When Roy commissioned me to compose a 55th anniversary photo gift for his parents Albert and Rita, he definitely wanted a story to fit the occasion; something that showed the beauty of their years together and would include some symbolic touches. That’s when I decided to use the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop. Roy’s father had deep roots in Brooklyn. Roy recalled him telling him on one occasion that he “walked the bridge” so we concocted the idea of using Albert and Rita’s B/W wedding picture, with them standing in a pot of gold on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The idea was in Roy’s words, “to exploit my parents’ nobility . to brag to the 10 million dignified citizens of New York City that my parents are ultra special and had the honor – awarded by the city – to post their milestone on the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Sadly Albert never saw his anniversary Dreamscape. Roy explains:
“When I gave my mom Nancy’s photomontage on a 20 X 30 stretched canvas, she was in a pleasant state of hysteria. Between the time I hired Nancy and the delivery, my father unexpectedly died. So the gift was all the more special. The photomontage brought back pleasant memories of Rita living in NYC and being in her wedding dress. Mom was really in awe of the composition and the depth of the picture, but mostly because it told the story of her courtship with vivid details.”
Roy told me Rita took her photomontage, weeping, and said to him: “Thank you. Now please help me hang it today in my bedroom. I love and cherish it.” That’s what I call a golden anniversary portrait.