DARK SHADOWS FORUMS

General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '02 II => Topic started by: Bobubas on September 16, 2002, 02:19:10 AM

Title: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Bobubas on September 16, 2002, 02:19:10 AM: Digging through some old fest photos, I came across this photo pictured below and thought I would share it with the board. It was taken by a friend of mine on our group trip to Seaview(Collinwood) following the NY fest in 1999.

As in prior years following the East Coast Festivals, I had secured permission from the owners to bring a group of friends up to tour the grounds and inside of the house. On this particular night my friend Rich and I were sitting on the Terrace and he asked me if I thought it would be OK if he turned on "some" of the lights so that he could take a night-time photo of the house.

As you can see from the photo, he managed to gain access to quite a few of the rooms, the result being this unique perspective of Collinwood! (I then made him run around and shut off all those lights he had turned on.)
:-)
(http://bobubas.topcities.com/images/NITEVIEW.jpg)
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Midnite on September 16, 2002, 02:37:43 AM: It's gorgeous!
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: kuanyin on September 16, 2002, 02:39:21 AM: Beautiful shot! Don't they use a similar one sometimes on the show? Thanks for posting it.
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Maria_Merriweather on September 16, 2002, 02:43:33 AM: Thanks for posting the picture Bobubas. Collinwood aglow with light is a beautiful sight! :)
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Craig_Slocum on September 16, 2002, 03:38:13 AM: Neat photo Bob, thanks for posting it! Never saw one like that before.
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: VAM on September 16, 2002, 04:33:59 AM: Nice pix Bob!
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: CandleLighter on September 16, 2002, 04:36:33 AM: that's just beautiful.. thanks for posting it
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: onyx_treasure on September 16, 2002, 04:43:40 AM: So beautiful .....Looks like Christmas at Collinwood
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Julianka7 on September 16, 2002, 04:52:46 AM: What a lovely picture :)
Thanks for sharing it.
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: HobbiesDS on September 16, 2002, 05:38:19 AM: That photo is just way too cool! I'm envious. I would love to wander around that house!

HobbiesDS
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Josette on September 16, 2002, 09:59:12 AM: How beautiful!! Thank you!
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Cassandra on September 16, 2002, 10:57:51 AM: Wow what a beautiful picture Bob! Thank you for taking this lovely picture and for posting it. And thanks to your friend also (who ran around to turn the lights on) I'd say he did a great job! Thanks! :-)
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: ROBINV on September 16, 2002, 12:10:56 PM: Breathtaking! Thanks so much, Bob!

Love, Robin
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Connie on September 16, 2002, 12:26:41 PM: Wow! What a stunning and unique photo.

I Love This Picture!

Collinwood all lit up like that -- Bob, I swear, you get the best pictures. Breathtakingly beautiful.

[thumb]

-CLC
Who's favorite photographer is turning out to be Bobubas! LOL
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: VAM on September 16, 2002, 01:14:22 PM: Are you putting this photo on a t-shirt?
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Bobubas on September 16, 2002, 04:00:39 PM: Quote
Are you putting this photo on a t-shirt?

I hadn't given any thought to putting it on a shirt, but I certainly could. If that is indeed something that interest you (or anyone else) Vam, let me know what size you want me to make, and I can deliver it to you at the Halloween party in Tarrytown. :-)

Bob
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: VAM on September 17, 2002, 01:55:56 AM: Quote
I hadn't given any thought to putting it on a shirt, but I certainly could. If that is indeed something that interest you (or anyone else) Vam, let me know what size you want me to make, and I can deliver it to you at the Halloween party in Tarrytown. :-)

Actually, I have a nice original design idea for the Halloweenathon. I have done a sample on a t-shirt, key ring, and a clock. Now, it is deciding which item would be a good sell at the event. My guess it would be the t-shirts or key rings. The shirts would sell for $15.00 and the key rings for $5.00.
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Dr. Eric Lang on September 17, 2002, 02:13:21 AM: There is also a great shot of the house completely lit up on the "DS On Location" MPI video. We never see the house illuminated like this in the stills they used on the show.

I'm wondering about the portion of the house (in this photo) to the extreme right. From the virtual tour that was posted awhile back I was under the impression that this part of the house is closed off. How did your friend manage to get into it?

Also, you said you had "permission from the owners" - do you mean the Carey family itself, or the Salve Regina college, who leases the building?

It's my dream to visit there someday. (sigh.)
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Bobubas on September 17, 2002, 04:18:58 PM: Quote
I'm wondering about the portion of the house (in this photo) to the extreme right. From the virtual tour that was posted awhile back I was under the impression that this part of the house is closed off. How did your friend manage to get into it?

That portion of the house is presently used as a recreational room for the students that are housed there. In recent years it has been occupied by; pin ball machines, a pool table, fooseball, and several vending machines.
The parts of the house that are closed off to the students are Cecelia Hall & the wing the Carey's maintain as a private residence when they are there. Fans would best recognize Cecelia Hall has being the part of the house located behind the famous front doors of Collinwood. (we were allowed access to Cecelia Hall on our visits. It is used primarily by the music department, and they host concerts there from time to time) In the photo I posted, Cecelia Hall is the extreme lower level of the house that is lit in the photo. The wing the Carey's use when they are staying there is the unlit second floor section in the upper left of the house above Cecelia Hall.

Quote
Also, you said you had "permission from the owners" - do you mean the Carey family itself, or the Salve Regina college, who leases the building?

It's my dream to visit there someday. (sigh.)

I received permission from the owners.... the Carey's. Along with some fellow DS friends, I had befriended the Carey's during a 1993 visit to the house. Afterwards, I kept in contact with them and in 1995 arranged to bring a group of friends up after the NY festival. Mr. and Mrs. Carey couldn't have been more gracious, and Mrs. Carey offered to give my group a walking tour of the house, explaining its legacy along the way. I brought groups up again in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999, but have not been up there since.

The Carey's have been so kind in allowing our visits over the years. Salva Regina's security force patrols the grounds regularly,and Mrs. Carey has always made sure they were alerted to when my friends and I were going to be there,and that we were to have free run of the house & grounds. We have had pizza parties in the house, watched Dark Shadows videos in a darkened room, posed for photos looking out the tower windows, flown kites on the grounds, and I have even played tennis on the tennis courts at Seaview.:-)

But the most fun has been walking around and exploring the inside of the house. It has so many levels with a bevy of "nooks and crannies". Watching the recent episodes with David and Amy exploring the westwing reminded me of my friends and I exploring the house on our visits up there. As a matter of fact, on one of our explorations we came across a maid who warned us of a room that a female student had supposedly committed suicide in several years ago, and that from time to time she would hear noises come from this now closed off room. Sp00ky huh? ;-)
Bob
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Midnite on September 17, 2002, 09:23:59 PM: Quote
That portion of the house is presently used as a recreational room for the students that are housed there. In recent years it has been occupied by; pin ball machines, a pool table, fooseball, and several vending machines.

Hi, Bob!

In 2000, the room [on the far right] was closed for renovation, as was the ballroom (which was a lot closer to completion). The vending machines, pool table, etc. had been moved to the other side of the house just off the kitchen; it's an area where the students can also watch TV and do their laundry. As extensively as the solarium was torn up I'm thinking they weren't restoring it with the intention of turning it back into a rec room, but I'm sure I won't be getting back there for at least another year though I'm anxious to see how the 2 rooms will look.
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Birdie on September 18, 2002, 02:10:49 PM: Bob, how lucky you were! The picture is truly beautiful. I planned on going back down to Newport in a few weeks. At least I hope too. I have walked around the grounds several times but have never been inside. It is something i would really like to do.

Birdie
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: jennifer on September 18, 2002, 02:38:03 PM: Quote
So beautiful .....Looks like Christmas at Collinwood

agree makes a beaut iful Christmas card Bob!

jennifer
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Gothick on September 18, 2002, 09:54:02 PM: Gorgeous photo, Bob! Many thanks for sharing it.

Steve
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Bobubas on September 19, 2002, 12:33:46 AM: Quote
Hi, Bob!

In 2000, the room [on the far right] was closed for renovation, as was the ballroom (which was a lot closer to completion). The vending machines, pool table, etc. had been moved to the other side of the house just off the kitchen;

Ah, thanks for the update Midnite. I don't go up there for a couple years and they start rearranging the furniture on me. ;-)

Quote
As extensively as the solarium was torn up I'm thinking they weren't restoring it with the intention of turning it back into a rec room

Oh I hope you are right. I really need to try and give the Carey's a call to see how they are,and see if I can get the 411 on what the Solarium is going to be used for.

I'm glad you all enjoyed the night photo of Seaview. Your responses motivated me to scan some 40 photos today from my past visits to the house in 93 & 96 thru 99. If MsCriseyde gets the time, we hope to have a web page of them up at some point over the weekend. A handful of our fellow board members have made the trip up to Seaview over the years, and are featured in some of the photos. They include; mfmdpt, Lorraine, Sheenasma, Guy, Dean and Gothick. Here is a look at the Solarium pre-renovation circa 1996. I can envision Roger and Burke engaged in a game of pool, with brandy snifters resting on the rail of the pool table. :-) Bob
(http://members.aol.com/bobubas/pooltable.jpg)
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: MsCriseyde on September 19, 2002, 02:20:27 AM: Quote
I'm glad you all enjoyed the night photo of Seaview. Your responses motivated me to scan some 40 photos today from my past visits to the house in 93 & 96 thru 99. If MsCriseyde gets the time, we hope to have a web page of them up at some point over the weekend.

Yes, right now MsCriseyde has gotten herself into teaching remedial freshman comp, which means she is grading a stack of papers with such nuggets of wisdom as "America will move on to become still the best country in the United States." (My hand to God, someone really wrote that.)

It's a slow process. Grade one paper. Bang head against wall for 15 minutes. Apply ice for 20 minutes. Grade another paper.

There's also a whopping stack of photos of Selby from this year's Fest that Sheenasma sent me to upload. I've not gotten to those either.

Maybe scan a photo should be entered as a step between apply ice and grade another paper . . .
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: jennifer on September 19, 2002, 03:29:56 AM: Wow Bob next time anyone goes there let me know it is so easy for me to get there and would love to meet
some other forum members!

jennifer
Title: Re: Collinwood Illuminated!
Post by: Misty on September 19, 2002, 03:52:49 AM: Fabulous picture!! Absolutely exquisite! Thanks for posting it, Bobubas.

Misty