Jerry Dougherty
The seed was planted in the late 1940's while I was delivering newspapers in Hoboken, NJ. At that time, I could see and appreciate the fine architecture that had been surrounding me all my life. There is a saying that you never appreciate your hometown until after you leave it. That was not true in my case.
I had wanted to, but never did, document Hoboken through photographs but the cost was prohibitive. It took over 50 years for me to finally accomplish that desire.
I moved to Connecticut in 1973. It wasn't until 2003 that I picked up a camera to document a union lock-out at Standard-Knapp in Portland. I had retired from Stnadard-Knapp in 2000 so I still knew a lot of the workers. I asked the president of the Local Lodge 782 if he would agree to my documenting the lock-out. He said yes, and I spent the next nine months doing just that. Being on a picket line is a tedious task, so every once in awhile I would take pictures of the buildins on Main Street in Portland. By the time the lock-out was settled, I had 90% of the western side of Main Street complete. These photos have since been donated to the Portland Historical Society.
As a result of the Portland Main Street photos, I felt that I was ready to go back to Hoboken, which unbeknownst to me, was celebrating its 150th Anniversary. Talk about Destiny.
All 169 Connecticut towns are already on my web site, but this does not mean that I am finished. I will continue to add even more to it almost on a daily basis.
The purpose of my site is to show as much of Connecticut as I can so that researchers/writers/genealogist or the general public may have a comprehensive view of Connecticut all on one web site. So far, from the response that I have received, it is being used as intended. The exterior photos may be downloaded by anyone who wants to use them for personal reasons. Interior photos do need a copyright release from the owner of the building that the photos were taken in. At their discretion, the building owners have the right to charge for a photo's use. I do not sell photos. The ones that have been published were done with a free one-time copyright release.
JERRY DOUGHERTY
