Only three more days in April, and only three more days to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. We have reached the letter X, which, for many A to Z'ers, is the most difficult letter.
I waffled, this year, between three different "X" words but settled on the word "Xerox". You might say, "But you aren't living up to your theme, "From Florida to Vermont With Stops In Between".
And you would be right, in a way. But today, we are going to visit Rochester, New York, the third largest city in New York State. Rochester has a historic connection with a "X" letter.
Rochester has a long and rich history. Part of its history is industrial in nature. Various companies started here, among them Eastman Kodak, Bausch and Lomb, French's (famous for their mustard) and a company originally called the Haloid Photographic Company. Haloid manufactured photographic equipment and papers.
In 1938, the xerographic imaging process was invented by a physicist, Chester Carlson in Queens, a borough of New York City. Xerography is (according to Merriam-Webster) "a process for copying graphic matter by the action of light on an electrically charged photoconductive insulating surface in which the latent image is developed with a resinous powder (such as toner)."
The Haloid Company acquired the rights to xerography in 1947 and brought the process to commercial use so successfully that the company changed its name to the Xerox Corporation in 1961. Eventually, when people thought of Xerox, they immediately thought of office copy machines. Growing up, I remember office copy machines being called (incorrectly, as this is not a generic name) "Xerox machines".
Although Xerox Corporation's ownership has changed over the years and is no longer headquartered in Rochester, Rochester itself remains an interesting city with many spots of beauty. Let's visit some of them.
Cat at entrance of Warner Castle, a structure built in 1854 to resemble a Scottish castle. Its sunken gardens are well worth the visit.
Highland Park, September, 2016. Their famed lilac festival begins in another week. The park was one of several in Rochester designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also helped to design Central Park in New York City.
Tricolor beech in the park, one of many majestic trees in the park.
One of the several tortoises in the park's Lamberton Conservatory. This one is a "repeat offender".
Black Button Distillery, Rochester, which was founded by a grandson of a man who owned a button factory. He wanted to participate in the family button business but there was just one problem - he was colorblind.
Grave of either Henry Lomb or John Jacob Bausch, Mt. Hope Cemetery
Interesting history. I knew about Kodak but not Xerox
ReplyDeleteRochester is an interesting place.
Delete...familiar sights for me, but I don't know where the mural is.
ReplyDeleteInside the Pittsford Trader Joe's (or was, back in 2016). At the time I took the photo I was not aware of TJ's no photo policy so I didn't want to get too specific in publishing it.
DeleteFascinating place. Must go...
ReplyDeleteYou won't regret it, and it's only about 37 km from Palmyra.
DeleteI looked up the sunken gardens at Warner Castle. Beautiful. Some sunken gardens are creepy to me, being built into old quarry pits. I have a thing about quarries with water in them. I always imagine never knowing how deep they are! Warner Castle's is the kind I like!
ReplyDeleteThe gardens are beautiful and the inside of Warner Castle (what I was able to see) is interesting, also.
DeleteXerox... I didn't know the history of this rather commonly used word in my life ever since I started getting photocopies of study material. What a cool way to stick to the theme and yet have an interesting post with X. Oh I just finished mine too... Tough one, right?
ReplyDeleteDropping by via A-Z challenge from momandideas.com
Aced X! Well done. Loved the tortoise pic the most. Know someone who was at the Rochester Institute of Technology, but had no idea of Xerox's connection with the city. Thank you for broadening my horizons.
ReplyDeleteLooks like an interesting town.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm right, my one client dad is from Rochester.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
I was in Rochester years ago to visit Eastman Kodak. Unfortunately that was about the only thing I saw. That was the time that I fell asleep on the plane and woke up in my hotel room...
ReplyDelete