In the News: David Akiba

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Northampton Station
Northampton Station from the BPL’s Along the Elevated collection

David Akiba, a local photographer and teacher, passed away on August 24, 2019.  The Boston Globe published a front page appreciation of his work and career on October 6.  After reading it, I, like many, felt the loss of an uncommon talent.  We at Digital Commonwealth are very proud that we host over 100 of Mr. Akiba’s photographs.  The Globe quoted Mr. Akiba saying he “…liked the railroad yards…” and spent time in “…half-destroyed urban parts of town…”

These interests and his role as mentor are represented by his participation in the Along the Elevated: Photographs of the Orange Line exhibit at the Boston Public Library (and now on Digital Commonwealth), which paired professional photographers with students.  Each pair was given the assignment to chronicle the elevated Orange Line public transit just before it was demolished.

If you spent any time riding the elevated Orange Line or living under it, you’ll want to take a look at what David Akiba captured with empathy and art.

 

Egleston Station between Egleston and Dudley
Egleston between Egleston + Dudley from BPL’s Along the Elevated collection
Egleston Station, outbound platform
Egleston Station, outbound platform from BPL’s Along the Elevated collection
Dover Station
Dover Station from BPL’s Along the Elevated collection
Dover Station abandoned building from the BPL's Along the Elevated collection
Dover Station abandoned building from the BPL’s Along the Elevated collection

 

 

Spotlight On: Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives

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Herman Parker, about 1910 Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives
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Boats Sailing, Marblehead, MA Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives

Scenes from the yachting life of the early 20th century in Marblehead come alive through the Herman Parker Collection of Glass Plate Negatives (Parker Collection).  These images, along with the voluminous Frank Cousins Collection of Glass Negatives (Cousins Collection)  were recently added to Digital Commonwealth by the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM). We spotlighted the Cousins Collection in a previous post and both collections are well worth perusing.

Herman Parker and his wife Lillian (Percival) were listed in the Social Register of Boston and were active in the active yachting scene in Marblehead which kept and still continues to keep Marblehead Harbor hopping. Parker was an architect and clothier in the Boston based Macullar Parker Company. His side pursuits included sailing and photography.

A defining feature of Parker’s photographs is the sense of movement and immediacy he managed to capture– which given the challenges of the glass plate negative process is all the more remarkable. Schooners and boats on the open sea almost appear to be flying and the water churning.  Yacht clubs are thriving and races are still going on in Marblehead. Current sailors should take a look at these vintage photographs.

Digital Commonwealth and the Community Preservation Act

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Scene from the Pageant of Cape Cod, held on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal
Scene from the Pageant of Cape Cod, held on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal from Bourne Archives

Is yours one of the 175 Massachusetts communities that have adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA)?  Then maybe you, like Bourne, should consider applying for CPA funding.  The Bourne Enterprise on September 6, 2019 and Wicked Local Sandwich on September 9, 2019 reported that the Bourne Archives applied for $28,000 to train staff and volunteers and for new computers and software, specifically to continue to add material to Digital Commonwealth.  Wait, aren’t Digital Commonwealth’s services free?

Yes, Digital Commonwealth’s services are free.  And the Bourne Archives has contributed two collections to Digital Commonwealth already.  But they want to do more and they know their staff and volunteers need training to do more research and data creation before sending materials to Digital Commonwealth.  And who among us couldn’t use a new computer and up-to-date software?  The point is if you’ve been reluctant to add new collections to Digital Commonwealth because your organization lacks these same elements,maybe a CPA grant is the answer for you, too.

Check if your community has adopted the CPA here.  If it’s not, the Community Preservation Coalition overview will explain the steps it needs to take.

As always, you can contact Digital Commonwealth for advice and assistance.  We’re here for you, Massachusetts.