In honor of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage of discovery on the river that now bears his name, the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art is proud to announce the publication of Panorama of the Hudson River. The book, distributed by SUNY Press, offers a twenty-first-century updating of G. Willard Shear’s long-cherished 1910 photographic survey of the river’s shorelines, tracing the Half Moon’s 1609 route from New York Harbor to present-day Albany. It also reprints the earlier edition, making it readily available for the first time in decades. Juxtaposing Shear’s photographs with those of renowned Hudson Valley photographer Greg Miller not only combines two extraordinary feats of photographic artistry, it also provides an important record of changes that have occurred along the river since the Hudson Tricentennial celebrations of 1909. Panorama of the Hudson River will interest anyone enchanted by the Hudson River’s beautiful and varied landscapes, and will also provide an excellent tool for those involved in continuing efforts to protect treasured but threatened places along its banks.
Greg Miller’s complete photographic panorama of the Hudson River was created from approximately 2,500 photographs and includes both banks of the river from Manhattan to Albany. An exhibition currently on display at the Dorsky Museum–also titled Panorama of the Hudson River–includes the Monroe, N.Y.-based artist’s photographs of the riverbanks of the Hudson River paired with those from the 1910 photographic panorama developed for the Hudson River Day Line Steamer company. The exhibition runs through December 13, 2009 and returns February 6 through March 28, 2010.
Major support for the book was provided by Congressman Maurice Hinchey, New York State Senator Vincent L. Leibell, Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund, Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, Barnabas McHenry, National Park Service, Open Space Institute, Inc., Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz and The State University of New York Press. Additional support was provided by Greg Miller, Ralph Brill, Christine Davitt, J. Gilbert Plantinga, Reed Sparling, and boat captains Bert Butlin, Greg Porteus and Rick Scarano.
The publication is a joint undertaking of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art and the Open Space Institute.
The Open Space Institute (OSI) protects scenic, natural, and historic landscapes to ensure public enjoyment, conserve habitats, and sustain community character. OSI achieves its goals through land acquisition, conservation easements, special loan programs, research, and creative partnerships. In the Hudson River Valley, it’s core area of emphasis, OSI has protected more than 100,000 acres of land since the early 1980’s, making it available as parkland and protecting working landscapes including farms and forests.
Founded in 1964, the Samuel Dorsky Museum has a permanent collection that spans a period of almost 4,000 years. Areas of specialization include twentieth-century prints and paintings, decorative arts, photographs, Asian art, and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts. The museum has a special commitment to collecting works of art created by artists that have lived and worked in the Hudson Valley and Catskill regions.
SUNY Press and the Dorsky Museum recently announced a new partnership. SUNY Press will now be distributing in print and digital editions the titles published by the Dorsky Museum. As an acclaimed international publisher of distinguished research and notable works of general interest since 1966, SUNY Press supports the commitments of the State University of New York to teaching, research, and public service. The Press publishes nationally recognized lists of publications in areas including philosophy, religion, Asian studies, transpersonal psychology, queer studies, African American studies, and indigenous studies. Through its Excelsior Editions imprint, SUNY Press makes available exceptional works for all readers and showcases the diversity and abiding energy of the peoples, histories, and natural beauty of the New York region.
Panorama of the Hudson River is available at the Dorsky Museum and through SUNY Press; order it online today. For a complete listing of Dorsky Museum titles distributed by SUNY Press, please visit www.sunypress.edu. For more information on the Dorsky Museum and its exhibitions, please visit www.newpaltz.edu/museum. For information about Open Space Institute, visit www.osiny.org.
