The Twin Houses: Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them...

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them as 'the Jenney cottages'. The lead up, the backside, and the intricacy of the storie(s) that surround these is long and involved, and I find it difficult --almost impossible, in fact-- to leave it all out, but that said, I'll try to be brief.

Judge Charles Francis Jenney was a birder, and while away from his court (he was Chief Justice of the Mass Supreme Court at the time) one fine day in 1905, he happened to meet a watercolorist by the name of Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott. Triscott informed the Judge about the place he lived off the coast of Maine, where birds were plentiful, and that he should come on out to that dot of rock --a place called Monhegan Island-- and see for himself. Which the Judge, a few months later, promptly did. Jenney became entranced by the Island and all its birds, and he returned again and again, sometimes alone or other times with his brother, whenever he could. Jenney (and his brother) liked the Island so much it seems, that in 1906 they commissioned painter Rockwell Kent (then also a resident of the Island) to design and have built these 'twin cottages' where they could stay while on their increasingly frequent visits.

I first saw the place in 1976, and stayed a week in the house on the right, the Judge Jenney cottage. My girlfriend at the time was a great-granddaughter of the Judge, and though the brother's house (the one on the left) had been sold before then and was no longer in the family, the Judge's house was still used seasonally for summer vacations by various of his descendants, and there we were. There's a great deal more 'history' that could be gone into, but this post is meant to be more about the photograph than the facts or the stories.

Its nowhere near the "best" image I've ever made (of either the 'Twin Houses' or the Island generally), but of the many I'd shot, its the one that that ex-girlfriend --who is still very much a friend-- chose, and asked if I'd print, mount and frame for her. Which of course I did, and just sent off. Its a four image panorama, shot shortly before entering the harbor proper, in the rain, from the lurching deck of the vessel 'Laura B' during my last trip to the Island in the fall 2016. It is not a technically good image, but....... of the many she saw and considered, it is the one that she --an avid photographer herself-- chose.

I've likewise chosen to share it with you.

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PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Cany143 wrote:

Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them as 'the Jenney cottages'. The lead up, the backside, and the intricacy of the storie(s) that surround these is long and involved, and I find it difficult --almost impossible, in fact-- to leave it all out, but that said, I'll try to be brief.

Judge Charles Francis Jenney was a birder, and while away from his court (he was Chief Justice of the Mass Supreme Court at the time) one fine day in 1905, he happened to meet a watercolorist by the name of Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott. Triscott informed the Judge about the place he lived off the coast of Maine, where birds were plentiful, and that he should come on out to that dot of rock --a place called Monhegan Island-- and see for himself. Which the Judge, a few months later, promptly did. Jenney became entranced by the Island and all its birds, and he returned again and again, sometimes alone or other times with his brother, whenever he could. Jenney (and his brother) liked the Island so much it seems, that in 1906 they commissioned painter Rockwell Kent (then also a resident of the Island) to design and have built these 'twin cottages' where they could stay while on their increasingly frequent visits.

I first saw the place in 1976, and stayed a week in the house on the right, the Judge Jenney cottage. My girlfriend at the time was a great-granddaughter of the Judge, and though the brother's house (the one on the left) had been sold before then and was no longer in the family, the Judge's house was still used seasonally for summer vacations by various of his descendants, and there we were. There's a great deal more 'history' that could be gone into, but this post is meant to be more about the photograph than the facts or the stories.

Its nowhere near the "best" image I've ever made (of either the 'Twin Houses' or the Island generally), but of the many I'd shot, its the one that that ex-girlfriend --who is still very much a friend-- chose, and asked if I'd print, mount and frame for her. Which of course I did, and just sent off. Its a four image panorama, shot shortly before entering the harbor proper, in the rain, from the lurching deck of the vessel 'Laura B' during my last trip to the Island in the fall 2016. It is not a technically good image, but....... of the many she saw and considered, it is the one that she --an avid photographer herself-- chose.

I've likewise chosen to share it with you.

Though the title of this post derives from (the ba... (show quote)

Creative and well processed pano of the Twin Houses

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Really nice.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Very interesting story and pano. Does anyone live there year round?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

What an incredible opportunity and nicely photographed.
--Bob

Cany143 wrote:

Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them as 'the Jenney cottages'. The lead up, the backside, and the intricacy of the storie(s) that surround these is long and involved, and I find it difficult --almost impossible, in fact-- to leave it all out, but that said, I'll try to be brief.

Judge Charles Francis Jenney was a birder, and while away from his court (he was Chief Justice of the Mass Supreme Court at the time) one fine day in 1905, he happened to meet a watercolorist by the name of Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott. Triscott informed the Judge about the place he lived off the coast of Maine, where birds were plentiful, and that he should come on out to that dot of rock --a place called Monhegan Island-- and see for himself. Which the Judge, a few months later, promptly did. Jenney became entranced by the Island and all its birds, and he returned again and again, sometimes alone or other times with his brother, whenever he could. Jenney (and his brother) liked the Island so much it seems, that in 1906 they commissioned painter Rockwell Kent (then also a resident of the Island) to design and have built these 'twin cottages' where they could stay while on their increasingly frequent visits.

I first saw the place in 1976, and stayed a week in the house on the right, the Judge Jenney cottage. My girlfriend at the time was a great-granddaughter of the Judge, and though the brother's house (the one on the left) had been sold before then and was no longer in the family, the Judge's house was still used seasonally for summer vacations by various of his descendants, and there we were. There's a great deal more 'history' that could be gone into, but this post is meant to be more about the photograph than the facts or the stories.

Its nowhere near the "best" image I've ever made (of either the 'Twin Houses' or the Island generally), but of the many I'd shot, its the one that that ex-girlfriend --who is still very much a friend-- chose, and asked if I'd print, mount and frame for her. Which of course I did, and just sent off. Its a four image panorama, shot shortly before entering the harbor proper, in the rain, from the lurching deck of the vessel 'Laura B' during my last trip to the Island in the fall 2016. It is not a technically good image, but....... of the many she saw and considered, it is the one that she --an avid photographer herself-- chose.

I've likewise chosen to share it with you.

Though the title of this post derives from (the ba... (show quote)

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

NMGal wrote:

Very interesting story and pano. Does anyone live there year round?

No one lives in the Judge's house year 'round. Since being sold, its only rented out to vacationers. The last I knew (which is now more or less ancient history), the brother's house had been bought by the guy who --into the 80's-90's, anyhow-- had been the Harbormaster. I don't know if Craig (the Harbormaster) is still alive at this point, and if not, whether he or some family member (he didn't have any kids that I know of) might still own the place. Last I knew (in 2016) it wasn't a rental.

Some fifty-odd folks do live out there year 'round. Many are lobstermen (and/or are lopstah wimmin), others are artists of one sort or another, and anyone who doesn't fall into either of those categories is just livvin' the Island life.

Floyd Loc: Misplaced Texan in Florence, Alabama

Cany143 wrote:

Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them as 'the Jenney cottages'. The lead up, the backside, and the intricacy of the storie(s) that surround these is long and involved, and I find it difficult --almost impossible, in fact-- to leave it all out, but that said, I'll try to be brief.

Judge Charles Francis Jenney was a birder, and while away from his court (he was Chief Justice of the Mass Supreme Court at the time) one fine day in 1905, he happened to meet a watercolorist by the name of Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott. Triscott informed the Judge about the place he lived off the coast of Maine, where birds were plentiful, and that he should come on out to that dot of rock --a place called Monhegan Island-- and see for himself. Which the Judge, a few months later, promptly did. Jenney became entranced by the Island and all its birds, and he returned again and again, sometimes alone or other times with his brother, whenever he could. Jenney (and his brother) liked the Island so much it seems, that in 1906 they commissioned painter Rockwell Kent (then also a resident of the Island) to design and have built these 'twin cottages' where they could stay while on their increasingly frequent visits.

I first saw the place in 1976, and stayed a week in the house on the right, the Judge Jenney cottage. My girlfriend at the time was a great-granddaughter of the Judge, and though the brother's house (the one on the left) had been sold before then and was no longer in the family, the Judge's house was still used seasonally for summer vacations by various of his descendants, and there we were. There's a great deal more 'history' that could be gone into, but this post is meant to be more about the photograph than the facts or the stories.

Its nowhere near the "best" image I've ever made (of either the 'Twin Houses' or the Island generally), but of the many I'd shot, its the one that that ex-girlfriend --who is still very much a friend-- chose, and asked if I'd print, mount and frame for her. Which of course I did, and just sent off. Its a four image panorama, shot shortly before entering the harbor proper, in the rain, from the lurching deck of the vessel 'Laura B' during my last trip to the Island in the fall 2016. It is not a technically good image, but....... of the many she saw and considered, it is the one that she --an avid photographer herself-- chose.

I've likewise chosen to share it with you.

Though the title of this post derives from (the ba... (show quote)

Very nice panorama. Even without the friendship situation that would look nice on anyone's wall. Does the house on the right have a 5-10 degree tilt inside as it looks like it does in the picture?

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Floyd wrote:

Very nice panorama. Even without the friendship situation that would look nice on anyone's wall. Does the house on the right have a 5-10 degree tilt inside as it looks like it does in the picture?

On anyone's wall, it would just be some rando pic; on the wall of someone whose house it "was" (at least in part), it might be a bit more meaningful.

And about the tilts you see? There might be three possible explanations: 1) some perceptual weirdness introduced by the ship's mildly wild gyrations (with me gyrating right along with it, accompanied by the vibrating and quaking of the engine, and a fairly stiff wind), and having spliced four images together taken from four different places as the boat had been moving laterally along. 2) the likelihood that there isn't a plumb right angle anywhere on the island. Or 3) I dunno; never measured any angles out there, not even once.

photophile Loc: Lakewood, Ohio, USA

Cany143 wrote:

Though the title of this post derives from (the back side view of) a Jaime Wyeth watercolor that hangs in Boston's Museum of Art, those who know the places know them as 'the Jenney cottages'. The lead up, the backside, and the intricacy of the storie(s) that surround these is long and involved, and I find it difficult --almost impossible, in fact-- to leave it all out, but that said, I'll try to be brief.

Judge Charles Francis Jenney was a birder, and while away from his court (he was Chief Justice of the Mass Supreme Court at the time) one fine day in 1905, he happened to meet a watercolorist by the name of Samuel Peter Rolt Triscott. Triscott informed the Judge about the place he lived off the coast of Maine, where birds were plentiful, and that he should come on out to that dot of rock --a place called Monhegan Island-- and see for himself. Which the Judge, a few months later, promptly did. Jenney became entranced by the Island and all its birds, and he returned again and again, sometimes alone or other times with his brother, whenever he could. Jenney (and his brother) liked the Island so much it seems, that in 1906 they commissioned painter Rockwell Kent (then also a resident of the Island) to design and have built these 'twin cottages' where they could stay while on their increasingly frequent visits.

I first saw the place in 1976, and stayed a week in the house on the right, the Judge Jenney cottage. My girlfriend at the time was a great-granddaughter of the Judge, and though the brother's house (the one on the left) had been sold before then and was no longer in the family, the Judge's house was still used seasonally for summer vacations by various of his descendants, and there we were. There's a great deal more 'history' that could be gone into, but this post is meant to be more about the photograph than the facts or the stories.

Its nowhere near the "best" image I've ever made (of either the 'Twin Houses' or the Island generally), but of the many I'd shot, its the one that that ex-girlfriend --who is still very much a friend-- chose, and asked if I'd print, mount and frame for her. Which of course I did, and just sent off. Its a four image panorama, shot shortly before entering the harbor proper, in the rain, from the lurching deck of the vessel 'Laura B' during my last trip to the Island in the fall 2016. It is not a technically good image, but....... of the many she saw and considered, it is the one that she --an avid photographer herself-- chose.

I've likewise chosen to share it with you.

Though the title of this post derives from (the ba... (show quote)

Well taken.

tcthome Loc: NJ

steve49 Loc: massachusetts

Cool shooting.

Lithoman Loc: Southern Indiana

Enjoyed the history behind the photo, thank you. Are the birds still plentiful there?

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

For me, it's hard to beat the Down East Coast for images east of the Rockies. Nice shot and backstory.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Lithoman wrote:

Enjoyed the history behind the photo, thank you. Are the birds still plentiful there?

The birders who go out there in flocks seem to think so. As I understand it, the Island lies along a migration route.

Lithoman Loc: Southern Indiana

Good to hear