I've scanned more pictures of Providence, College Hill and RISD. These are better than the first round I think. I guess I was practicing. This shot really encapsulates the RISD experience for me - from the RISD coffee shop on the left, to Suicide Circle down the hill - so named because you took your life in your hands walking through the intersection.
Below is Homer or Nickerson Hall - the dorms where we all lived freshman year. We weren't allowed to use any doors other than the front door at Homer. I lived on the fourth floor at Nickerson. This meant that I had to enter one building, walk downstairs into a basement hallway between the two buildings, and then up five flights. The dorms were up a big hill - College Hill, so needless to say I was in good shape.
A word about the title of this post. Every time I remember the dorms, I remember the terraces. The terraces we were not allowed to use - the windows only opened a small bit, because some years before a girl had jumped. And that reminds me of the song Andy Fell - from Human Sexual Response - one of the bands I saw live a gazillion times.
Next: I'm pretty sure this is Angell Street - looking up at the upperclassman dorms. I once went to a party here, where I didn't really know anyone. I saw my boyfriend disppear into a back room and followed him. (Thinking that must be where the good stuff is.) I walked into the wrong room though, and got a nice RISD shock. A woman in high heels, wearing a leather corsett and not much else, was standing over a naked man, apparently whipping him. She looked at me - with my new bob, secondhand 50's garb and said, "Care to join us?"
This looks like the intersection of Waterman and Benefit. I seem to be into trees.
Providence is a beautiful city now, but back in the 80s the river was covered up, and getting downtown from the RISD campus was a pain. This shot shows how far away I had to walk to cross.
The rest of these pics are obviously taken for class. I seem to be looking in all directions, capturing angles and moods.
I think this looks like a face.
I need to clean this shot up, but I'm pretty sure its across from Market House - a place you couldn't easily get to from here. Now there's a bridge.
Finally, one more shot of a tree framing some buildings downtown. I seem to be drawn to this type of image.
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Comments
I recall how Freshmen who lived in Nickerson had a long and circuitous walk to their rooms. At an earlier point in time security wasn't such an issue and anyone living in Nickerson could directly enter the building without the first entering the lobby at Homer Hall. I imagine too many robberies put an end to that practice. I had a much shorter walk, as did "A," as we both had Homer Hall as our dorm. One of my classmates got into trouble for taking the pins out of the hinges of the door that accessed the sub-basement of Homer. A few of us walked around there and we ended up exiting through a hatch in a janitor's closet in the area between Homer and Nickerson where the food was brought in for the Refectory.
The photo with the spots on it shows the view across the river and frames the domed building which was the beautiful and original Old Stone Bank on South Main Street--just a little south of Market House.
Seeing so many of the cars from that period is fun and makes me think of some TV series from the '70s like "Kojak."
The only photo that I can't identify the location of is the third one from the bottom that has the tavern sign. It's somewhere downtown--I just don't remember the building.
Thanks for more great memories!
Particularly like the man dwarfed by the beautifully elegant building and just above it the corner balcony.
Thanks for sharing.
Take good care of yourself!
That experience is what I wanted from college and what I got was something much different.
Love the photos! The sixth and seventh one almost give me vertigo. Involuntarily I turned my head to look at seven until I scrolled all the way down to see it wasn't turned on its side -- that is some effect?! I went to school in an urban area as well -- lots of walking up and down the hills. Didn't look like this, however, which is very interesting and beautiful in way on B & W can bring.
Are you doing OK? I haven't been on much so don't know if I missed anything with you. Hope all is well. Again, love the post!
Thanks Sharon and Lisa - I am very well - just busy. Trying to post more.
Elizabeth, RISD turned my world around. Maybe I will write about it. I will tell you much of what I know to be true I learned in the real world, later, especially about my own talent. On the flip side though, I used to wish I had a more "normal" college experience, with kids who weren't always experimenting and where fitting in was the goal. You are such a wonderful artist - we would all have wanted to be as good as you.