A physique of labor documenting dry stonemasons within the Hudson Valley by Brooklyn-based photographer Alex Bruno. A lot of Bruno’s work includes documenting the stewardship of public lands in the US which he first started photographing in 2019. Since then he has photographed 27 Nationwide Parks in addition to the work of U.S. Park Rangers. “You Can Have My Hammers When You Pry Them From My Chilly Useless Fingers” is an ongoing sequence following The Jolly Rovers. Spearheaded by Artile Hidalgo, Bob Brunner, and Chris Ingui, this all-volunteer path crew have devoted themselves to creating entry to iconic environments throughout Upstate New York. Utilizing time-tested trailbuilding methods, the group has accomplished over 30 tasks in public parks and nature preserves throughout New York State, logging roughly 2,500 hours of service a season.
“In a world inundated by social media, synthetic intelligence and mass consumerism, the crew they created represents an important foil. The Jolly Rovers are a discovered household, diverse in age, gender, occupation and race, that passes down craftsmanship that has existed for 1000’s of years. From harvesting stone from the earth to drilling, splitting and laying it on the mountain, these pictures showcase the intricacy of their stewardship duties and the lasting influence they are going to depart on these environments for hundreds of years to return.”
