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Historian gives back to library By Les Masterson - 08/31/2006 Arlington Advocate
The countless hours of research conducted at Robbins have made Duffy the leading local historian. The Appleton Street resident appreciates all that Robbins has given to him, and now he is repaying the debt. The author proceeds of Duffy’s new book "Then & Now: Arlington" published by Arcadia Publishing is going directly to Robbins Library’s Local History Room. The historian will also be signing his new book from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 at Robbins Library. "It’s an honor to give a little something back to an important public organization where my work has been so warmly received and supported for many years," said Duffy. "Then & Now: Arlington" is Duffy’s third book with Arcadia. He penned two books in the Images of America series: 1997’s "Arlington" and 2000’s "Arlington: Twentieth-Century Reflections," which are both out-of-print, and included photos of Arlington’s past coupled with Duffy’s informative and entertaining descriptions. Rather than just state the obvious in a photo, Duffy tries to tell a story. "I think that it’s important to relate historical facts in as engaging a way as possible. There’s often a tendency to describe what is already obvious in an historic image, rather than to talk about what’s not shown in the photograph. The story of the people who lived in a house will pique the curiously of the reader more than the building itself," he said. Duffy said Arcadia approached him to produce a Then & Now book, which the historian said works well at this time because Arlington will be celebrating its bicentennial in 2007. The author has donated his proceeds from his first two Images of America books to the Arlington Historical Society, but decided to give to Robbins Library this time as a way to both thanks the library and to honor Arlington’s 200th anniversary as a town. Duffy said the process of collecting images, which have not been published in decades, and shooting photos to run alongside took him about a year. "People who will buy my (new) book most likely own one or two of the others and I wanted to give readers something that they haven’t seen before (in the other two publications)," said Duffy. While some of the photos in the book are in the Robbins Library collection and a handful of others belong to the Arlington Historical Society, many of the images were in private collections, including ones from Arlingtonians Bill Mahoney and Jeanne Meister. Meister’s shots were a collection taken in 1925 for an Arlington brochure to commemorate 150 years since the American Revolution. "They really help make this book as special as it is," said Duffy about Meister’s photos. Duffy’s new book is separated into four chapters: East Arlington, Arlington Center and Vicinity, Arlington Heights and Mysticside. "My idea was to create a sort of imaginary walking tour of Arlington. I have arranged pictures so if someone were to take a neighborhood stroll and had the book, they could follow a logical path and see how things exist today," said Duffy. In addition to finding photos that have not been seen for decades, Duffy also wanted to highlight the many aspects of historical photos - from places long since altered to surviving buildings to those that have disappeared. "You almost could have called it ’Lost Arlington’ because in the vast majority of cases, they are buildings that have been torn down or landscapes and rivers that have gone away or changed dramatically. Certainly, it’s the contrasts between then and now that makes for interesting reading," said Duffy. "Change is the rule and preservation is the exception and the book shows that," he added. The cover of the new book shows how the Boston Branch Groceries and Provisions building has been transformed into its current use as Arlington Coal & Lumber Company. Duffy borrowed the old photo from Mahoney. "What I wanted is an exciting cover that attracted people," said Duffy. "The moment he showed me this photo ... I said, ’I have my cover.’" Duffy, a former professional photographer, said his background helped him capture the right angles and lighting, but things out of his control, including a rainy spring and vinyl siding (which is highly reflective), caused some headaches for the local historian. He also needed patience to wait for just the right moment to take photos that would complement the old ones. One in particular was a photo of Peirce School. Duffy waited until a windy day so he could capture the flag flapping in the breeze to match the older image. "Definitely, I owe Delia Alonso a tip of the hat. I studied photography under her and she had studios in Arlington and in Winchester in the 1970s," said Duffy. Many times during a milestone like Arlington’s 200th bicentennial, organizers wait until the end of the celebration before releasing a book. Duffy decided to publish his book at the start of the festivities so people could review the town’s history during the milestone year. "With this book, I hope to assure that visual memories of Arlington, as a place in time, will be available for generations to come," said Duffy. Arlington historian Richard A. Duffy will be signing his new book "Then & Now: Arlington" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 at Robbins Library, and all the proceeds from the event will go to the Robbins Library. The book will only be sold at the library that night. |
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