A body of work documenting dry stonemasons in the Hudson Valley by Brooklyn-based photographer Alex Bruno. Much of Bruno’s work involves documenting the stewardship of public lands in the United States which he first began photographing in 2019. Since then he has photographed 27 National Parks as well as the work of U.S. Park Rangers. “You Can Have My Hammers When You Pry Them From My Cold Dead Fingers” is an ongoing series following The Jolly Rovers. Spearheaded by Artile Hidalgo, Bob Brunner, and Chris Ingui, this all-volunteer trail crew have dedicated themselves to creating access to iconic environments across Upstate New York. Using time-tested trailbuilding techniques, the group has completed over 30 projects in public parks and nature preserves across New York State, logging roughly 2,500 hours of service a season.

“In a world inundated by social media, artificial intelligence and mass consumerism, the crew they created represents an essential foil. The Jolly Rovers are a found family, varied in age, gender, occupation and race, that passes down craftsmanship that has existed for thousands of years. From harvesting stone from the earth to drilling, splitting and laying it on the mountain, these photographs showcase the intricacy of their stewardship duties and the lasting impact they will leave on these environments for centuries to come.”