What the Eyes Can See. What the Eyes Don't See.

What the Eyes Can See. What the Eyes Don't See.

From the archive  ·  Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts  ·  2025

Eight photographs of the college as it wishes to be seen. Seventeen of what stands behind that.

What the eyes can See
The Center for Theatre and Dance at Williams: a glass upper storey resting on red brick, young trees in front, clear sky.
01 62 Center
The same building from the lawn, its cantilevered roof running out over glass, late sun on the grass.
02 62 Center
Chapin Hall's columned portico lit orange by low winter sun, snow across the ground, a picnic table in shadow.
03 Chapin Hall
Chapin Hall from further back in the same light, contractors' equipment parked along the snow line.
04 Chapin Hall
Hopkins Hall in red brick and gabled stone, spring trees at either side.
05 Hopkins Hall
Students sitting and talking on low stone blocks among planted greenery, a neoclassical facade behind them.
06 Sawyer Quad
The front of Mauds House in blue shadow, its doorway a black rectangle, pilasters catching the last light.
07 Mauds House
The white church steeple against a warm sky at the end of the day, treetops below it.
08 Congregational Church
What the eyes don't See
The church's clapboard flank in flat light, snow banked on the roof edge, paint lifting along the cornice.
09 Congregational Church
The steeple close up: white paint blistered and flaking from the louvred openings and mouldings.
10 Congregational Church
A weathered stone finial on a gatepost, isolated against flat blue sky.
11 Mauds House
The service yard at night: brick wall, steel doors, a metal stair, packed snow underfoot.
12 Faculty House
The same yard a few steps along, a yellow waste bin beside the loading steps.
13 Faculty House
Wider view of the yard, air-conditioning units ranked along the wall, a parking sign above.
14 Faculty House
The top of a walk-in cooler condenser, its steel lid stained through with a wide bloom of rust, dead leaves at its base.
15 Faculty House
A brick corner under a security light at night, the beam raking across the coursing.
16 Faculty House
Weathered timber doors held shut by a plain steel strap hinge, rust bleeding down the grain.
17 Faculty House
Split and cupped boards with a sheet of plywood screwed over the gap.
18 Faculty House
A brass plaque reading ALUMNI CENTER, mounted on brick, photographed at night in the service area.
19 Faculty House
Worn floorboards running diagonally, warm light along the grain, a dark split opening between two boards.
20 Paresky
The loading dock after dark: a parked car, a dumpster, concrete retaining walls under floodlight.
21 Paresky
The dock from the other side, yellow safety railings, litter across the ground, a dumpster standing open.
22 Paresky
A concrete service passage lit by a single fixture, the far end empty.
23 Paresky
A notice on the wall: ALL ACTIVITIES MONITORED BY VIDEO CAMERA, in red, above a drawing of two cameras.
24 Paresky
A concrete service yard holding a picnic table, two discarded office chairs and a red bin, snow in the corners.
25 Paresky

Plates

  1. 01—
    62 Center · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  2. 02—
    62 Center · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  3. 03—
    Chapin Hall · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  4. 04—
    Chapin Hall · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  5. 05—
    Hopkins Hall · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  6. 06—
    Sawyer Quad · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  7. 07—
    Mauds House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  8. 08—
    Congregational Church · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  9. 09—
    Congregational Church · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  10. 10—
    Congregational Church · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  11. 11—
    Mauds House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  12. 12—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  13. 13—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  14. 14—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  15. 15—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  16. 16—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  17. 17—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  18. 18—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  19. 19—
    Faculty House · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  20. 20—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  21. 21—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  22. 22—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  23. 23—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  24. 24—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
  25. 25—
    Paresky · 2025 · Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Further reading