A Cold Walk to The Penumbra Foundation

Brisk weather but clear light.

We set off towards the floor district past the sort of building that has exterior metal fire escapes - as fewer and fewer buildings do.

Too cold for there to be many flowers around

but cold enough for the water leaking from the fire hydrant to form a shiny puddle.

We pass the rectory of The Little Church Round the Corner - rather Dickensian pretty high up on my list of 'places I definitely would like to live in'.

We arrive at The Penumbra Foundation which is utterly fascinating to anyone with the least interest in photography and history. Do hit the link to learn more about it. Geoffrey Berliner showed us everything: the tintype studio, dark rooms, the north light studio

the astounding collection of lenses (here looking a bit like a Dutch still life)

the amazing large old cameras, the dark rooms, the library of books pertaining to the history of photography (including Conan Doyle's "Spirit Photography"  and so on and so on.  It made me realize how utterly ignorant I am about the history of photography and optics. How lazy it is to rely on the wizardry of the iPhone!

A view south from their roof.

The inescapable Empire State Building from a different angle than usual.

Yes, and it's still cold.