Artist of the month:
Christopher Klein

As an author and travel writer, Christopher Klein often has the privilege of visiting fascinating locales a little off the beaten path and indulging his passion for photography. He has found that words and photographs are symbiotic partners in making the places he profiles come alive.

Christopher's photographs have been featured in his books Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City's Hidden Shores and The Die-Hard Sports Fan's Guide to Boston: A Spectator's Handbook. His photographs of places near (right here in Andover) and far (Australia and Ireland) have accompanied his articles in the travel section of The Boston Globe. Christopher's photographs of the Boston Harbor Islands can be seen on banners promoting the park, and were featured in an exhibition at the John J. Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston in 2010.

Christopher, a 1990 graduate of Andover High School, resides in Andover with his wife and two children.

Gallery Description

Growing up in Andover, I had no idea of the wonderful treasures that were just a short drive away. It wasn't until a book project beckoned that I was formally introduced to the marvels of the 34 islands and coastal peninsulas that comprise the Boston Harbor Islands national park area. Just a 15-minute ferry ride from Long Wharf, the islands offer a completely different world where the canyon walls of Boston's skyscrapers are replaced by open skies and the chaos of the city streets is supplanted by the tranquility of island life.

The Boston Harbor Islands are filled with recreational opportunities such as swimming, hiking, kayaking, fishing, and camping, and its colorful history abounds with tales of pirates, shipwrecks, Revolutionary War skirmishes, prisoners of war, hermits, and ghosts. After taking a photographic tour of Boston's "Sapphire Necklace," I hope you embark on your own voyage of discovery this summer and visit the Boston Harbor Islands.

The photographs in this exhibit are featured in Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands: A Guide to the City's Hidden Shores, a guidebook that offers historical narratives and contemporary portraits of each of the 34 islands.