Antiquity Project: Vaudeville Amrquee

Antiquity Project: Vaudeville Marquee
Schenectady, New York
Large Format Image

Vaudeville was once the heart and soul of entertainment in Schenectady, New York. In its heyday, the city buzzed with excitement as theaters came alive with laughter, music, and awe-inspiring acts. Proctor’s Theatre, a crown jewel of the time, opened its doors in 1926 and quickly became the place to be. Locals and out-of-towners would gather under its glowing marquee, eager to see everything from slapstick comedians and soulful singers to magicians who made the impossible seem real. Though the vaudeville era has passed, the spirit of those performances lives on in Schenectady with this classic marquee.

This image is part of the Antiquity Project, captured with a vintage view camera, an optic mounted on the end of a large bellows with focus controls on both ends. The project aims to create traditional photographs of iconic landmarks in the Capital Region as if they were taken 100 years ago. Each image is composed with the aesthetics of the period in mind, aiming to convey the essence of the scene rather than capturing intricate details. The series is a collection of images that closely resemble photographs from a century ago, created using much of the same technology available during that era.

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West Hall Red : 07.19.2013

[Avove] Image of West Hall on the RPI campus in Troy, New York. West Hall served as the Troy Hospital from 1871 to 1913. Judging from its imposing architecture and elevated stance, one can see where the legend of Nurse Betsy originated:

From Wikipedia
"Some believe the building is haunted, and ghost hunters visited the building in 2006. According to legend, Nurse Betsy cared for the patients in the psychiatric ward of the old Troy Hospital. She was very musically talented and often played the piano to calm the screams and whining of her patients. She was very well known in the hospital, serving as a nurse until her tragic and unfortunate death. As legend goes, there was a fire in the psychiatric ward when Betsy was working. In her heroism, she attempted to save the lives of her patients. Unfortunately, she and many of her patients were not able to escape the flames and died entrapped in the psychiatric ward where legend has it they remain to this day. Many times late at night you can hear the sounds of Nurse Betsy’s footsteps as she walks from room to room checking in on her patients. Some have even heard her patients screaming or whining, doors flying shut, loud thumping noises and if you listen closely…the faint sound of piano coming from the psychiatric ward in the basement of the old Troy Hospital."

Wikipedia Reference

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