Port Jervis documents a special day

Capturing the community’s most common moments on its 100th birthday

By SANDY LONG

PORT JERVIS, NY — “I wanted to find a way to document the life of our city at its centennial,” said Minisink Valley Historical Society director Peter Osborne, who remembered the 1986 project, “A Day in the Life of America,” in which photographers shot images of life across America for 24 hours. The photos were then published in a book.

Osborne thought the project might work for Port Jervis in the form of a DVD, and also thought he knew the right filmmaker to take on the effort. Jason Randolph, a lifelong resident of Port Jervis, and his wife, Melissa, had produced an earlier documentary about regional flooding to raise funds for their community. Osborne contacted Randolph and planning began.

Press releases were submitted to the media explaining the project and inviting all interested parties to participate. Initial response was low, but as the date neared, people began to show interest. Eventually, 31 photographers—children, professionals and amateurs alike—participated in the project, using everything from disposable cameras to expensive digital equipment. They collected images for 24 hours on July 26, 2007, each bringing their own perspective.

A project of the Minisink Valley Historical Society, the Port Jervis Centennial Committee and Randolph Design, “A Day in the Life of Port Jervis: July 26, 2007” includes 300 of the more than 1,000 images shot that day.

The film debuted at the coffee shop, Port Java, recently, where approximately 100 people saw the images of the town depicted in its everyday moments—the first commuter train as it rolls into town, glass-blowing at the Gillinder Glass factory, surgery being performed, puppies for sale, sanitation men collecting garbage, a cardinal in a tree, a baby in a pool, women under hairdryers at the beauty parlor, dogs being groomed, ice cream being served, diners, coffee shops, houses of worship, schools, parks, delis, pizzerias, laundromats, police officers on patrol, cemeteries, churchyards and cotton candy being spun at the Centennial Celebration conducted that day.

Describing the centennial aspect of the project, Osborne said that many of the images illuminate the swift passage of time in the hundred years since the city of Port Jervis was officially born. “When I saw the picture of the woman using the laptop computer on her front porch, it struck me that this was something that was simply inconceivable in 1907.

The Randolphs collected the images, organized and catalogued the information related to each, and created the film. The pictures flow and recede, accompanied by music and sparse text that includes the photographer’s name, the time at which the photo was taken and the image’s title. Clusters of images are interspersed with narration by Osborne, who noted, “It really captures the city at that moment in time.”

The Randolphs have also produced a film, “Rising Waters,” which documents the flooding that struck the towns of Deerpark and Port Jervis in April 2005. The film features footage and photographs and its soundtrack was written and performed by local musicians, Terry McDonough and Bernard Leonard Jr. According to Randolph, proceeds from the sale of the DVDs were given to the Port Jervis schools as gift cards, which were then distributed to children whose homes and possessions were damaged by the flood. Copies are still available for $5 each by emailing jason@randolphdesigns.com.

“A Day in the Life of Port Jervis” is available for $10 from Port Jervis Mayor Gary Lopriore’s office by calling 845/858-4017, or by contacting the Randolphs at randolphdesign.com for more information.