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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Old Troy Hospital

There is obvious difficulty in capturing a clean landscape within the city. Often, the photos in my portfolio look peaceful, but they rarely are. Many are the end result of some mad dash through rural roads or city streets in hopes of beating the sunset. This photo of West Hall on the R.P.I. campus is one of my favorite images from this past summer season. It captures a hot, late summer/early fall day perfectly. The foliage is full and colorful, the sun is warm, and the sky is conflicted. Troy, NY is a city on a hill, and for this reason, provides a perfect vantage point to observe approaching weather. I tracked the thunderstorm as it moved in from the west, over the Hudson River waterfront and past downtown. I sat and waited for the darkness to pass behind the golden brick facade of West Hall. Luckily the sun was low on the horizon and beginning to turn orange which provided perfect illumination. Winter in upstate New York has a very limited color palette, these autumn photos are the last opportunity to capture a landscape with vibrant color before the snow falls and completely redefines the way the world looks and feels.

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