By: Carrie Heath, October 28, 2024
The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center is pleased to announce that the Main Gallery exhibit for November will be a photography display by Robert Blair of 32 of his annual Christmas card photographs called, “A Blair House Original Limited Edition Christmas Card Collection: 1993 – 2024.” The 2024 photograph will be revealed at the opening reception which will be held on Saturday, November 9 th from 2-4PM. The reception is free and open to the public, who are invited to come enjoy light refreshments and hear about Bob’s journey as a photographer. This exhibit will remain on display until Sunday, December 1st .
Blair House Originals started in 1993, when Bob was searching for a Christmas card with a local scene to no avail. Then it came to him to create his own original photo card. Little did he know it would turn into an ongoing 32-year project! His first card was a Christmas wreath covered in snow on a gas light at night. That started his tradition of capturing night scenes of local subjects. Many of Bob’s subjects were created in one attempt, while some were photographed many, many times to get the right one. Quite a few of the photographs were taken during snow storms or bitter cold temperatures. For several years, he used his SLR film cameras on tripods and bracing several f-stops. In more recent years, Bob’s digital Nikon captured his subjects. Bob does not use any software to alter his natural shots. He does not remove wires or other obstructions, but moves himself around to get them out of the shot. Bob always tries to keep a few photos ahead of each year contemplating his next card.
Robert Blair is a native of Wellsboro. He began his love of photography at a very young age using a Brownie camera. In college his interest grew through being a contributor to the college newspaper and using the college’s cameras. As a Political Science Major during the late 60s and early 70s Bob often thought about becoming a photojournalist. He purchased his first SLR camera at Customs on his first trip to Ireland in 1993. Since then, Bob has owned several Nikon film cameras and more recently Nikon digital cameras. He usually focuses on outdoor scenery of local social events. Bob gets teased from time to time by friends who say, “I didn’t recognize you without your camera,” and he reaches into his jean pocket and pulls out his Samsung.
The Gmeiner is open from 12-6PM Tuesdays through Sundays and is located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro behind the Green Free Library. Admission to the gallery is free.