Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: Gloria Cigolini-De Pietro

From the beginning of the 18th century, and up until 1825, Red Hook, like many towns which dotted the Hudson Valley region, was a major player in wheat production. In fact, the Hudson Valley area was once called the "Bread Basket" since the region produced nearly all the wheat for the country. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Erie Canal in 1825 that wheat production moved into the Mid-Western states forcing over two dozen mills in the Hudson Valley region, including the one in Red Hook, into closure. With the primary driver of the economy gone, the region fell quickly into economic decline, and farmers turned to growing crops such as apples which continue to be the mainstay crop for the area to this day. In the background of the mural, a Livingston’s mill sits in the midst of a large wheat field, representing the sources of economic support in the past. However, the Dutch immigrant farmer is wheeling a cart filled not with wheat but with a harvest of apples, as this is the crop of the future.

This mural, entitled "Mohicans First Sighting," is dedicated to the people who settled in the Hudson Valley area prior to the arrival of westerners in the 17th century. In the mural, a young Mohican scout, walking in the midst of a forest, experiences his first sighting of a half moon illuminating the daytime sky. As you can imagine, the young scout is surprised by appearance of a moon during the day. In the words of the artist, Gloria Cigolini-De Pietro, "Like the scout in the picture, we have all been overtaken by nature’s power at one point or another. … Unlike the Mohicans, and other Native American tribes, we have taken nature for granted through our continual exploitation of the environment. Without a respectful and caring relationship towards the natural world, we may lose access to the very gifts that are essential to our own survival. And for this reason alone, we need to start taking care of the world around us in the same way as our Native American brothers and sisters have done in the past."

The Sunken Garden mural commemorates a beautiful late 19th century Victorian garden which was part of an estate owned by Dr. W. E. Traver. As noted by the title of the mural, the garden was built below street level and was situated in what is now the village center of Red Hook. When Dr. Traver sold his house in the 1940’s, the estate became the Regis Hotel. As history would have it, the property was then subdivided and the sunken garden was filled to make way for a gasoline station. Over the years, the hotel changed hands many times, eventually becoming the Red Hook Inn. The garden depicted in this mural is a reminder of its heyday in 1913.

For over 100 years, the Tobacco Factory was a major employer in Red Hook. The factory was built by Mr. Robert Massonneau around the 1830’s. This building was the first business outside the Livingston stronghold. Sail boating sloops would transport the tobacco up the Hudson River to the Donaldson’s Dock (now known as Barrytown Landing), and the excitement generated by all this trade activity can be noted in a quote by William S. Massoneau in his book "History of Tobacco": "When a couple of hogsheads of Tobacco came to the Barrytown Dock, it was sent for with a large wagon and four horses to attract attention and sometimes a bugler, on horseback was sent ahead to announce its coming, as it was considered a noteworthy event." In the upper section of the mural "The Tobacco Factory" is a depiction of men and women workers inside the factory during the mid-1850s. While employed women were rarity for the times, we know from historical records that many women in the area worked at the tobacco factory to supplement their family’s income. Next to this is a man reading to his employees to keep them attentive to their work. This habit of reading to one’s employees which first began in Red Hook was soon adopted by many factories in the Hudson Valley region during the 19th century.