Yesterday I went to the Cape Ann Museum to see the Charlie Lowe (no relation that I can tell) photo exhibit. If you were around in the 60’s and 70’s and were old enough to read the newspaper, you will love this exhibit. Not only are the prints technically superb, but the who, what, where is incredible.
I remember so many of the photos from when were printed in the paper, and others brought back memories of 34 years ago before our lives went into overdrive. I bumped into Joey Palmisano and his sister Kathy who grew up in the Fort. What memories they had! They could identify many more people than I could. It was great hanging out with them, and each of us adding our bits of memories – mine of Magnolia and theirs of their Italian heritage and growing up in the Fort.
In the photos, I noticed that cigars, cigarettes and pipes were prominent in many of the photos, and without looking at smoking as a negative, it added to the scene and mood where the viewer could almost read the mind of the person.
One photo of a squirrel sitting on a fireman’s shoulders made me almost cry. My dad, who was a fireman in West Gloucester at the time, was one of the guys who adopted the squirrel and made him a firehouse mascot. Man, I miss my dad.
Joey’s graduating class photo was taken aboard the Judith Lee Rose. That photo was there. Kathy pointed out classmates, relatives, and friends. For me it was Doc Vieria in the huge mirror at the drugstore in Magnolia where we all hung out as teens.
It was those memories that this exhibit brings out. More than a pretty picture, these photos pull you in and you feel so Gloucester. Everyone should see this. It was different time, a different life, but so much our home.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Joey,
I will go this week for sure…!
I think we have a real gem in the CAnn Museum –
thanks for highlighting such a wonderful
local place. I believe they are offering free
entrance throughout the month on Saturdays.
A pass is always at the Sawyer Free Library too!
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Awesome. Sharon posted about the Charlie Lowe exhibit. Greatwork Sharon!
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Thanks! Saturday mornings from 10 am-noon,
it’s free admission for locals while the Lowe exhibit is there. I’m going again. Joey P. said he found so many more photos in the albums that were on hand (not just 1975). I bought the book for $25. Worth every penny!
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thanks to sharon for a heartfelt response. thanks to peter watson for offering charlie’s negatives to the museum in 2002, and thanks to rick lowe for reminding him of that in 2004. i’ve spent 5 years looking at this amazing place we live in and the people we share it with through charlie’s eyes and the richness of that experience leaves me speechless (har har!). the beauty of the lowe archive is that we could pull every photo off the wall and replace them with another 150 entirely different and equally beautiful pictures of gloucester in 1975. 10 times! and that’s the tip of the iceberg. stay tuned…
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Fred Buck spent hours and hours culling through these photos and meticulously reproducing the prints. We all are grateful for his time and dedication preparing this exhibit.
Thanks Fred! We’ll watch for the next slice of life in Gloucester.
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Charlie took many photos of me in a space of about 3 years. Two were on the front page of the GDT. I’ve looked through one of his books of photos but didn’t see either one. I’m wondering if there’s another volume of his photos and if so where I could purchase one. Thanks
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