On Tuesday my cell phone chimed in with a new email alert interrupting whatever it was that I was doing at the time. Sliding my finger across the dandy opening screen, I was greeted with a new email to our business account. Nothing new, no big surprise, I get a dozen emails to that account on the daily. What was new, was the depth of the emotional response that was very heartfelt, touching, and personal. I am going to share a part of that email, as the photographs I made of Ye Old Bud back in January manifested an emotional response which warranted the email. I am very thankful for receiving the feed back, as it really resonates with me, that what I photograph is not just connected to me through my lens, but to the viewers who read my photographs. A large focus in my imagery is to provide a sense of communication, the literal message is always prevalent, as I strive to leave out the ambiguity that some photographers unknowingly place in their photographs.
"Jeffrey,
I am sitting at my desk at work and trying to fight back the tears. I justdid a google search on The Bud and came across your pictures along with someexterior pictures at another web site. I could not believe what hashappened to this beautiful old building. Your pictures brought back somewonderful memories from long ago. I left Mass in 1969 and have only beenback a few times since. The last time was about 18 years ago. At thattime, I went to The Bud since it had opened up again as a restaurant and itseemed in good shape at that time.
My father, leased the building back in the early to mid 60's. I spent a lot of time helping to get the place cleaned up and ready to open again as a night club. It became a very popular and successful nightclub back then..especially with the collegecrowd. I was always impressed by the beauty and craftsmanship of the building, also the quirkyness! I think of the place often.
Thank you for posting the pictures. They are beautiful but sad. I'm afraid that the building is probably a loss. I don't see how anyone would ever have enough money to restore it."
I found The Bud wide open in January when one my photographers called me saying he was standing outside the door, lock tossed to the side, chain gone, and the door left ajar. I put down the work I was doing and rushed right over, meeting my photographer at the front door. The door had not been opened a mere two weeks earlier when we had passed by looking at the area and scouting some locations. Parting ways, my photographer had to get on with his day while I stayed and photographed the space. It was the first time I had been inside the building. A short time later, my intern showed up and we proceeded to tour the building floor by floor. Stepping carefully, we walked back in time, quietly observing the history of the building, making photographs, documenting its current state of condition.
Moving forward a few weeks, I had met with Olivia from the Historic Commission. After seeing my photographs, she was moved even more than she had been, to save the building. The building, left with back taxes, is awaiting its fate...
Here is a video I cut this past evening to show the exterior of the building. If you have a story about The Ye Old Bud, I sincerely hope you will share it. You can email me directly any story, feeling, or emotional connection you have to the building. Who knows, maybe your stories will be a motivating factor, along with the photographs to persuade a change, spark an interest, and save the building and all the memories the walls share. After all, the shell of the building is a time capsule, a sort of liminal space, suffocating and awaiting new vitality to give it a breath again.
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