Greenpoint, October, 2015

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Perth Ambience

Perth Amboy was bright in the after rainstorm sunshine. A working class city with well-kept houses, churches, municipal buildings. Even some pretty Victorians, like the one below.
(Photo: Susan Hendel)
Still, my research partner and I sensed something ominous beneath the wholesome, or at least respectable, facade. As we came out of the St. Peter's churchyard, with its 18th century gravestones, we saw something odd on the front of a pickup truck parked across the street.
(Photo: Susan Hendel)
Closer inspection revealed the figure of a shirtless man (professional wrestler?), a green tongue lolling from his mouth, astride a wooly animal. "It's a beaver," my companion said. Looking closely, I could see she was right. Stranger still, the truck belonged to the P.A. Board of Education. What goes on in the classrooms of Perth Amboy? (All this before we found the creepy locker at the ferry slip museum.)

We weren't the only ones to have sensed something not-quite-right lurking behind those windows. These photographs are by Rachel Harrison, from her 2001 series, Perth Amboy.


More from Perth Amboy, including the reason for our research trip in an upcoming post!

3 comments:

  1. Perhaps you could track down the owner and suggest a business partnership? I think there's a market for this kind of auto accessory.

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  2. Brilliant beyond comment.

    I guessed: Tor Johnson astride a ram (literal, or battering, pick either option), preparing a power exit from the cave of Polyphemus.

    Nah... but still.

    Second-from-bottom image: waving goodbye to Tor??

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  3. Tom,
    Thanks for introducing me to Tor Johnson ("The Super Swedish Angel"). He does appear to be an avenging angel. On the his beaver!

    ReplyDelete