Wes Modes
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Shipmate John Young successfully completes his first certified under-over. Now he can be a roadie
Shipmate John Young successfully completes his first certified under-over. Now he can be a roadie
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Proud captain of the Shantyboat Dotty @originalsportkilt
Proud captain of the Shantyboat Dotty @originalsportkilt
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Nearly played bingo. Apparently you have to show up on time because all the cards are sold within a few minutes
Nearly played bingo. Apparently you have to show up on time because all the cards are sold within a few minutes
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A Word About Process
A word about process. And an exploration of the dérive, the Situationist practice of an unplanned journey through an urban landscape, where wanderers abandon their preconceptions and “let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there”
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What happened down here? Half a block from the waterfront, what I had to have been the center of commerce or industry, now empty lots and ugly blocks of what look like low income housing
What happened down here? Have a block from the waterfront, what I had to have been the center of commerce or industry, now empty lots and ugly blocks of what look like low income housing
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Thompson‘s camp. People apparently still sit on porches here, though I don’t see many of them on this very hot afternoon
Thompson‘s camp. People apparently still sit on porches here, though I don’t see many of them on this very hot afternoon
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While there is lots of old abandoned stuff around, some of the new abandoned stuff is intriguing
While there is lots of old abandoned stuff around, some of the new abandoned stuff is intriguing
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A river runs through it. Anthony Kill winds through Mechanicville
A river runs through it. Anthony Kill winds through Mechanicville
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We sadly say fare-thee-well to our shipmates Ariel and Sascha
We sadly say fare-thee-well to our shipmates Ariel and Sascha
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Post-Star: Shantyboat docks in Fort Edward to collect Hudson River stories
Post-Star by Gwendolyn Craig FORT EDWARD — It’s not every day that one might see a shantyboat floating down the Hudson River, but many people did Sunday around the Fort Edward Yacht Basin. Wes Modes, shantyboat maker, artist, story collector and captain, opened his floating home to the public, helping kick off part of the World Awareness…
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Little beach campfire along the shore of the Hudson River
Little beach campfire along the shore of the Hudson River
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Thinking more about environmental toxins
“For over 45 years, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champion of the Hudson River, working to pass landmark legislation like the Clean Water Act, and providing innovative educational programs, environmental advocacy, and musical celebrations, including the renowned annual Clearwater Festival, to inspire, educate, and activate millions…
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Back alleys of Schuylerville NY. We stopped for 1) ice cream, 2) a sandwich, 3) a few groceries, 4) a quick shower, 5) a load of wash
Back alleys of Schuylerville NY. We stopped for 1) ice cream, 2) a sandwich, 3) a few groceries, 4) a quick shower, 5) a load of wash
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Please welcome our new shipmates Sascha and Ariel who joined us just before we left Ft Edward
Please welcome our new shipmates Sascha and Ariel who joined us just before we left Ft Edward
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We found an old bridge across a little creek in an inlet on the Hudson. Benzy asks: “But is it authentic?
We found an old bridge across a little creek in an inlet on the Hudson. Benzy asks: “But is it authentic?
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This is where 1.3 million pounds of PCBs were discharged into the Hudson River
Benzy says: “This is where approximately 1.3 million pounds of PCBs were discharged into the Hudson River from two General Electric (GE) capacitor manufacturing plants located in the towns of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, New York prior to 1977 when PCBs were banned. This explains the lack of fishing, swimming and boats. GE has…
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Secret History shantyboat in Fort Edward’s Yacht Basin
Secret History shantyboat in Fort Edward’s Yacht Basin
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If we mention that old river towns are dying, we really mean they are being killed
In the towns we’ve visited across America, the historic heart of small river towns are dying. Or more accurately, they are being killed by the Walmartization of everything. We are currently in upstate New York in Fort Edward on the Hudson River and this town is no exception. This despite the best efforts of people…
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Arrived in Fort Edward Yacht Basin where the seawall dwarfs us a bit
Arrived in Fort Edward Yacht Basin where the seawall dwarfs us a bit
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Results of a 1am emergency loft skeeter netting encapsulation project. Despite the rain, apparently we had posted up in Mosquito Central near Lock 8
Results of a 1am emergency loft skeeter netting encapsulation project. Despite the rain, apparently we had posted up in Mosquito Central near Lock 8
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Posted up right under the surprisingly fancy signal at Lock 8 for the night
Posted up right under the surprisingly fancy signal at Lock 8 for the night
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Interview with Brian Abrams, Chief Lock Operator at Lock 9 on the Champlain Canal, who talked about his 21 years on the NY Canal System
Interview with Brian Abrams, Chief Lock Operator at Lock 9 on the Champlain Canal, who talked about his 21 years on the NY Canal System
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We are on the water!
Just a quick note to let you know that yes, after four harrowing hair-silvering days on the road, over 3,038 miles through 12 states, we arrived safely in New York with no major mishaps. No wheels fell off. No engines or transmissions exploded. We made it to the quaint little town of Whitehall, New York.…
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Shantyboat moored at Lock 9 on the Champlain Canel
Shantyboat moored at Lock 9 on the Champlain Canel
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Traffic stopped on bridge over the canal to watch us go by
Traffic stopped on bridge over the canal to watch us go by
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We are under way. Down the Champlain Canal after ascending in Lock 12
We are under way. Down the Champlain Canal after ascending in Lock 12
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New deck cleat plates and the tools required to install them
New deck cleat plates and the tools required to install them
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Because we have so many cool old stone buildings we can use them for coal storage
Because we have so many cool old stone buildings we can use them for coal storage
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Hazel hero shot. Contemplating her soon-to-be nautical life
Hazel hero shot. Contemplating her soon-to-be nautical life
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First cup of coffee sitting on the deck in sunshine at Whitehall Marina above the Champlain Canal
First cup of coffee sitting on the deck in sunshine at Whitehall Marina above the Champlain Canal
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We arrived in Whitehall NY at Lock 11 after 3038 miles and only a few near catastrophes
We arrived in Whitehall NY at Lock 11 after 3038 miles and only a few near catastrophes
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Fuck Indiana roads
Fuck Indiana roads. Are they trying to rival California’s notoriously shitty roads? It shakes the shit out of our teeth and sends the boat into dangerous oscillations
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Flooding in West Central Illinois on the Illinois River
Flooding in West Central Illinois on the Illinois River
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Ceremonial witchcraft to salute the deer people who have died here
Ceremonial witchcraft to salute the deer people who have died here
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Keeping the driver awake with lurid and prurient tales
Keeping the driver awake with lurid and prurient tales: “She rolled over again, pushed a mass of inky hair away from her eyes, and surveyed her body with the satisfaction in which there was nothing of smugness. She knew it was a good body, a lovely body. It was too early for her to have…
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Shantyboat life at the Continental Divide. Stop and make coffee for the new driver. A beer for the one going off shift
Shantyboat life at the Continental Divide. Stop and make coffee for the new driver. A beer for the one going off shift
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The landscape of Wyoming is so powerful and evocative
The landscape of Wyoming is so powerful and evocative, it makes me imagine riding a horse over the prairie when I don’t even like riding horses
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Shantyboat at the Thunder Mountain Indian Monument along I80 in Nevada. A monument to native suffering at the hands of white folk
Shantyboat at the Thunder Mountain Indian Monument along I80 in Nevada. A monument to native suffering at the hands of white folk
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Images printed on silk for Secret History NYC show
Images printed on silk for Secret History NYC show
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Secret History photos printed on silk organza for NYC show at @whiteboxny
Secret History photos printed on silk organza for NYC show at @whiteboxny
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Treating the edges of several hundred feet of Secret History photos for our NYC exhibition at @whiteboxny
Treating the edges of several hundred feet of Secret History photos for our NYC exhibition at @whiteboxny
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Now from Redwood House Labs comes the Trailer Tester™! For the first time, you can test your trailer lights and brakes solo even without your vehicle
Now from Redwood House Labs comes the Trailer Tester™! For the first time, you can test your trailer lights and brakes solo even without your vehicle
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The Goodmans, Brett and Andi in the Felton Remembers Parade
The Goodmans, Brett and Andi in the Felton Remembers Parade
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Evidence of at least five different shantyboat projects on the Redwood House lab workbench
Evidence of at least five different shantyboat projects on the Redwood House lab workbench
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Benzy and I host an impromptu all-night solder party to work on various projects including an intra-boat telephone system for the shantyboat
Benzy and I host an impromptu all-night solder party to work on various projects including an intra-boat telephone system for the shantyboat
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So many things still to do before we can leave in a week. Oh god
So many things still to do before we can leave in a week. Oh god
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Incremental improvements on the shantyboat. New urinal pipe and blocks to support the gangplank
Incremental improvements on the shantyboat. New urinal pipe and blocks to support the gangplank
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I broke my vow not to do any more plumbing sweats for the shantyboat plumbing. Not great, but not bad
I broke my vow not to do any more plumbing sweats for the shantyboat plumbing. Not great, but not bad
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Santa Cruz Sentinel: “A Secret History” at Ebb & Flow River Arts Festival
Artist Wes Modes leaned against his shantyboat’s helm by the wooden dinette and his dog, Hazel, while he distributed free postcard photos of the 1940s-style vessel’s journeys on U.S. rivers.
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Art for the shantyboat gallery from Jessika and Jimmy Gallop https://jessikagallopart.weebly.com
Art for the shantyboat gallery from Jessika and Jimmy Gallop https://jessikagallopart.weebly.com
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Morning on the shantyboat at the Tannery Art Center
Morning on the shantyboat at the Tannery Art Center
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Shantyboat looking shipshape for exhibition on Cooper Street
Shantyboat looking shipshape for exhibition on Cooper Street
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Previous shipmates will know the terror of towing the shantyboat, this 7000 pound swaying trailer barreling down the road
Previous shipmates will know the terror of towing the shantyboat, this 7000 pound swaying trailer barreling down the road
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New additions to the Jeremiah Alexander Daniels Executive Washroom Gallery aboard the Shantyboat Dotty. Thanks to supporters who sent new art
New additions to the Jeremiah Alexander Daniels Executive Washroom Gallery aboard the Shantyboat Dotty. Thanks to supporters who sent new art
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Join us at Ebb and Flow in Santa Cruz tonight and tomorrow. Santa Cruz MAH Friday, Tannery At Center Saturday
Join us at Ebb and Flow in Santa Cruz tonight and tomorrow. Santa Cruz MAH Friday, Tannery At Center Saturday
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Amateur machinist work on the shantyboat control panel
Amateur machinist work on the shantyboat control panel
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Modifying the new boat stairs for Secret History exhibitions. An angle grinder will improve anyone’s day
Modifying the new boat stairs for Secret History exhibitions. An angle grinder will improve anyone’s day
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Proving that the project is not above child labor, we have helpers preparing the boat for the next two weekends of exhibitions Photo by @hickeyblvd
Proving that the project is not above child labor, we have helpers preparing the boat for the next two weekends of exhibitions Photo by @hickeyblvd
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On Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, The shantyboat & Secret History project will participate in at @tanneryartscenter. Find us on Cooper Street on Fri and Tannery Sat
On Friday and Saturday, June 1 and 2, The shantyboat & Secret History project will participate in at @tanneryartscenter. Find us on Cooper Street on Fri and Tannery Sat
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What This Means
Sometimes as the world falls apart, as the drumbeats of war sound, as ubiquitous corruption exposes the true values of capitalism, as the torrential rain of violence exposes America’s racist foundations, as people here and elsewhere suffer and hunger and thirst and die, why should my life’s work come to this? Is it conscionable to…
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Rediscovering our secret cache of Dr Thunder’s Peachy Fire Whiskey during a shantyboat workday. #shantyboat #secrethistory #firewhiskey
Rediscovering our secret cache of Dr Thunder’s Peachy Fire Whiskey during a shantyboat workday. #shantyboat #secrethistory #firewhiskey
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Join our Spring Fundraiser!
We are trying to raise $8000 by Saturday May 26 to collect forgotten stories along the Hudson River, and stage a major exhibition in New York City. Your support is critical.
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I live on a shantyboat and float major American Rivers to hear people’s stories. Ask me anything
Our Reddit AMA is live. We wanted to let you know about something happening with the project on Friday. But first some background… The online community Reddit invites notable guests to participate in public forums where participants can ask questions. These are called AMAs (for Ask Me Anything!). They have featured olympic medalists, astronauts, President…
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New York Exhibition Walkthrough
In July 2018, WhiteBox Art Space in New York is exhibiting A Secret History of American River People.
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Vintage 1880s albumen photo of a young family living on a houseboat
I recently bought a vintage albumen photograph of a young family living in (what I believe to be) a shantyboat on the banks of a frozen river. The seller told me that this particular image was included in a lot of 1880s photos of Cincinnati, and that the river is most likely the Ohio.
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Where we’ll be when on the Hudson River
As you know we are busy preparing our journey on the Hudson River. That preparation involves researching the river and towns we will visit, making contacts with potential interviewees, and lining up exhibitions and funding. One of the very first tasks of new river planning is mapping out river towns, their relative locations on the river, and…
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Furgary Boat Club & Shantytown
In the city of Hudson, known to tourists for its antique shops and fine dining, a cluster of century-old fishing shacks from the Hudson River estuary’s once prosperous shad fishery teeters on the waterfront.
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Ashworth shanty boat trip
Nancy E Buell shared this story with us about her family: Lewis Harrison Ashworth and wife Georgetta sold their farm in West Virginia and bought a houseboat. It was tied up near Charleston [West Virginia on the Kanawha River]. They waited for the spring floods to come and floated downriver to near Point Pleasant [at the confluence of…
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Norwegian Shantytown located in Red Hook, Brooklyn
This is the Norwegian Shantytown located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The tall building is the Gowanus Grain Terminal on Columbia Street.
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BBC Slow Radio – Life on a shanty boat
A 20-minute watery odyssey – idling down the Tennessee River with the best thunderstorm in a tin shack you are ever going to hear… and some frogs…
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BBC Outlook – Building my own ‘shanty boat’
Wes Modes has spent the last few summers sailing along the great rivers of north America, collecting stories from the people who live on their banks. Wes travels in his homemade houseboat – or shanty boat – called Dotty.