Stashed on Summer season street in Edgartown, the Penumbra Gallery is house to ratings of rare and valuable vintage prints from worldwide, some dating back to the 19th century.
Founded 30 years back by longtime collector Eugene Goldfield, the gallery’s walls are covered with stern household pictures, dreamy views of European capitals, and, obviously, plenty of nautical scenes. Describing his collection as diverse and non-traditional, Mr. Goldfield stated it is his objective to discover works lost to time.
” I want to highlight the lesser-known,” Mr. Goldfield stated recently in a conversation at his gallery. “It makes the pictures more original, along with more affordable. Widely known photography costs quickly end up being unattainable.”
Enthusiastic about photography given that studying in college, Mr. Goldfield has never been a photographer himself, choosing rather to work towards protecting premium historical prints that could otherwise be lost to dusty attics or misplaced albums. The prints themselves are often mystical and poignant, catching short lived and forgotten moments from the past. In some cases they are funny, revealing just how much the world has actually changed in the previous century.
Gallery is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this summertime.
— Maria Thibodeau
Primarily, Mr. Goldfield tries to find images that challenge the viewer.
“If it’s an image I find puzzling, if I am curious about what’s occurring behind the picture, I enjoy it. I am constantly searching for quirkiness in the images,” Mr. Goldfield said.
Mr Goldfield initially opened the gallery soon after he and his better half bought a house on Chappaquiddick. He stated he is constantly adding to his substantial collection of pictures, acquiring images at auction or from private art dealerships, in addition to sometimes offering client’s photos on consignment.
He said his enthusiasm for quotidian scenes and characters has actually been notified by the simpleness he has found on the Vineyard.
“I mainly gather vernacular photography,” Mr. Goldfield stated describing the school of photography that operates in contrast to fine-art styles. “I enjoy daily images and folk art generally. The majority of the time they were meant as candid pictures, which adds a sense of intimacy and spontaneity to them.”
Mr. Goldfield stated he sees his role on the Island as both a collector and an educator, hoping to inspire a diverse series of visitors and citizens. In this way he wishes to develop new collectors and stewards of classic photography.
“There is simply such a wide array of visitors to the Island who have limitless curiosity and innovative fecundity,” Mr. Goldfield stated. “It’s a best place to establish.”
In the meantime, Mr. Goldfield is content to keep sharing his collection with the Island neighborhood, while always remaining on the hunt for new images.
“There’s a serendipity to collecting and offering these images. I am constantly keeping my eyes open for the next one,” he stated.
Source: https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2022/07/18/mission-and-vision-vintage-photography