SHELTER ISLAND, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Penelope Moore, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker of Saunders & Associates, announced that the Shelter Island, NY home of noted photographer W. Radford Bascome Jr. has been listed for sale for $799,000.
Bascome, who photographed images of some of the icons of modern dance and classical music throughout the 1950's and 1960's, built "Pear Tree Acres" in 1962, the first A-frame style home on Shelter Island, NY.
Set on two acres close to Coecles Harbor, a popular boating area, and accessed by a long serpentine driveway, the 3 bedroom, 2 bath house sits on a hilltop surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs, and one surviving original pear tree that still bears fruit. The local newspaper, The Shelter Island Reporter, featured an article about its construction on the front page of its October 6, 1962 issue. Area artists over the years created sketches and needlepoint of the home. In contrast to the mostly black and white dance photographs associated with Bascome's career, the house has vibrant blue exterior trim and festive green and red trim in its interiors, an homage to the colorful coastal hilltop cottages in Greece. There is a carriage house with separate electrical service and a studio where Bascome worked on his extensive collection of books and photographs.
The subjects Bascome photographed comprise a veritable who's who of modern dance: George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Jerome Robbins, Alicia Markova, Allegra Kent, Violette Verdy, Birgit Akesson, Robert Barnett, among others. Bascome photographed all phases of dance with the New York City Ballet from Balanchine's interaction choreographing and working with dancers, behind the scenes of performances and photographs of interviews and artistic portraits of the dancers.
Bascome also photographed some of the most distinguished classical artists of the 1950's and 1960's for record covers of Mercury Living Presence albums. The collection of vinyl recordings, engineered by husband-wife team Bob and Wilma Fine, were known for their crystal clear, life-like concert hall sound utilizing three hand-made German microphones. The resulting recordings won the seal of approval from the artists whose performances were preserved on these albums and which today, continue to have devoted followers of pure acoustics. Bascome's album covers, described as "wildly colorful" by Stereophile Magazine, included conductors Antal Dorati, Leroy Anderson and Frederick Fennell, violinist Yehudi Menuin, cellist Janos Starker as well as imaginative, sometimes exotic images of recordings that included "Scherezade", "Bolero", "Miraculous Mandarin" and "Rossini and Verdi Overtures".
"The house in many ways is a mid century modern period piece. It has an original bright green, enamel fireplace in the master bedroom, a fully lit hung ceiling, vaulted ceilings with uplighting between the beams, a Dutch door, original pendant lights, wood shingle roof, and a street lantern said to have been brought from Brooklyn," real estate agent Penelope Moore said. "With copper beech and California privet trees and over a half dozen varieties of daffodils scattered throughout the property, it is easy to see how compelling this spot must have been for an artist as visual as Mr. Bascome was."
Notable people in the arts have been drawn to Shelter Island, which has a year around community of fewer than 2600 people. Among those who have owned homes here have included: designers Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan, actress Julie Kavner who is the voice of animated character Marge Simpson, sports writer Robert Lipsyte, violinist Itzhak Perlman, cartoonist-author Jules Feiffer, and author Leon Uris.
"Bascome's A-frame was the only structure on this block when it was built in 1962, and anywhere he went in close proximity, there was so much to inspire," Moore continued. "Today, the house might benefit from some updates, and there are more homes in the immediate area, but when you're on the deck of the house listening to the rustling of the pear tree and a mother turkey strolls by with her chicks, it's just natural to reach for your camera."
About Us:
Penelope Moore is a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker who heads up the Shelter Island office of real estate brokerage Saunders & Associates, which has offices in Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Southampton, NY. Moore has been the leading real estate broker in this Hamptons' enclave since 1997.
Link to listing at 62 Cobbetts Lane: https://www.penelopemoorerealestate.com/listings/shelter-island-mid-century-modern/
Saunders & Asssociates Website: http://www.ShelterIslandRealEstate.com
Penelope Moore Website: https://www.penelopemoorerealestate.com/
Contact: Steve Glick, Director of Marketing (631) 458-4923 SGlick(at)Saunders(dot)com
SOURCE Penelope Moore
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