Christopher Bannon

Chris Bannon was a bright, creative man with a gift for technology who strove for accuracy, detail and beauty in his work. He tempered his drive for excellence with a spirited sense of humor, but never stopped his efforts to improve his own performance. His excitement at learning a new approach or mastering new equipment added to the enjoyment of working with Chris. He devoted his time, talent and professional expertise to local historical societies for more than twenty years. First assisting with website development, Chris was always willing to help website novices improve their skills and guided many with website development. As the years went by he focused his own goals to digital photography. Recognizing the value and need to document Caldwell’s historic buildings, Chris was a major contributor to many activities of the Historical Society of West Caldwell and the Grover Cleveland Birthplace as well as the Grover Cleveland Birthplace Memorial Association. Chris’s images of historic sites were used to document the beauty and detail of these buildings, donating his time and images to the organizations. His pictures were used for publicity, but valued particularly for the clarity and excellence of his vision. In 2014 he photographed the exteriors of over two dozen homes in West Caldwell that were over a century old, resulting in an exhibit, “Historic Houses of West Caldwell” shown at the West Caldwell Library by the Historical Society of West Caldwell. His now unfinished photographs of the interior of the Crane Homestead on Westville Avenue were part of a series being used for a nomination of that house as one of NJ’s Historic Buildings. His images of the Carriage House behind the Grover Cleveland Birthplace were instrumental in documenting the need for restoration of the building and creation of a Visitor Center, resulting in a $49,000 grant for a feasibility study that successfully made the case for a one million dollar construction project now underway to build that Center.
Chris never accepted payment for his images or the time he spend creating them and teaching people how to display them to best advantage. Every year he attended history reenactments, fairs, exhibits and other events in NJ as he practiced new skills and built his portfolio. His delight in acquiring new equipment and learning to use it was a joy shared with anyone who worked with him. Chris always expressed his need to learn more, and his modesty was genuine and sincere. He made his own learning process a collaboration with the people of the history community with whom he worked. His guidance and advice were sound and prevented many a misstep in the planning and execution of photographic projects. Chris was always reluctant to be put in the spotlight, but his contributions were real and lasting and his loss is enormous.