Dutch Architecture Near Albany: The Polgren Photographs

Albany native and Dutch descendant Waldron Polgreen made this exquisite collection of photographs in the 1930s and early 1940s. The images are of very good quality, having been photographed on 5 x 7 inch sheet film and carefully preserved by his family. Rich, detailed descriptions and drawings enhance the collection. Before perishing in World War II, young Polgreen roamed the countryside around Albany, carefully photographing these aging Dutch dwellings from many angles. There is no other such book on the surviving Dutch-American dwellings as found in the 1930s. Even those with no particular interest in Dutch architecture will enjoy the raw, embellished scenes of a simpler time. Many of the Dutch houses seen in this book did not survive past the 1970s, and far fewer can be seen today. The book includes a 1944 portrait of Polgreen in US Army uniform, and a short biography.