These photographs are not recent and they are not my best, but they live with me in a way that makes them more current than anything I could have done yesterday.
They are a handful of the very many photographs I made of my grandfather, Salvator Altchek. He was a doctor, a general physician in Brooklyn, practicing in the same office since 1936 until 2002, when he died. He was my hero, my favorite person in the world. You couldn't walk down the street with him without people stopping and hugging him. People I would have never glanced at or paid attention to suddenly came alive. When someone gave him a handshake he grasped them by their wrist and took their pulse. He would accept $10, cookies, or nothing at all if a patient couldn't pay. He knew everything about everyone in the neighborhood - all the deep dark secrets- because patients would feel better just talking to him. He could detect what was going on with someone by their smell, their skin, and their disposition.
He would often send patients home prescribing a nice warm meal , and someone to talk to. He would also stay up at night worrying about them. When I lived with him in 1992 while I was studying at ICP, being a hypochondriac I also couldn't sleep sometimes, and we would sit side by side watching late late news on his blurry tiny black and white no-cable tv, and I would feel so safe and right. New York was fun with him. He wasn't wise in a solemn way; he just enjoyed people, and he cared about them.
I moved to New York a few years ago, and we are for the time being living in what used to be his office. His waiting room is our living room; my daughter sleeps in what was his examination room, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him to make me smile.
My move to New York coincided with the worsening of a chronic condition for which I constantly visit many kinds of doctors and have to deal with the health care system here in the US. I came from Argentina with this clueless notion that things worked better in the US, especially medical care, and I soon realized why my grandfathers patients loved him so much. I am jealous of them, that they had him as their doctor, and I also understand now how unique he was during the 80's and 90's. He was the last of a kind, most had already retired while he was still making house calls.
these memories are ( and will be ) allways a ' healing ' aid and a magic 'stuff' in your life ;
i am lucky too, i also had a ' magic soul-healing ' granny.
wish you and yours all the best.
thank you so much for sharing your beautiful photos and memories.
I live your story, on the other side of Earth. My mother is a general physician in a small Romanian town called Barlad. She is one of those people that lives to do that she does and she loves it. She loves people and has a certain sense when it comes to understanding problems. When I go back to my home town and walk the street with my mother, lots of people stop us to ask how she is feeling or pay their respect. Great story, great images.
Hi Alessandra, i I'm a doctor too , and I was thrilled with your story and proud of yours grandfather. I hope I can reach the age of him with condition to do the same for the careless here in my country , Brasil. l have the link of this blog on my photoblog (I have photo as a hobby) and I am always accessing magnum blog, but this is the first time that i am writing.Thanks for inspire me with your grandfather. By the way, great photos.
great photo there, i can see the warm feel about ur grandpa...
there always an angel that god sent to cure our disaster morality in the world, like your grandpa.....
I also had a doctor here in Indonesia, which had the same passion as him....
once again nice picture, touchy story, and inspired.
Lovely...I also have a beautiful memory like yours, I am now still often whispering to him in my dreams. Now my childhood was faraway with my dear grandpa.
Querida Alessandra, realmente es emocionante poder revivir momentos a traves de la fotografia y recordar de esta manera a una persona querida y amada y que ya no esta.
Es dar un paso mas alla de la misma imagen, es encontrar el camino a nosotros mismos, algo que trato de buscar en cada foto que hago.
Te felicito por tu trabajo y por ser parte de Magnum, un lugar que los que somos reporteros graficos,quisieramos estar.
Espero poder conocerte personalmente en algun momento, gracias.
Thanks for sharing! Featuring the opposite of 'institutionalized care'. Within the Vietnamese immigrant community in Toronto, for example you'll still find docs like your grandfather. Mostly older men who provide a wide range of services aimed at healing.
This reminds me my father, a unique man and doctor, too. He takes care of the whole village's people's heathy with his whole life. No one will stop shake hands and greet with him here. Thanks for your sharing, it makes me understanding "my hero" deeper and better.
Alessandra, las fotos trasmiten lo que relatas de tu abuelo. Y me alegro que se mantenga vivo el recuerdo y que lo difundas con esa sensibilida especial que le pones a las imágenes.
Estas fotos me recordó el poema de Borges Los justos, que evoca a lso anónimos que están salvando al mundo. Comparto el poema para los que no lo tengan presente.
Gracias por la inspiración.
Los justos
Un hombre que cultiva un jardín, como quería Voltaire.
El que agradece que en la tierra haya música.
El que descubre con placer una etimología.
Dos empleados que en un café del Sur juegan un silencioso ajedrez.
El ceramista que premedita un color y una forma.
Un tipógrafo que compone bien esta página, que tal vez no le agrada
Una mujer y un hombre que leen los tercetos finales de cierto canto.
El que acaricia a un animal dormido.
El que justifica o quiere justificar un mal que le han hecho.
El que agradece que en la tierra haya Stevenson.
El que prefiere que los otros tengan razón.
Esas personas, que se ignoran, están salvando el mundo.
Jprge Luis Borges
A beautiful story of a grandfather; who many still remember him!
your photo following his imprint, decisive, convincing in the eyes of us all.
a beautiful story!
Reader comments (17)
You have a wonderful character in your life, your grandfather Dr. Altchek. Thank you for sharing this beautiful personal story, and the pictures.
Mazen
Comment posted by M.j on October 17, 2008
these memories are ( and will be ) allways a ' healing ' aid and a magic 'stuff' in your life ;
i am lucky too, i also had a ' magic soul-healing ' granny.
wish you and yours all the best.
thank you so much for sharing your beautiful photos and memories.
Comment posted by joanna on October 17, 2008
I live your story, on the other side of Earth. My mother is a general physician in a small Romanian town called Barlad. She is one of those people that lives to do that she does and she loves it. She loves people and has a certain sense when it comes to understanding problems. When I go back to my home town and walk the street with my mother, lots of people stop us to ask how she is feeling or pay their respect. Great story, great images.
Comment posted by Andrei on October 17, 2008
Lovely. And reminded me of work by my gal, Keri Pickett.
Comment posted by Michal Daniel on October 17, 2008
These are endearing and have such a beautiful story behind them. The photos are so personal and intimate. Thank you for sharing these.
Comment posted by Alicia on October 17, 2008
Hi Alessandra, i I'm a doctor too , and I was thrilled with your story and proud of yours grandfather. I hope I can reach the age of him with condition to do the same for the careless here in my country , Brasil. l have the link of this blog on my photoblog (I have photo as a hobby) and I am always accessing magnum blog, but this is the first time that i am writing.Thanks for inspire me with your grandfather. By the way, great photos.
Comment posted by Ricardo Drumond on October 17, 2008
great photo there, i can see the warm feel about ur grandpa...
there always an angel that god sent to cure our disaster morality in the world, like your grandpa.....
I also had a doctor here in Indonesia, which had the same passion as him....
once again nice picture, touchy story, and inspired.
Comment posted by donal on October 17, 2008
Lovely...I also have a beautiful memory like yours, I am now still often whispering to him in my dreams. Now my childhood was faraway with my dear grandpa.
Comment posted by chiahsing on October 18, 2008
Querida Alessandra, realmente es emocionante poder revivir momentos a traves de la fotografia y recordar de esta manera a una persona querida y amada y que ya no esta.
Es dar un paso mas alla de la misma imagen, es encontrar el camino a nosotros mismos, algo que trato de buscar en cada foto que hago.
Te felicito por tu trabajo y por ser parte de Magnum, un lugar que los que somos reporteros graficos,quisieramos estar.
Espero poder conocerte personalmente en algun momento, gracias.
Marcelo Aballay
(http://blogs.perfil.com/fotografos/aballay)
Comment posted by Marcelo Aballay on October 19, 2008
Beautiful!
Comment posted by Noelle Theard on October 21, 2008
Thanks for sharing! Featuring the opposite of 'institutionalized care'. Within the Vietnamese immigrant community in Toronto, for example you'll still find docs like your grandfather. Mostly older men who provide a wide range of services aimed at healing.
Comment posted by peter on October 22, 2008
The photos and the story are lovely...
I never had a grandfather, but i would like to have one like yours...
Thanks for inspire me too...
Comment posted by Amanda Plaza on October 24, 2008
This reminds me my father, a unique man and doctor, too. He takes care of the whole village's people's heathy with his whole life. No one will stop shake hands and greet with him here. Thanks for your sharing, it makes me understanding "my hero" deeper and better.
Comment posted by Zhenhua Tian on November 1, 2008
Both these words, and photos are so special...thank you.
Comment posted by Erica on November 3, 2008
Alessandra, las fotos trasmiten lo que relatas de tu abuelo. Y me alegro que se mantenga vivo el recuerdo y que lo difundas con esa sensibilida especial que le pones a las imágenes.
Estas fotos me recordó el poema de Borges Los justos, que evoca a lso anónimos que están salvando al mundo. Comparto el poema para los que no lo tengan presente.
Gracias por la inspiración.
Los justos
Un hombre que cultiva un jardín, como quería Voltaire.
El que agradece que en la tierra haya música.
El que descubre con placer una etimología.
Dos empleados que en un café del Sur juegan un silencioso ajedrez.
El ceramista que premedita un color y una forma.
Un tipógrafo que compone bien esta página, que tal vez no le agrada
Una mujer y un hombre que leen los tercetos finales de cierto canto.
El que acaricia a un animal dormido.
El que justifica o quiere justificar un mal que le han hecho.
El que agradece que en la tierra haya Stevenson.
El que prefiere que los otros tengan razón.
Esas personas, que se ignoran, están salvando el mundo.
Jprge Luis Borges
Comment posted by Paula on November 4, 2008
l have the link of this blog on my photoblog and I am always accessing magnum blog
Comment posted by Nike Kobe IV on June 10, 2009
A beautiful story of a grandfather; who many still remember him!
your photo following his imprint, decisive, convincing in the eyes of us all.
a beautiful story!
You are great
My best wishes
Comment posted by Marco Negri on June 17, 2009