Ithaca Then & Now, New Edition [Paperback]

Merrill Hesch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2000

Drawing upon the vast photo archives of the DeWitt Historical Society, this new edition dramatically juxtaposes old views of Ithaca architecture, parades, celebrations, and residential and shopping districts with shots taken in the very same locations today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...contains important information about how Ithaca and its various institutions progressed from the early nineteenth century to the present..." -- Carol Kammen, Historian

"...wonderful book of fine pictures, a guide for old-timer, newcomer, and visitor to Ithaca alike, particularly useful now with a map..." -- John Marcham, Editor and local historian

"The revised Ithaca Then & Now is an extraordinary work that reflects a unique community." -- Martin A. Luster Member of New York State Assembly, 125th District

About the Author

Merrill Hesch, a graduate of Vassar College in art history, has been active in research and photographic documentation of historic buildings in New York State since 1977. Between 1977 and 1979, she worked on the Schermerhorn Row Block restoration project in lower Manhattan. In Ithaca, she studied city and regional planning at Cornell University. At the time Ithaca Then & Now was published, she worked as a field representative for the New York State Division for Historic Preservation in New York City.

Richard Pieper graduated from Cornell University in 1971 with a degree in geochemistry. He worked as a restoration carpenter in Tompkins County before moving to New York City, where he participated in the extensive documentation effort of the Schermerhorn Row Block. In 1981, Pieper studied architectural conservation at the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Rome, Italy. At the time the first edition of Ithaca Then & Now was published, he was employed as architectural conservator for Historic Ithaca and Tompkins County, a non-profit preservation organization, and the Department of Planning and Development, City of Ithaca.

Hesch and Pieper are now married and live on the Lower East Side of New York city with twins Sarah and Aidan, 4. Hesch is an administrator of park and historic preservation grants for the five boroughs of New York City for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Pieper is a principal at Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, an architectural firm specializing in historic preservation, and is an adjunct assistant professor in Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Historic Preservation.

Harry Littell, a native of upstate New York, studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, fine arts at Cornell University, and sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, where he received his MFA in 1988. He has worked as a carpenter since moving to Ithaca in 1991 and maintains a strong interest in art, architecture, photography, and local history. He is currently at home looking after his daughter, Nora.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: McBooks Press; Rev Upd edition (October 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0935526757
• ISBN-13: 978-0935526752
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,969,305 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic, January 6, 2003

By 

cev "cev" (atlanta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ithaca Then & Now, New Edition (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the Ithaca area. You can catch glimpses of Ithaca's glamorous movie history or heavy industrial past from almost any sidewalk in town. In my time at Cornell I was fascinated by what I saw, but so much has changed that I could not put all of the pieces together. This book solves that problem. On facing pages, the author contrasts both the modern view and a historic view from the same location, with comments about the origin and fate of structures.

For those of us who want to learn more about Ithaca's origins and history, this book is a must have. If a few copies were put in the Straight Hall browsing library, we would have a lot more Cornell students who appreciate Ithaca.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ithaca: Then and Now..., February 14, 2001

By 

Philip Shafran (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ithaca Then & Now, New Edition (Paperback)

I greatly enjoied this book both for its useful insight into the city of Ithaca and community and its historical pictures with modern day representations. As a former student of Ithaca College, I recomend this book for anyone interested in discovering a hidden history of Ithaca that has been lost to the general public. Filled with historical facts and stories, the book does a wonderful job in repectfully paying omage to a city rich with historical status. A entertaining and informative book all around, a must for any history lover.