The Center for Photography in Woodstock’s current show is Lost Kingston: Documentary Photographs by Gene Dauner. The show is done in honor and remembrance of the beloved architecture of Kingston and the Rondout that was around in the 1960s. Near the end of that decade, Kingston had begun to undergo urban renewal in efforts to modernize the city, and as a result much of that architecture has been lost to time. Dauner began documenting buildings in 1967 when he realized how much was going to be lost. Over 500 buildings from Kingston and the Rondout were taken and preserved for decades until just recently. Now they are being publicly shown. These images are monumentally important for preserving the sights of Kingston in its past and serve as a fascinating window into the past.
The show is especially popular for its nostalgia factor. As I’ve watched over it for a few weeks now, I’ve noticed that older folks have been visiting in spades to witness Kingston in a state they haven’t seen in decades. Considering this kind of documentation is rare, it can only be surreal to see locations from long in the past in such clear images. During a talk at the CPW, Dauner recounted his frustration with cars constantly being in the way of an otherwise perfect shot. Now, he sees how much people take interest with those old cars in the photographs as a product of their time.
The show is curated with regards to different iconic settings across nearby Kingston, but ends with a sad story in five pictures. Dauner had captured the exact moments a local building was being demolished, followed by its remains. It was only one of many that was leveled in the wake of a hasty urban renewal. I can’t help but note a distinct irony in the contrast of how much Kingston officials praise and protect the historic buildings that currently stand, to the sheer disregard to historic architecture there was in the 60s. I can picture the demolitions of the past being very confusing and concerning during that time. If there’s one thing I can easily take away from this show and Gene Dauner’s own words: it’s to appreciate the structures of today and take lots of pictures so the things I see today aren’t lost in the future.
Lost Kingston, Documentary Photographs by Gene Dauner, curated by Stephen Blauweiss, is on display until December 31st 2023.
