Blog Post #22
This is a blog post idea that came to me through a single picture. A Davidson Family story for sure. But considering that, this is the only picture that we were aware of that Davidson took referring to the family project and labor of love that lasted 80+ years.
In 1918 the Davidson Family purchased land on the shore of Coweset Bay in Warwick RI. This is where they built their summer home – The Sunset Chalet.
The single picture I’m referring to is “The Chalet Hearth”
The massive stone fireplace in the Chalet, the subject of picture #1572, was built by David Davidson and his 2 sons David and Donald. The Chalet was also featured on page 2 in Davidsons last and largest catalog of 1925.
If you go back to blog post #11 you’ll find this picture; “Where Am I At”. This picture is of David Davidson and his Brown University buddies. Verification from the Davidson family confirmed my thought that this photograph was taken on the steps of “The Sunset Chalet”.
In the early 2000’s the Sunset Chalet was sold out of the Davidson family. That could have been the end of this story. But, a few years ago I was having a conversation with Davidson’s grandson and he mentioned that his grandfather took pictures off the porch of the Chalet overlooking Coweset Bay.
So the story continues…
There were 2 pictures that the Davidson family could confirm as being taken at the Chalet. #1754 “Honeymoon Sunset” and #1755 “Heavens Curtain”.
Were there more? There must have been. I can’t believe that David Davidson would have sat out on the back porch of his summer home with his camera, overlooking the ocean inlet, experiencing sunrises and sunsets, and just taken 2 pictures??
So hopefully you will hear back from me to continue this story!
World War I … A story for another day.
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