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Simon Geller Photos

Credit: Jimmy Arsenault

Arnie Jarmak escaped Marblehead for Gloucester in the early 1970 's and soon he was crewing for Joe Novello delivering the Lady of Good Voyage to Honduras. "I never held a conventional job after that" he said "I couldn't believe life especially my life could hold such exhilaration and a sense of freedom."One week he was selling furniture for his fathers company and the next week heI was at the helm of an Essex built Gloucester fishing schooner on his way to the Caribbean with a real Gloucesterman who started fishing the Grand Banks in an open dory.

Upon returning from Honduras Jarmak began to photograph Gloucester. He opened a studio in east Gloucester and exhibited a series of photographs of the demolition of the Fisherman's Institute. He said, "I didn't t sell one photograph during that exhibit. But that wasn't the point." What he did get from the stay in East Gloucester was the friendship of Vincent Ferrini. "I was young and so unsure of what I was trying to do. Vincent was so focused on his art and the truth. I never met any one like him before or since."

These photos of Simon were taken in this Duncan Street Studio, atop the Glass Sailboat. Jarmak went on to work in Chelsea as a photographer for the daily newspaper the Chelsea Record for over a decade. He exposed 20,000 negatives which he is now exhibiting. You can see some of that work at Arnie Jarmak instagram @photobyjarmak.