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While We Were Home

While We Were Home
Cornwall residents Jerry and Pat Blakey were photographed on April 29 by Lazlo Gyorsok for his study of what life looks like during the quarantine.
Photo by Lazlo Gyorsok

In the May 14 Compass, we wrote about historical societies and artists who are trying to collect images and texts that will someday remind us of how completely weird this year has been.

Photographer Lazlo Gyorsok, who lives in Cornwall, Conn., has already been working on something he calls the Pandemic Project, taking photos of people at their ease this spring at their Cornwall homes and farms. The photos are wonderfully normal, showing everyday folks doing their yard chores, playing with their dogs, delivering mail, framing artwork. 

Gyorsok said he started taking the photos as part of the Front Porch Project, “where individuals/families are photographed outside their homes during the Pandemic. 

“The photographers keep social distance while making an important human connection and documenting our new stay-at-home lives.”

Gyorsok has taken about five dozen photos, with famous folk such as artist/architect Tim Prentice, and everyday folk such as “Joe Zagata, our UPS driver.” There are children and families and farmers and artists and even a fly-fisherman.

The images will become part of the Cornwall Historical Society’s Pandemic Collection. They can be seen online now at www.lazlo.us/home and in the windows of the Housatonic Art and Frame Shop in Cornwall Bridge. You can link to them from the town of Cornwall’s website at www.cornwallct.org; click on Cornwall Arts and Remote Entertainment Page, then scroll down to Cornwall Online Offerings and click on”While We Were Home.”

Gyorsok is offering to take additional portraits at no charge, depending on where the subjects live and on everyone’s schedules. Call him at 860-672-6729 or email lazlo1@optonline.net. 

Cynthia Hochswender

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