Pictures Of Henry Hudson

Virginia Kropf: Artist juggles many projects

Occasionally you meet someone who literally bowls you over. One of those people is Carol Culhane, a self-taught artist from the town of Gaines.

But before I talk about her patriotism and dedication to promoting her hometown, I have to apologize to the dozens of readers who called, e-mailed or sent cards after reading about my impending surgery in my last column.

I had expected to have had surgery last week for a benign brain tumor, but when my blood pressure soared off the charts, the doctor postponed it. It is, however, back on for June 29. So to all of you who sent me get-well wishes, I have them saved and they will cheer me up as I recover — rather speedily, I hope.

This column on Carol Culhane was prompted after I visited her to take a picture of three life-size paper mache children, which are the first donations for the proposed Orleans County Museum, an idea of Carol’s.

I walked away from there with five stories, and knowing we probably couldn’t print five stories about one person, I decided to combine a couple of them into this column.

I first met Carol probably 10 years ago or more, when Marsha Winters was director of the Orleans County Chamber of Commerce and she asked if I could give Carol some recognition for allowing a design of hers to be used for an Orleans County quilt. Carol had painted the picture depicting highlights of the county for a tourism poster.

I learned Carol was a self-taught artist, who got started by painting campaign signs for Charles Nesbitt when he first ran for Barre supervisor.

I can’t envision having the talent she has. Anyone who has seen John O’Brien’s vans around Batavia or the murals at the Genesee Justice for Children home on Bank Street will be amazed at her work. Wildlife, landscapes or portraits are no challenge when she wields a brush.

But, back to the reasons for this column.

The three paper mache children were property of Albion’s famed Santa, Charles Howard. Carol believes they either rode in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades with Charlie or they were displayed in Macy’s window. It also appears they were animated. He brought them to Christmas Park from New York City in the 1940s. They were apparently sold at auction when his Christmas Park folded in the 1960s. Mark Christopher of Carlton ended up with them, and gave them to Culhane, making them the first donation to the proposed Orleans County Museum. They are obviously in need of work and the search is on for someone proficient in that area of expertise.

A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in ...

≪a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3_t.jpg" width="100" height="67" alt="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazboy/5798396423/" title="A train bridge by the Henry Hudson Bridge on the Hudson River in New York by Hazboy, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2381/5798396423_1904cd94c3_z.

Henry Hudson: Dreams and Obsession

Henry Hudson, Dreams and Obsession

Hudson-Fulton celebration, A collection of the catalogues issued by the museums and institutions in New York city and vicinity. Shown under the auspices of the Hudson-Fulton celebration commission, describing the special collections of plants, animals, archæological objects, furniture, maps, silver, letters, paintings and objects of artistic and historical interest in connection with the Hudson and Fulton periods

Hudson-Fulton exhibition, made by the New York Public Library (Lenox library building) September 1909

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