Combining landscapes, interiors, and portraiture, American photographer Tema Stauffer explores the visually and historically complex community, culture, and architecture of one of the oldest regions in the county in her new monograph, Upstate (Daylight Books, October 2018). Located on the shores of the Hudson River, the city of Hudson was the first city to be chartered after the American Revolution. Incorporated in 1785, it developed rapidly as a thriving whaling and merchant seaport.

During the 20th century, Hudson’s economy suffered from the effects of the Great Depression. In recent decades, Hudson has experienced new economic growth, revitalization, and transformation through a migration of newcomers from larger cities.

Stauffer’s photographs in Upstate, shot on color film and bathed in natural light, depict ordinary houses, front porches, decaying barns, ruined factories, parked cars, winter branches, and evocative landscapes, along with compelling portraits of local residents. “Some photographs reveal a haunted or melancholic atmosphere that permeates the Hudson Valley, where the past remains deeply resonant,” writes the publisher in a statement. “Others evoke a quiet beauty and mystery emanating from the vernacular architecture and artifacts reflecting the industrial era and rural setting of upstate New York and the shifting economic realities over time.”

Upstate
By Tema Stauffer
Daylight Books, October 2018

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