Museum’s Photography Exhibit Honors Sacrifices by Nation’s Famed and Unsung Heroes

A thought-provoking photography exhibition at a New Jersey museum invites the public to reflect on and honor all the brave individuals who gave their lives in service of the country. 

Through a collection of 21 large-scale photographs and a compelling clip from a New Jersey PBS episode, the Morris Museum, founded in 1913 and the only Smithsonian affiliate in the state, commemorates the initial sacrifices during the Revolutionary War – a price that continues to be paid in subsequent battles for liberty.

The At Home With George exhibition presents contemporary fine art photographs of Washington’s military headquarters at the Ford Mansion, the site of the nation’s first historical park established by Congress and President Herbert Hoover within the National Park System.

“As we approach Memorial Day on May 29th and Independence Day on July 4th, my photographs aim to not only highlight the natural connection between General Washington and these significant dates but also pay tribute to the often-overlooked men and women who lost their lives or endured extreme hardship through the decades in the fight for freedom,” explains Xiomaro, the artist commissioned by the National Park Service over five years to create the first and only artistic photographic collection of Morristown National Historical Park. 



The thread recognizing these sacrifices emerged in 1971 when Decoration Day, originally observed in remembrance of Civil War soldiers, was expanded and renamed Memorial Day to honor all fallen U.S. military heroes.



Xiomaro’s photographs poignantly and dramatically contrast the varying hardships experienced depending on the chain of command and societal structures of the colonial era.  One of the striking images on view reveals Theodosia Ford’s bedroom, repurposed as sleeping quarters for Washington and his wife, Martha.  Theodosia was a widow who selflessly offered her home as a military headquarters.  She chose to sleep in the dining room with her daughter while her three boys were cramped in the library.  Another photograph showcases a small room where Washington’s aides and visiting dignitaries squeezed onto narrow cots.



While these accommodations were spartan, the rank-and-file soldiers encamped in nearby Jockey Hollow faced the harshest conditions.  A rare close-up unveils the rustic interior of a reproduction log hut that housed up to 12 soldiers within a claustrophobic space measuring only 14 feet by 16 feet. Yet another photograph of a hut, set in the snow, captures the life-threatening conditions suffered during one of the most severe winters of the century.



“Xiomaro’s photography is distinctive.  His images are composed from unique vantage points typically unseen by the public while his use of natural light captures the experience of living in the 1700s, where interior spaces were often dimly lit,” explains Anne Ricculli, Ph.D., the Director of Exhibits and Collections who curated the exhibition with the support of Curatorial Interns Emily Rainbolt, Elizabeth Shack, and Jamie Zurek.  The collection, with more than half never being printed and publicly exhibited, is uniquely displayed in the Bush-Compton Gallery with subdued lighting suggesting a period-appropriate candlelight ambiance.  “As if walking into a dark room, the viewer’s eyesight must adjust to see all the details.”



For the past 12 years, Xiomaro (pronounced SEE-oh-MAH-ro) has specialized in photographing iconic historical sites to raise awareness of their history, culture, and natural beauty.  He is the author of Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing) with a foreword by Senator Joseph Lieberman.  The artist’s work has been exhibited at Harvard University as well as in museums and galleries across the United States, Scotland, and Italy.  Xiomaro frequently appears as a guest on mainstream television news outlets, including ABC, CBS, and News 12.  A rock musician, he turned to art photography after recovering from cancer, which prompted his departure from a career as an entertainment attorney representing Village People and other celebrity recording artists.  To symbolize the transformative experience and to acknowledge his Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, he adopted the pseudonym “Xiomaro,” said to mean “ready for battle.”

At Home With George is on view now until July 30, 2023, at Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, New Jersey, with support provided by The Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.  For more information, visit www.xiomaro.com or the museum’s website  https://morrismuseum.org/on-view/current/at-home-with-george.

At Home with George

Washington’s Morristown Winter, 1779–1780

2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Morristown National Historical Park as the first historical park in the National Park Service. To celebrate this anniversary, the Morristown National Historical Park commissioned the photo-artist Xiomáro to document the architecture of the Ford Mansion and the Jockey Hollow site “to reintroduce the park to the rapidly changing global and local communities it serves in the 21st-century.”



The Morris Museum exhibition, At Home with George: Washington’s Morristown Winter, 1779–1780, features the artist’s photography with its innovative use of natural light and his unique perspective of historical sites. Through his photography, Xiomáro documents areas of the buildings typically unseen by the public, resulting in photographs that capture the Ford Mansion’s dual role as domestic space and Washington’s 1779-1780 Revolutionary War headquarters.

Xiomáro (SEE-oh-MAH-ro) specializes in photographing iconic historical sites to raise awareness of their history, culture, and natural beauty. He is the author of Weir Farm National Historic Site with a foreword by Senator Joseph Lieberman. Xio’s work has been exhibited at venues such as Harvard University, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Long Island Museum, Fruitlands Museum, and galleries in Scotland and Italy. His work has been reported by The New York TimesFine Art Connoisseur magazine, PBS and other major television news networks, and publications in the United Kingdom and Greece.

Originally broadcast on PBS – State of the Arts

At Home with George: Washington’s Morristown Winter, 1779–1780 is curated by Anne Ricculli, Ph.D., Director of Exhibits and Collections with the support of Curatorial Interns Emily Rainbolt, Elizabeth Shack, and Jamie Zurek.

The related video was generously provided by State of the ArtsState of the Arts is a co-production of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Stockton University, in cooperation with PCK Media.

Exhibition support is provided by The Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.

For more information, visit the artist’s website (www.xiomaro.com) and the museum’s website (www.morrismuseum.org)

Exhibit by Xiomaro on Permanent Display at Morristown National Historical Park

A new rotating photography exhibit is now on permanent display at Morristown National Historical Park’s Jockey Hollow Visitor Center to celebrate the park’s 90th anniversary, its rich history, and the legacy of the American Revolution.  The collection of images was created by Xiomaro, who has worked with the park as an artist-in-residence.



The celebration also recognizes the park’s role in the historic preservation movement by which history became a public good.  On March 2, 1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the legislation establishing Morristown National Historical Park as the first such designated historical park in the National Park system.  Since then, 62 other historical parks have been created. 

PBS produced a segment highlighting some of the many photographs that are now part of the permanent exhibition.

The photographs in the exhibit were created by Xiomaro over a five year period to artistically showcase the beauty and historical significance of the park.  The large format prints present unique perspectives of the Jockey Hollow landscape, the architecture of the iconic Ford Mansion, and the rarely seen interiors of the Cross Estate Mansion. 

Xiomaro is an internationally recognized artist and published author who has been featured in numerous media outlets in the United States, England, and Greece.  Museums and galleries throughout the nation, Italy, and Scotland have exhibited his work.  After recovering from cancer, Xiomaro left his prior career as an entertainment attorney and found his calling during an artist-in-residence program, which resulted in his book Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing) with a foreword by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.

The exhibition was funded by a grant to the park from the New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati.  The Society of Cincinnati was formed in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and named in honor of Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a Roman soldier who relinquished his dictatorial power and returned to his farm – an outstanding example of service to the greater good, civic virtue, humility, and modesty. Today, with over 4,400 members in the United States, France, and more than 25 nations, the Society is the nation’s oldest patriotic organization and promotes better understanding and appreciation of the American Revolution and its legacy.  

“The New Jersey Society is very proud to partner with Morristown National Historical Park to support Xiomaro’s exhibit celebrating the events that occurred on Jockey Hollow during the Revolution,” said John Shannon, Society president.

For more information, visit the websites of the artist (www.xiomaro.com), the park (www.nps.gov/morr/index.htm) and the society (https://njcincinnati.org/).

Xiomaro’s New England Trail Photographs on Exhibit at the Connecticut General Assembly

The New England National Scenic Trail, a solo photographic exhibition by Xiomaro showcasing the Connecticut portion of the historic hiking route, will be on view April 3 to 14, 2023, at the Connecticut General Assembly’s Legislative Office Building located at 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford.

A selection of over 40 large prints will occupy 250 feet of wall space, which visitors can view from either a moving walkway or by strolling up the corridor that links the Legislative Office Building and the Capitol Building, Connecticut’s seat of government.  The immersive experience will introduce visitors to the scenic diversity of fields, forests, river valleys, and mountains encountered along the New England National Scenic Trail – also known as the “NET.”



Designated by the U.S. Congress as a national scenic trail in 2009, the 215-mile passage stretches through 39 communities from the Long Island Sound in Connecticut to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.  Although long known to America’s first landscape painters and adventurers, “Connecticut’s 110-mile portion of the trail is still being discovered by residents who enjoy hiking, walking, and nature,” explained Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”). 



Through the unique perspectives of the artist’s photographs, viewers will virtually hike the NET in various seasons and weather conditions to encounter Connecticut’s large-scale beauty.  But what Xiomaro finds compelling about the trail is more than the sublime long-distance vistas of mountains, valleys, and forests dotted with rural towns.  As explained in Unseen Beauty, a short film produced by the National Park Service (NPS), Xiomaro’s images reveal the smallest overlooked details of the trail’s range of diverse ecosystems.  Interesting historic landmarks near the NET are also featured.  



Xiomaro was commissioned in 2016 as a Centennial Artist-in-Residence by the NPS and its partners – the Connecticut Forest and Park Association and the Appalachian Mountain Club – for a year-long project to create an artistic photographic collection of the trail in celebration of the NPS’s 100th anniversary.  A few images from the collection – consisting of 223 photographs in both Connecticut and Massachusetts – have been published over the past seven years.  The 40-plus Connecticut images to be displayed in Hartford, however, comprise the first formal public exhibition.



Xiomaro is an internationally recognized and exhibited artist specializing in photographing iconic American sites to raise awareness of their history, culture, and natural beauty.  He is the author of Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing) with a foreword by Senator Joseph Lieberman.  The artist’s work has been exhibited at venues such as Harvard University, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Long Island Museum, and Fruitlands Museum, as well as galleries in Scotland and Italy. 



The exhibit is free of charge and is on view from April 3 to 14, 2023, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106.  The exhibition is presented by the artist with the support of the National Park Service, Connecticut Forest and Park Association, Connecticut Land Conservation Council, and Friends of Keney Park.  For more information, visit www.xiomaro.com.
 

From Landscapes to Streets – a Weir Farm Artist’s Journey

For the past decade, Xiomaro has been creating photographic collections for the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Weir Farm National Historical Park – where he has served as its Visiting Artist – and other organizations.  The work culminated in a photo/history book he authored with a foreword by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.  Although the artist is still creating images of bucolic National Parks, his unusual and gritty urban images are gaining recognition and will be part of group exhibits in Connecticut and Scotland.

Xiomáro | Photo: Barbara Cittadino

Xiomáro, like many commuters, maintains a physical presence in New York City for work.  Even Julian Alden Weir, who painted world-renown masterpieces on the property now preserved as Connecticut’s first national park, regularly took the train to the world’s art center.  But for Xiomáro, the city itself also provides a landscape that inspires creativity.

In Sixth Avenue, he presents a surreal view by photographing the street through the reflections of an all-glass bus shelter.  The image will be featured in the December 28, 2022 issue of Street Photography Magazine and a large print is part of a group exhibition at The Mayor’s Gallery in Stamford.

Sixth Avenue | © 2022 Xiomaro.com

Newsstand is another photograph that is garnering attention and will be on view at Scotland’s Glasgow Gallery of Photography.  A sphinx-like figure, surrounded by the clutter, practically blends in with his inventory.

Newsstand | © 2022 Xiomaro.com

For Xiomáro, who was described in a recent PBS segment as “a historian through the lens,” Newsstand is a good example of its connection with his National Park photography of Weir Farm, George Washington’s headquarters, and other iconic sites. 

“Through my street photography, I am artistically documenting what I like to refer to as ‘future history,’” he explains.  “With more people getting their information online, today’s newsstands carry few papers and magazines and, as seen in the photograph, are selling mostly soft drinks, snacks, and candy.  As a result, only 276 newsstands remain in Manhattan from the 1,500 in their 1950s heyday.  These once-familiar sites are anachronisms that may eventually disappear altogether.”

More of Xiomáro’s photography can be seen at his website:  www.xiomaro.comSixth Avenue is on view from November 8, 2022 to January 6, 2023 as part of A Look Back, a retrospective group exhibition curated by Lina Morielli at The Mayor’s Gallery, Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd., 10th floor, Stamford, Connecticut.  Parking on site is handicap accessible.  The exhibition is free of charge, but by appointment only on weekdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The opening reception, on November 17, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm., is also free of charge.  Contact esgordon@optonline.net.

Rediscovering Morristown National Historical Park

Morristown National Historical Park (“MNHP”) celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2023.  This historic milestone presents an opportunity for MNHP – the nation’s first designated historical park – to reintroduce itself to the rapidly changing global and local communities it serves in the 21st century.

Xiomaro
Xiomáro
Photo by Janet Pellegrini

To lead the commemoration period beginning in 2022, the National Park Service commissioned the nationally recognized New York artist, musician, and author Xiomaro (pronounced See-oh-ma-ro) to create fine art photographs of the park’s key features:  the Ford Mansion, Jockey Hollow, and the Cross Estate Mansion/New Jersey Brigade area.

All 2022 Events Are Free

  • June 4 (10 am to 2 pm) Join Xiomaro, the park’s artist-in-residence with a kickoff meet and greet at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center.

  • June 11 (2 pm to 4 pm) Xiomaro will host a photo walk along Jockey Hollow’s Wick Farm and Grand Parade Trail. 
  • June 18 (2 pm to 3 pm) Xiomaro will present a live café-style, family friendly concert at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum. He will be accompanied by Saint, a singer-songwriter he is producing.  The concert will incorporate an illustrated talk about his National Park photography and its connections with his music. 

For details and a free souvenir print visit www.xiomaro.com or contact Morristown National Historical Park at (862) 400-5972.

Ford Mansion Credit - Xiomaro.jpg
2d Floor:  Aides’ and Guests’ Bedroom - Table and Folding Camp Cot
Ford Mansion: 2d Floor:  Aides’ and Guests’ Bedroom – Table and Folding Camp Cot. Photo © 2022 Xiomaro.com

The Details

  1. June 4 (10 am to 2 pm) Meet the artist at Jockey Hollow Visitor Center at Tempe Wick Road, Morristown.
  2. June 11 (2 pm to 4 pm) Join the artist for a photo walk & talk at Jockey Hollow Visitor Center.
  3. June 18 (2 pm to 3 pm) Join the artist for music and fun at the Washington’s Headquarters Museum auditorium at 30 Washington Place, Morristown.

The exhibitions and programming are made possible by a grant from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cross Estate Mansion: Main Entrance. Photo © 2022 Xiomaro.com

George Washington’s Encampment in New Jersey Gets Closer Look in Photography Exhibition

George Washington’s Revolutionary War encampment in New Jersey is the subject of a fine art photography exhibition and companion programs. The images were created by Xiomaro, a nationally-exhibited artist, under a commission from the U.S. National Park Service. The exhibition and programming are funded, in part, through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State (a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts). The free exhibition – on display from June 6 to July 31, 2021 – will be on view at the nation’s first national historical park, which was established in 1933 in Morristown to preserve the site of Washington’s headquarters and his troop’s winter encampment of 1779-80. The large photographs are mounted against the windows of the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center, Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, for viewing outdoors in a socially-distanced setting. Videos of the artist’s work with the National Parks and his smartphone photography workshop will also be broadcast.

Over 1,000 log cabins, like the replica pictured above, housed George Washington’s troops at Jockey Hollow during the American Revolutionary War. | © 2021 Xiomaro.com All Rights Reserved.

Arts programming has been severely curtailed by the pandemic. Through a partnership with Morris Arts, the park was furnished with a grant to create a unique Virtual Artist-in-Residence relationship with Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”), a nationally exhibited artist. Fine art photographs mounted against the windows of the park’s Jockey Hollow Visitor Center can be viewed from outdoors in a socially-distanced setting. Xiomaro’s illustrated talk and photography workshop will be presented by video.

The free exhibition is on display June 6 to July 31, 2021 at New Jersey’s Morristown National Historical Park.

The exhibition features selections from the first contemporary collection of photographs to artistically document the key features of Jockey Hollow, which were created by Xiomaro (pronounced “SEE-oh-MAH-ro”), under a commission from the National Park Service. The images show the dwellings of Henry Wick (owner of Jockey Hollow), George Washington, his officers, and his troops. By placing these images side-by-side, Xiomaro presents a closer look and context that transcends a physical visit to each location in real time. The viewer is left with a greater appreciation for the vast differences in how these iconic figures of the American Revolutionary War endured the harsh winter of 1779-1780.

Xiomaro, a nationally exhibited artist and Morristown National Historical Park’s first Virtual Artist-in-Residence.
Portrait of Xiomaro by Janette Pellegrini.

“Xiomaro’s understanding of history through the lens makes him an outstanding ambassador for our continued efforts to reach all types of learners from more than one perspective,” said Jude M. Pfister, Chief of Cultural Resources. His work and aesthetic philosophy was the subject of “Unseen Beauty,” a short documentary film produced by the National Park Service and its partners.

Funding for Xiomaro’s Virtual Artist-in-Residence has been made possible, in part, by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Morris Arts facilitates such partnerships to reach an audience of nearly 325,000 residents with hundreds of artistic and educational activities, events, and programs. Additional funding was provided by the Morristown National Historical Park. 

For more information visit the artist’s website for details and a free souvenir print from the exhibition:  http://www.xiomaro.com or contact Morristown National Historical Park at (862) 400-5972.

Weir Farm – Yellow Squash

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April showers bring May flowers…and vegetables.

Movies have scenes that end up, as they say, on the cutting room floor and don’t get included in the final film. Likewise, there are photographs that I intended to include in my book Weir Farm National Historic Site (Arcadia Publishing), but had to be cut due to space constraints. And the image above is one of them. It has never been publicly exhibited or available for acquisition as a print.

Weir Farm is known for much more than the art that has been created there for well over a century. It is also noted for its historic gardens and orchards, which make for inspiring artistic subject matter. The property’s Terraced Gardens and Secret Garden are very popular with visitors as is its Sunken Garden. The latter was so well designed that, in the late 1950s, a prominent photography team was dispatched by Treasury of American Gardens to feature the Sunken Garden in its magazine.

The gardens at Weir Farm were developed for more than just decorative reasons. They were sources of food as well. During World War II, citizens were encouraged by the government to grow Victory Gardens as a way to offset rationing at home and to provide produce for the troops overseas.

Nothing went to waste. When the gardens yielded a quantity of vegetables that was beyond what could be eaten, the excess was canned and stored. The pantry at the Weir House has replica mason jars on display holding faux string beans, corn, peas, carrots, and tomatoes.

I was motived to create the photograph because I was intrigued by the Lilliputian viewpoint and the crown-like composition of buds and stems. The tender shoots in the center are almost like a crowd gathered to admire the emerging yellow squash.

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1950 Philco AM Radio (Model 51-631)

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For a time, my father had a small radio and television repair shop. We were living in Brooklyn, but I think his place of business was in Manhattan. In his day, working with radios and television sets was on the cutting edge of consumer technology. It’s akin to today’s programmers working on the latest apps and software.

Later on, that interest blossomed into an appreciation for these precursors to the modern-day smartphone. He started buying radios at flea markets, which was supplemented by the advent of eBay. It didn’t matter if the radios were broken. He had schematics, testing equipment, spare parts, and knew how to bring them back to life.

Eventually, he was buying more radios than he had time to repair. It didn’t matter. He liked the way they looked – their design, colors, and the materials of which they were constructed – and how they reflected the aesthetic of their eras. He also liked how his collection was a physical timeline of radios morphing from clunky wooden behemoths with tubes to handheld plastic boxes with transistors.

An ongoing project of mine is to identify, catalogue, and photograph this collection my father left behind. Of course, I am looking to create a traveling exhibition or, at a minimum, a book showcasing these rare pieces of our technological history.

The first piece I decided to photograph is this Philco AM radio (model 51-631) from 1950. It can operate on either AC current or DC current. It also has the option of being powered by two D batteries, which makes this item a portable one.

The radio measures almost 10 inches wide, a little over 6 inches tall, and over 3 inches deep. It weighs four pounds without the batteries. So, yes, portability is relative to the heavier home consoles of the time. And at 15 watts of output, it packs plenty of power to crank up the volume for your next shindig.

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Planting Fields Arboretum

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Well, this certainly does not look like a street though I suppose the shadows do suggest the paths of several intersecting roads. But I am using “street photography” broadly here.

Much of my work is created for commissions by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). That work is methodically planned out and involves an assortment of equipment as well as historical research. During the course of many months, the resulting images are pored over, selections are made, post-processing is applied, and a sequencing of the images is determined. A formal collection is, thus, presented to the NPS with an overarching visual and intellectual theme.

It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. Sometimes, I just want to have fun without having to think too much. And for me, the art of street photography affords that liberty. It’s about limiting my equipment to just one small camera and photographing spontaneously on the streets of New York City. No thinking. Just instinctively responding during a fleeting moment of time to whatever is happening around me.

That approach, however, is not limited to the streets. It can be transferred to other environments like Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, Long Island. I was there in April 2019 just wandering around. Suddenly, I noticed the long shadow of the tree behind me reaching out menacingly across the lawn as if trying to seize his or her fellow trees on the other side.

Perhaps that’s what Arbor Day on April 24 is all about – a reminder to be kind to our trees and nature in general lest we risk the environment meting out its revenge on us.

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