On Thursday, the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier opened its doors back to the public for the first time since July’s historic flooding.Their welcome back event was a photography exhibit with special ties to Vermont’s longest-serving senator.Nearly 100 people observed one-of-a-kind photographs, with many that highlighted key historical moments over the last five decades.The unique aspect was they got to witness those events through former U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy’s eyes, because he was the one that took all the photos. “To see his perspective on historical events from his very own camera really seemed like a special opportunity,” said Quinn Austin, a UVM senior who attended the exhibit.Leahy said he’s been a lifelong photographer ever since his mother gave him his first camera when he was 4.Since then, he hasn’t stopped capturing both timely and timeless moments.“When I got to the Senate, it’s like someone opened the golden doors,” Leahy said. Leahy has taken thousands of photos during his 48 years in the Senate.He said his favorite is a black and white photo he took of a refugee man in El Salvador in 1982.Leahy said the look on his face still resonates with him. “He was basically saying, ‘I could never do anything for you. I can barely do anything for myself. What do you do for people like me?’ I always had that hanging over my desk. I called it my conscious picture,” Leahy said.Gov. Phil Scott said he remembers some of those photos hanging inside Leahy’s office in the Capitol.He’s happy the public gets to experience them now. “I can’t think of anything better than to see all of this laid out here so we could see world history and United States history through your eyes,” Scott said.While Leahy has nearly five decades worth of events and personal interactions he’s photographed, he said he won’t be stopping anytime soon.Leahy said right now, his favorite thing to photograph is his grandchildren.He loves that there’s a story behind every image. “I love photography,” Leahy said. “I’ll always have a camera with me.”The exhibit will be available to the public to see through March 29.Vermont Folklife plans to record a sit-down interview with Leahy to discuss his photos in the near future.They’ll have that video playing at their museum moving forward.
On Thursday, the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier opened its doors back to the public for the first time since July’s historic flooding.
Their welcome back event was a photography exhibit with special ties to Vermont’s longest-serving senator.
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Nearly 100 people observed one-of-a-kind photographs, with many that highlighted key historical moments over the last five decades.
The unique aspect was they got to witness those events through former U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy’s eyes, because he was the one that took all the photos.
“To see his perspective on historical events from his very own camera really seemed like a special opportunity,” said Quinn Austin, a UVM senior who attended the exhibit.
Leahy said he’s been a lifelong photographer ever since his mother gave him his first camera when he was 4.
Since then, he hasn’t stopped capturing both timely and timeless moments.
“When I got to the Senate, it’s like someone opened the golden doors,” Leahy said.
Leahy has taken thousands of photos during his 48 years in the Senate.
He said his favorite is a black and white photo he took of a refugee man in El Salvador in 1982.
Leahy said the look on his face still resonates with him.
“He was basically saying, ‘I could never do anything for you. I can barely do anything for myself. What do you do for people like me?’ I always had that hanging over my desk. I called it my conscious picture,” Leahy said.
Gov. Phil Scott said he remembers some of those photos hanging inside Leahy’s office in the Capitol.
He’s happy the public gets to experience them now.
“I can’t think of anything better than to see all of this laid out here so we could see world history and United States history through your eyes,” Scott said.
While Leahy has nearly five decades worth of events and personal interactions he’s photographed, he said he won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Leahy said right now, his favorite thing to photograph is his grandchildren.
He loves that there’s a story behind every image.
“I love photography,” Leahy said. “I’ll always have a camera with me.”
The exhibit will be available to the public to see through March 29.
Vermont Folklife plans to record a sit-down interview with Leahy to discuss his photos in the near future.
They’ll have that video playing at their museum moving forward.
