Category Archives: Color Slides

Picking Kings

03 Thursday Nov 2011

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My Grampa Losee ran an apple orchard he inherited when his father (a country doctor by trade) died. Having previously been an engineer working at Bell Labs, grampa went about the science of raising apples very seriously. I own more color slides example of damage to apples than anyone has a right to. There will be quite a few more posts about this subject in the future, rest assured!

“Picking Kings” (Kings are apples, not people) October 4th, 1939

Being an avid photographer, Grampa Losee gave talks on the subject of apple farming complete with his own slideshows. I have a booklet for one these shows, titled “Apple Valley 1939-1951” listing all the slides used and one page of notes – he must have given this presentation without script.

“Inspector Amos” October 7th, 1939

The inside cover notes perhaps when and where he gave the talk: “Wappingers Falls Historical Society, 10/24/72 Stanford Grange @ Pine Plains School – Oliver Orton, Oct 1973 Friends of the Library – Starr Institute, 5/1/74 St. George’s School – Mrs. McMannis, 2/26/75 Rhinebeck Garden Club”

Page one is a list of points he must have used as his introduction to the show:
“Low C. Apple in Apples. Engineer Apple Grower. Half a farm – all in apples. No understanding of the “ecosystem”. Pictures mostly random interludes in the life of a fruit grower. Independent life. Only one task mistress – Dame Nature put Simon Legree to shame! Pictures span 12 years in the evolution of the apple industry.”

“McIntosh Culls” September 6th, 1939 (with Amos the dog driving the truck)

“Snowbanks Along US 9”

31 Monday Oct 2011

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In case you were under a rock for the last couple days, we had a massive, early snowstorm on Saturday. It looked a little like this, only with downed trees left and right, and not-as-cool cars.

Snowbanks Along US 9 02/22/1940, Red Hook, NY by John Losee

This is probably close to the apple orchard, north of town around Rockefeller Lane. Note that the road appears to have three lanes with white, dashed lines separating them. I asked someone once how those old cars got around in the snow and was advised that they were so heavy that they did pretty well, even with those skinny tires.

“Buried Liz”

28 Friday Oct 2011

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For you on this snowy October morning in Dutchess County, here is my grandfather’s car!

“Buried Liz” 02/09/1945 by John Losee

In front of the Losee (Thomas) house, in Upper Red Hook. The car has two points of interest sticking out of the snow: 1) the searchlight on the right side and 2) the Civil Defense logo on the left. During WWII, grandpa was a local civil defender. I’m not sure exactly what his responsibilities were, but I image he patrolled during air raid drills or something similar. This reminds me of a WWII-era Bugs Bunny cartoon where someone in the distance shouts “put out that light!!” Jack-Wabbit and the Beanstalk (I. Friz Freleng, 1943) But I can’t imaging Grampa yelling about anything!

I don’t know who the gentleman is, but my Gramm, Clara Losee (in the red kerchief) is standing just between the columns and gutter on the porch.

“Pullets & Doodlebug”

27 Thursday Oct 2011

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 “Pullets & Doodlebug” 9/12/1943 Red Hook, NY by John Losee

From 1931 until the late 40’s/early 50’s my grandfather owned and operated an apple orchard on the west side of Rt. 9 just south of Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook, NY. It was a tough business that he was forced to take on after his father died. Previous to that he was a scientist working for Bell Labs in the city. I have other shots of the Doodlebug and should see if I can identify the make, but this one is my favorite. I also love how he recovered a seat with an old flannel shirt.

During WWII, tractors were not mass produced as they are now. Instead, farmers took components from cars, trucks, and any other machinery available to build and repair their tractors so they could continue their farming. They called their invention “the doodlebug.”

They used their doodlebugs to plow, hay fields, haul logs, and pull out stumps. To do all this, the doodlebug needed good ground clearance for use in any conditions, going under trees, and climbing most any terrain. For protection they had a hood, cowl radiator, a small seat, some had a small truck bed, and most had a hitching point to tow with.

– Dundee Creek Doodlebugs

The shack in the background may be a chicken coop, but may also be his residence, which was a re-purposed chicken coop! When he married in 1944, my grandmother moved in there with him and they had their first two children with them until moving to Rock City in the early 50’s. My grandmother really, really loved my grandfather!

“Kilmer Barn Fire”

25 Tuesday Oct 2011

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I’m working on a post or series of posts regarding the past and present of the City of Pougkeepsie, so while I develop those, you’ll get some lovely, fluffy picture posts! Enjoy!

Kilmer Barn Fire 10/03/1946

Red Hook Fire Co. responds to this disaster in full Kodachrome color. Photo by John Losee. According to grampa’s notes, this fire was at John Kilmer’s farm in Clermont just over the border in Columbia County, NY.
Note the gentleman in overalls standing on the fire truck smoking a cigarette while attending a fire. Priceless.

“Phil Setting Decoys”

19 Wednesday Oct 2011

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Welcome!

I thought I’d like to have a place to post various musings about northern Dutchess County, NY which my family has called home for over 200 years. I have collections of color slides, letters, newspapers, family bibles etc. which can provide a steady stream of content for years to come.

To start things off, below is “Phil Setting Decoys” 10-27-1940 by my grandfather, John Losee. It was probably his favorite image and a scan, even with a lot of photoshop to try to get close to the real thing, doesn’t do it justice. Grampa Losee was born July 7th, 1907 in Upper Red Hook to Rosalie Fraleigh and Dr. Harvey Losee. He was an avid sportsman in his younger days, hunting all manner of woodland creatures, some of which we still have in taxidermy!

Here, his friend Phil (who’s surname has been lost to time so far) sets decoys in the early morning hours with John’s dog, Amos probably somewhere along the Hudson River in October, 1940.