Lost and Hound – 2017
“Lost and Hound” was my entry into downtown Albany’s juried place-making exhibit, "Downtown is Pawsome," which comprised 20 artist-decorated fiberglass sculptures of Nipper, the city's canine mascot. From 2017 to 2018, this 20-dog cohort was displayed for public view in different locations throughout downtown Albany, in an effort to celebrate Nipper as a local icon and symbol of Capitol Region cultural heritage, and to revitalize the downtown’s Business Improvement District.
I covered my “Nipper” with dozens of illustrations of local iconography: people, places, events, landmarks and symbols, each with a specific relationship to the Albany region. My goal was for viewers to treat my entry like an “I Spy” book, and notice something new each time they saw it. To that end, I've created a picture glossary with exposition and further links on each illustration. You can find that below.
1. Madison Theatre: going strong since 1929.
2. Karner Blue butterfly: an endangered species once found in many areas in the Northern US. The Albany pine bush is one of three recovery zones for the butterfly in New York State.
3. Wild blue lupine: this wildflower is essential to the life cycle of the Karner Blue butterfly. The decline of the lupine, due to habitat loss, has played a large role in the decline of the Karner Blue.
4. New York agriculture means apples.
5. Nippertown: my favorite nickname for Albany.
6. The New York State Museum is the oldest and largest state museum in the country.
7. The Dewitt Clinton Train: an American-made steam locomotive. In 1836 it drew the first train over the Schenectady–Utica railway for the Mohawk–Hudson Railroad Co. Chartered in 1826, the Mohawk–Hudson Railroad Co. later became the Albany–Schenectady railroad.
8. South Manning boulevard: a really nice street.
9. Swiss chard: another Albany-area crop.
10. Melon: yet another.
11. Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) longhouse: the traditional dwelling of Native Americans belonging to the Iroquois Confederacy, including those who inhabited the present-day Albany region. the word "Iroquois" can translate to mean "people building a long house."
12. Freihofer's Run for Women: Freihofer's bakery has been funding this annual road race since 1979. In that time it has become a nationally recognized road race that draws thousands from across the globe.
13. Beavers were the engine behind the fur trade that Dutch settlers and Native Americans established in New Amsterdam in the 17th century. The original name for the city of Albany was Beverwyck – "beaver district" in Dutch.
14. Beaver-pelt hats: in the heyday of the beaver fur trade, pelts were used to make fancy felted hats in many styles.
15. Bricks: Clay-rich embankments in the Albany metro area, including by Coeymans and present-day Lincoln Park, provided fertile ground for the brick-making industry in the 1800s and 1900s.
16. Pumpkins: another great thing that grows.
17. The old elm tree: this elm was a fixture of the corner of State and Pearl Streets, on a property once owned by Philip Livingston, one of the original signers of the declaration of independence. It was chopped down in 1877.
18. Clogs: the traditional footwear of the Dutch, and of their emigrants to the Albany area. Also the subject of Albany's 2012 sculpture in the streets exhibit.
19. The Corning Preserve: the wholesome recreation area on Albany’s waterfront, featuring an outdoor musical venue, trails, and boat launch onto the Hudson.
20. The indigo bunting is a bird species native to the Albany pine bush.
21. Tulips: Albany’s annual Tulip Festival has been going strong in Washington Park since 1949.
22. The first seal of the city of Albany, adopted in 1686.
23. Pitch pine: a tree species found in the Albany pine bush.
24. Jacob’s ladder, or polemonium reptans: a flower native to the Albany area.
25. Black-eyed Susan, or rudbeckia hirta: another flower native to the Albany area.
26. St. Joseph's Church: a historic church in the Ten Broeck Triangle area of Arbor Hill. It is included on the National Registry of Historic Places.
27. William J. Kennedy: Pulitzer Prize-winning local author. Works include the Albany Cycle, a series of eight novels set in Albany.
28. "Let's have a Party Albany": see for yourself.
29. Lark Street: Host for arts festivals throughout the year.
30. The second seal of the city of Albany: adopted in 1752.
31. The American woodcock is a bird species found in the Albany pine bush.
32. Albany benches: find them near the tulips in Washington Park. The city of Albany commissioned these special cast-iron benches from sculptor Merlin Szoz.
33. Peas: another Albany-area crop.
34. Cohoes Mastodon: the skeleton of this prehistoric behemoth was unearthed near the Cohoes Falls in 1866. It was displayed at the New York State Museum from 1915-1976, and again since 1997.
35. Beverwyck Beer: the Beverwyck Brewery, producer of a popular lager, was one of only three Albany-area breweries that managed to reopen after prohibition was prohibited. Hedrick and Dobler were the other survivors.
36. Atlantic tomcod: this species of cod have a mutation that allows them to survive the PCB contamination of the Hudson River, which was thanks to GE's toxic dumping over a 30-year period.
37. Corn: more Albany-area agriculture.
38. USS Slater: a restored WWII era destroyer escort – the last one still afloat in the us.
39. Albany City Hall: constructed in 1883, the city hall building also boasts a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
40. "Seven Elements": a 2005 bronze sculpture by Joel Shapiro. Installed on the grounds of the Albany Institute for History and Art.
41. Brian Patenaude: a Schenectady–born saxophonist for the Empire Jazz Orchestra, Big Soul Ensemble, Michael Benedict's Bopitude quintet, and his own quartet.
42. the Albany Symphony Orchestra: helmed by Grammy-winning conductor David Alan Miller.
43. Atlantic sturgeon: an iconic, ancient fish species populating the Hudson river, and the logo on Hudson river estuary signage. Nicknamed "Albany beef" due to its culinary popularity with Dutch settlers.
44. the Eastern hognose snake is a reptile native to the Albany pine bush.
45. Miss Albany Diner: a historic diner originally built in 1941 and operated by Jane and Clifford Brown from 1988 until its close in 2012. Added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2000.
46. Stadt Huys: Albany's first city hall, built by the Dutch in the 17th century at the corner of Broadway and Hudson Avenue. The meeting place of the Albany Congress where Benjamin Franklin first proposed to unite the colonies.
47. Mohawk-Hudson bikeway: a trail for hiking and biking that runs between Albany and Schenectady, and is a part of the greater canalway that runs from Buffalo to Albany.
48. The Egg: the Capitol's unmistakable architectural anomaly. Home to the Lewis B. Sawyer and Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatres. Constructed beginning in 1966 and completed twelve years later.
49. You can't have a haunted corn maze without a cornfield.
50. The Albany skyline.
51. Knickerbocker News: a daily evening newspaper circulated throughout the Capitol region from 1843 to 1988.
52. The New York State Museum carousel is a full-sized carousel built between 1912 and 1916 and first used in amusement parks in Wellsville and Cuba, NY. Restored and installed in 2011.
53. Chauncey Vibbard: a steamboat used on the Hudson river day line, providing passage between Albany and NYC. The steamer set many speed records on the Hudson, despite being rebuilt several times to add length. The Chauncey Vibbard was sold in 1890 and broken down twelve years later.
54. Eastern Spadefoot: a toad species found in the Albany pine bush area.
55. Hinckel Brewery: incepted as the Cataract Brewery in 1852, Frederick Hinckel assumed full control over the brewery twelve years later and gave it his name. The brewery was a large producer of a popular lager until Hinckel’s death in 1916. The malt house is now rented out as apartments.
56. Nanotech: pictured is the Signatone 1160, one of the many intimidating apparati used in the labs of Albany’s SUNY Poly colleges of nanoscale science and engineering.
57. Lincoln Park: Albany’s first public playground. featuring a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and other sports fields.
58. Andy Rooney: famous curmudgeonly journalist; longstanding contributor on CBS news' "60 minutes." Attended the Albany Academy as a boy.
59. Seaplanes: up until the mid-1900s, the Albany riverfront boasted a harbor and pier for yachts and seaplanes.
60. Tomatoes: more examples of upstate agriculture.
61. Southpaw: the official mascot of the Tri-City Valleycats, minor-league baseball team representing Troy, Albany and Schenectady.
62. His master’s voice: the origins of nipper. From Liverpool studio dog, to portrait subject, to logo of the RCA Victor company and immortality as the watchdog of the Capitol region.
63. Palace Theatre: designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson and constructed from 1930–1931. This downtown venue still includes many of its celebrated original design features. Reestablished as a nonprofit performing arts center in the 1980s.
64. Owney: the canine mascot of the US railway mail service. Self-nominated for the position in 1888 when he wandered into an Albany post office, Owney became a good-luck charm for mail carriers.
65. The grand entry plaza of SUNY Albany's uptown campus, featuring a walk-through fountain.
66. Metroland: the Capitol region's alternative newsweekly, 1978–2015.
67. Uncle Sam: employed as a meatpacker in Troy during the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson was transformed into national legend Uncle Sam.
68. Capital Repertory Theatre: the Capitol region's only resident professional theatre company.
69. Jack's Oyster House: family-owned since 1913. In 1937, the restaurant moved from the corner of Beaver and Green Streets, to its current home at the bottom of State Street.
70. The Indian Ladder Trail is a popular hiking trail of Thacher State Park, situated on the Helderberg Escarpment. The trail was originally built by Native Americans of the Schoharie tribe as a trade route.
71. The Spectrum 8 Theatre: an idyllic indie movie theatre on Delaware Avenue. Acquired by Landmark Theatres in 2015.