Saturday, June 9, 2012

Revered in Suspended Animation

My father worked at Revere Copper and Brass in Rome, NY for more than 42 years. He sweltered in the summer, and froze in the winter – 13 days on, 1 day off, for as along as I can remember. Although it is many years later, I smiled when I pulled in to the parking lot where we would wait for him get out of work. Waiting and watching and we’d (mom included) all cheer him on as he got closer to the building where he had to “punch out.”


This image is the backside of the gigantic horse and rider that used to gallop through the night sky during my childhood. When we’d drive into Rome from the “country” as my city-dwelling aunts used to say, we’d all be in anticipation to see if the entire horse was lit up. Sometimes a section of the horse or rider would not be lit up and we’d make up a story about what was going on. The best one for a little kid was when my father would tell us that Paul had to get off and take a pee (bathroom humor and kids go so well together.)

According to articles I found from the Rome Daily Sentinel, the horse has not been lit up in about 10 years. You can read more about this sign at: Rome Sentinel

This is what the horse looked like when it was lit. This sign is in New Bedford, MA and was refurbished.



Below is what the sign in Rome looks like during the day. In this view it looks like the horse is making a jump. The detail in this photo can not be seen by the naked eye because the sign is very high in the sky and it’s difficult to find a good vantage point. (BTW, the sign is HUGE.)


2 comments:

  1. I love story you've provided to go with this image. How wonderful it must have been for you father to have the cheering family waiting for him as he clocked out! This is a precious image you've shared.

    Also precious is the glimpse of your father's sense of humor in saying that Paul Revere had to take a pee-break.

    A small point of connection would be that my mother used to use RevereWare pots and pans. I'd never given a second's thought to where the durable cookware came from.

    In watching the neon sign and realizing that this is the factory where those pots and pans that had been given to her by her mother more than half a century ago were probably manufactured I experienced a momentary connection to a part of my own past.

    Thanks so much for sharing this.

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    1. I still use RevereWare - but not the copper bottoms because of many years of polishing the bottoms of the pans as a young girl on dish duty! Thanks for reading my story and taking the time to comment!

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