Topic starter
30/07/2009 6:35 pm
Following the festivities and post-dinner gathering at Judy's suite in Jeffersonville last July 18 after Alan's talk, Jonathan and I headed down to the riverfront between the Kennedy and Clark bridges to photograph the BELLE returning from her 8:00 Saturday night Moonlite. She gets in real close to the Indiana side there and makes picture taking real "up close and personal." I manned the still camera, and Jonathan did the honors with the digital camcorder. Unfortunately, since the video recorder required use of the tripod, I had to shoot my stills by hand, holding the camera as steady as possible for the night exposures. Of the 16 exposures, only two turned out reasonably in focus. I've included the best of the lot, and although the first one is blurry, it's still an interesting view of the old girl. Jonathan will be posting some of the footage he shot that night on you tube, with a link here on the message board. There's just something magical about the boat outlined with those hundreds of little bulbs. And the beautiful BELLE alone carries on that excursion boat tradition.
30/07/2009 7:14 pm
David, I have to say that the second shot is my favorite with her goin under the bridge into the lights of the city, and I look forward to seeing the video up on the Tube
30/07/2009 7:19 pm
AVALON lights
One of my favorite memories of the AVALON was going down to the foot of 18th Avenue and sitting in our car to watch the AVALON come upriver on her Saturday night moonlight. The little blotch of light downriver(now where the I 280 bridge stands) grew bigger and bigger and bigger. We'd watch her pass us by and then head home, which is only a mile from the river. Back in the 1980s when we did those Madison trips on the BELLE and sat on the porch of the President Madison hotel and watched the BELLE float by on her charter trip was a similiar experience.
31/07/2009 2:49 pm
Great photos! Even those who aren't steamboat buffs and buffettes are awed by the sight of the BELLE aglow in lights as she steams gracefully through the Louisville harbor on summer nights.
Herewith are several vintage views of the same boat with her decks glimmering!
(1 & 2) IDLEWILD at Louisville - 1948.
(3) AVALON at Marietta - 1950's.
