on construction in Blatchford, Edmonton's renewable energy-powered neighbourhood. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg reports.
Hamilton Spectator
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Moon In June Road Race and Cruisin' Car Show bring road, lane closures to downtown Burlington Saturday
Two downtown Burlington events will bring a road closure and lane restrictions for much of Saturday. The 36th Moon In June Road Race and Cruisin' Car Show are both scheduled on Saturday, June 7, with road and lane closures planned for the daytime car show and the evening fundraising run, which will support the Halton Children's Aid Society Foundation. Brant Street from Caroline Street to Lakeshore Road will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. For road and lane closure details, see the City of Burlington's announcement on its website. The city said the Burlington Cruisin' Car Show is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Brant Street at James Street. Moon in June kicks off with the Rocca Sisters KidFest from 4 to 7 p.m. with the 1K kids run, 5K walk/run and 10K run staggered to start between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. followed by a post-race party with live entertainment and refreshments. Tina Blatchford, executive director of the Children's Aid Foundation of Halton , said Moon in June organizers supported the foundation last year — raising $32,000. 'We couldn't believe it,' Blatchford said, adding they are 'thrilled' the run organizers are supporting the foundation again this year. 'The proceeds generated from the Moon in June event play a pivotal role in sustaining the supplementary programs and services we offer to foster the well-being and development of children, youth and families in Halton,' Blatchford said. 'These initiatives, which are beyond the basic protection work funded by the government, provide opportunities for healing, growth, education, and joyful childhood experiences.' For more information on Moon In June, visit the event's website . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
