Lens on the Hudson, currently on display at the Hudson River Museum, celebrates Joseph Squillante’s golden anniversary of his photography work. This special collection highlights his intersection with the environmental movements that gained momentum along the river in the 1970s and continue to this day. Best known for his romantic landscapes along the Hudson, Squilante describes his mission as “raising awareness of the beauty of the Hudson River through photography.”
“No other photo journalist or artistic photographer has ever assembled such a number of photos,” Squillante says of his collection. Over thirty photographs are currently on display, carefully curated in a very cohesive fashion, spanning color photos, landscapes, documentary, and architecture, all related to or surrounding the Hudson River.
Photography Over the Years
Joseph Squillante’s interest in photography dates back to his youth. His father was an amateur photographer, and Joseph would take his father’s Kodak cameras out of the china cabinet to marvel at the mechanisms. Enamored with how the lenses work, he would aim the camera at the light and windows, getting a thrill out of clicking the shutter button.
“He had a small darkroom and was showing my older brother what was going on in the trays,” Squillante recalls. “I could just about see over the countertop on tip-toes, but there was something there that really caught me. I was always interested in optics.”
Growing up in the Northeast part of the Bronx, Joseph got bitten early by the nature bug, climbing trees and using magnifying glasses to look at bugs and tree barks. But it wasn’t until adulthood that he decided to give photography a chance. He landed a bank job after graduating with a degree in Business Administration and saved up enough money to buy himself a 35mm Pentax camera. A co-worker asked if he’d be interested in taking photos of his brother’s wedding, and Joseph obliged. As intimidating as it was, he realized for the first time that he could do something that he loved and get paid for it.
“I was thinking, fifty weeks at the bank and two for my passion-it didn’t compute,” Squillante said. He decided to pursue photography full-time. He worked for two Westchester papers, Entertainer Magazine and Westchester Illustrated, photographing celebrities while also taking courses at the School of Visual Arts and at the New School.
The Signature Photo
“I’m very fortunate that I tripped over the Hudson River in my friend’s backyard,” Squillante explains of his friend’s house in Tivoli. “His backyard is the Hudson River,” Squillante recalls, “so I’d go up to help him work on the house, and in between I’d go down to his backyard with my camera and take photographs. As I was developing the prints in my darkroom, I saw these pictures coming up in the tray and realized that this is a powerful subject. I saw the grandeur, majesty, magnificence, and importance.”
It was also in that same backyard that he took one of his most famous photographs of his career, Boy Fishing, in 1976. Squillante approached the boy who was busy looking at the end of his fishing line, and asked him if he could take some pictures. The two chatted for a bit, and the boy told Joseph that his father would never allow him to take any fish home because of the pollution in the river. Over twenty years later, in 1998, John Cronin, Riverkeeper at the time, used that photograph for a big ad against General Electric (GE). “It’s my most important picture,” Squillante says.
River Life
Squillante’s love of the Hudson River extends beyond an appreciation of its aesthetic beauty. “The river keeps giving to me in so many ways and deep levels, not only visually, but in its calmness,” Squillante explains. He describes it as “River Life,” a term for people who have a body of water in their life and, from it, experience a meditative feeling. “Fisherman, boaters, and swimmers are aware of River life, and that connection in those people is a very active one, but even people who don’t go to the river, but live in Yonkers, Dobbs Ferry, along the river, also experience river life, even if they don’t realize it, there’s a community,” Squillante says.
Squillante’s interest and love of the Hudson River have naturally intersected with its preservation and environmental activism. “I don’t pat myself on the back a lot,” he says, “but a few days before the show opened, I realized that I do put a lot of love and care into the river-the environmental concerns, the work that goes into it.” Squillante believes in the relationship between access and engagement as it pertains to the Hudson River. “Access means that you go to the river, even just to sit by it, and then you’ll become engaged. Hopefully, you will be connected, and we can get people to go to the river that wouldn’t otherwise go.”
The Collection
Squillante’s collection of photographs is unlike any other, featuring both documentary-style photographs and fine art photographs that continue the tradition of the Hudson River School of Painters. Many of the photographs featured have never been exhibited; Squillante dug deep into his archive to find work that had been done with Riverkeeper and Scenic Hudson, including going through contact sheets and rolls of negatives. Much of the imagery selected shows the challenges, like the GE plant, the wildlife biologists banding bald eagles and eaglets, and the fishermen.
Squillante hopes that his collection will inspire more people to not only visit the Hudson River but also get involved in environmental activism. “People would come and say, ‘Joe, I had no idea the river was so beautiful!’ That shows the photography is working, and what I hope takes place at the exhibit. A desire to do something to protect our environment and care more for our water and our Hudson River. To awaken people’s awareness of the fragility of the Hudson River.”
He also encourages active participation in this exhibit. “I have registered a trade name: Walkshop®,” Squillante says. “I walk and talk along the river and teach photography. I’ve done it with a lot of different groups, like environmental and Audubon groups.” Any group interested in a walking tour of the exhibit can contact the museum to request one from Joseph.
What Comes Next
The HRM will feature a special artist talk with Joseph Squillante on June 21st at 2 PM. Joseph will share the stories behind his photographs in an intimate walkthrough.
“The Hudson River is a hot topic that’ll never stop being talked about. I need about two to three more lifetimes to complete this project!”
Squillante also gives lectures with Kendal on Hudson, Beczak in Yonkers, and Ferry Sloops. “I’m available for people from all walks of life. I show 100 – 120 pictures, spend an hour or so, it’s really a great treat for me to share the work, that’s another way I teach.”
He also sells note cards that are always available from his website, Hudson River Photography.
The Lens on the Hudson exhibit is currently on display through October 19th at the Hudson River Museum.
