*Photos submitted

PERTH AMBOY – A brand new Perth Amboy history documentary has been mass produced & released on DVD.  “John Watson 1685-1768 New Jersey’s First Artist” is the film.   As the film title discloses, Watson was New Jersey’s first professional artist. He made his home on Water Street in colonial Perth Amboy, purchasing an adjacent building to serve as his art gallery.

Over the centuries, the Watson saga has been forgotten and its remains scattered across the country. Producer John Kerry Dyke, and his film crew, have gone through archives in several States, pulling out items & images pertaining to Watson.   Many of these images have not been seen in Perth Amboy since the 18th Century.     In addition, evidence is examined from an archaeological excavation that took place on the Watson site via cooperative effort with Monmouth University.

Rare images from Perth Amboy’s colonial history, artifacts from an archaeological dig, and extensive research have all been incorporated into this documentary.

The DVD is free to the public courtesy of the Dyke Family and the Perth Amboy Historic Preservation Commission. It is available at the Perth Amboy Public Library, the Proprietary House, and the City Clerk’s Office.

photo: Eleni Glykis & Vilma Novak hold “John Watson 1685-1768 New Jersey’s First Artist” DVDs at the Perth Amboy Public Library.