Porter C. Thayer Photographs

This archive contains 1300 photographs made by Porter C. Thayer,scanned from silver gelatin prints, held in the collection of the Brooks Memorial Library. The prints were made in 1980 from the 5x7 glass plates negatives created by Porter Thayer. These images are also available on microfilm at the Brattleboro library. Porter Thayer was born Porter Charlie Thayer on January 6, 1882 on Main Street in Williamsville, Vermont. He grew up in the red house called the Tillotson Place in the Parish section of Newfane, Vermont. He photographed Windham County, Vermont, beginning in 1906 through around 1920. Like most Vermont men of his generation he was a farmer, specifically an apple orchardist, managing his 50 acre apple orchard on Baker Brook Farm in Newfane. He turned to his apple business after ending his photographic career. The postcard craze that most likely reached Vermont by about 1905, was perhaps the impetus for Porter Thayer starting up a photographic business. His diaries tell that he sold 1,197 postal cards during a six-month period at the height of his career. The cards were for sale as souvenirs to summer tourists at small general stores, local inns, boarding houses and hotels. Local folks purchased his photographs as well, especially around the Christmas season, to send to distant relatives. A Brattleboro, Vermont directory of 1909 lists Porter as advertising that he would come to anyone’s home and make images for a reasonable fee. Around 1911 he recorded that he had 720 customers. Eventually he photographed in all the towns within a 25 mile radius of his home in Newfane. Porter Thayer perfectly fits the archetype of the town photographer. He traveled the narrow dirt roads in his buggy, behind his faithful mare Lady, who accompanied him daily. He could apparently take extended naps while Lady brought him safely home, as she always knew the way. He used two cameras: a 5 x 7 and a 6.5 x 8.5 view camera and made glass dry-plate negatives. He traveled with stacks of postcards to be delivered at stores along the way to his days work. Working continually through seasons and years, Porter Thayer left an archive that is a cultural treasure for southeastern Vermont. The quality of his work shows that he was able to combine business needs with aesthetic ones. During the time period Porter worked, Vermont was extremely poor and rural, yet held a close-knit population that shared the labors of life. Farmers helped one another to survive in a subsistence and barter economy. For women, men, and children, life meant constant work. Thayer’s images describe the work and the tools involved. His landscape images reveal this working landscape, which today is mostly hidden by trees. The fruits of his labor as a photographer have grown in importance, as both the landscape and culture of Vermont has shifted into modern spheres of living. Written by Jessica Weitz and Forrest Holzapfel, 2010.

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318 Dwellings 277 Roads 246 Williamsville (Vt.) 204 Business 193 Newfane (Vt.) 153 Children 148 Landscape photography 133 Horses 117 Central business districts 110 Transportation 105 Portrait photography 103 Rivers 99 Jamaica (Vt.) 88 Wardsboro (Vt. : Town) 87 Church buildings 85 Bridges 77 Brattleboro (Vt.) 74 Snow 70 Farmhouses 67 Elementary school buildings 67 Holidays 66 Animals 66 Barns 66 Townshend (Vt.) 60 Dover (Vt. : Town) 55 Taverns (Inns) 54 Parades 54 Wilmington (Vt.) 51 Photography of interiors 48 Retail 48 Stores 47 Fences 45 Sawmills 44 Agriculture 44 Dummerston (Vt.) 42 Stone walls 40 Marlboro (Vt.) 38 Railroad tracks 34 Dams 31 Londonderry (Vt.) 31 Oxen 28 Automobiles 28 Neighborhoods 27 Covered bridges 26 Putney (Vt.) 25 Halifax (Vt. : Town) 23 Employees 23 Maple syrup 22 Construction projects 22 Family 20 Searsburg (Vt.) 19 Railroad trains 19 West River Valley (Vt.) 18 Logging 17 Vacation homes 16 Cemeteries 16 Draft animals 16 Jacksonville (Vt.) 16 Teachers 15 Ames Hill Road (Brattleboro, Vt.) 14 Natural disasters 14 Postal service 14 Western Avenue (Brattleboro, Vt.) 12 Westminster (Vt.) 11 Brookline (Vt.) 10 Apples 10 Baker Brook Road (Vt.) 10 Birds-eye view 10 Fairs 10 Hunting 10 Merrifield Mill (Williamsville, Vt.) 10 Mines and mineral resources 10 Valley Fair (Brattleboro, Vt.) 9 Bands (Music) 9 Guilford (Vt.) 9 Machinery 8 Architecture 8 Brattleboro Retreat 8 Courthouses 8 Crops 8 Farms 8 Forests and forestry 8 Ponds 8 Putney (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 7 Casson, Ben 7 Statues 7 Theaters 6 Baseball 6 Blacksmithing 6 Camping 6 Connecticut River 6 Dairying 6 Dexter, E. M 6 Higley Hill Road (Vt.) 6 South Branch School (Marlboro, Vt.) 6 Stagecoaches 6 Vernon (Vt.) 5 Advertising 5 Victorian 4 Boats and boating 4 Clothing 4 Cows 4 Dover (Vt. : Town)[|}Thayer family 4 H.A. Williams Store (Williamsville, Vt.) 4 Indians of North America 4 J.A. Muzzy & Co. Store (Jamaica, Vt.) 4 Libraries 4 Mountain Mills (Wilimington, Vt.) 4 Onlya Farm (Brattleboro, Vt.) 4 Police 4 Quarries and quarrying 4 Round Schoolhouse (Brookline, Vt.) 4 South Pond (Vt.) 4 Spinning machinery 3 Bank buildings 3 Brattleboro (Vt.)[|}Betterly family 3 Brattleboro (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 3 Camps 3 Hale, Lucy 3 Lakes 3 Morse, J. E 3 Prisons 3 Street-railroads 3 Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie),1882-1972 3 Williamsville (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 3 [|}Thayer family 2 Bicycles 2 Bingham's Mill (Newfane, Vt.) 2 Blackface entertainers 2 Boy Scouts 2 Colonial 2 Connecticut River[|}Thayer family 2 F.B. Stone's Sawill (Halifax, Vt.) 2 Flood damage 2 Green Mountains (Vt.) 2 Green Mt. Inn (W. Dover, Vt.) 2 Haying equipment 2 J.A. Davis' Store (West Dover, Vt.) 2 Jamaica Lumber Company (Jamaica, Vt.) 2 L.T. Landman General Merchandise Store (South Londonderry, Vt.) 2 Searsburg (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 2 Sheep 2 Soldiers 2 Stratton (Vt.) 2 Swine 2 Taft, William H. (William Howard),1857-1930 2 W.J. Metcalf Feed & Stable (Dover, Vt.) 2 Wardsboro (Vt. : Town)[|}Webster family 2 Weavers 2 Webster family 1 C.S. Wilkins General Store and Inn (East Dummerston, Vt.) 1 Cattle 1 Dover (Vt. : Town)[|}Stratton family 1 Gothic 1 Halifax (Vt. : Town)[|}Stratton family 1 Howe's Mill Dam (East Dover, Vt.) 1 Interior architecture 1 Jamaica (Vt.)[|}Stratton family 1 Moody's Store (E. Dover, Vt.) 1 Newfane (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 1 Newfane (Vt.)[|}Webster family 1 Peaked Mountain (Vt.) 1 Pierce, Delbert 1 Prouty's Mill (East Dover, Vt.) 1 Stoves 1 Textile workers 1 Trolley buses 1 Veterans 1 Wardsboro (Vt. : Town)[|}Betterly family 1 Wardsboro (Vt. : Town)[|}Thayer family 1 West River Valley (Vt.)[|}Thayer family 1 Whitaker's Store (Newfane, Vt.) 1 Williamsville (Vt.)[|}Betterly family 1 Wood 1 [|}Webster family 1 subject_geographic

230 Williamsville (Vt.) 195 Newfane (Vt.) 92 Jamaica (Vt.) 92 Wardsboro (Vt. : Town) 65 Dover (Vt. : Town) 61 Townshend (Vt.) 49 Brattleboro (Vt.) 46 Wilmington (Vt.) 40 Dummerston (Vt.) 33 Marlboro (Vt.) 32 Putney (Vt.) 30 Londonderry (Vt.) 26 Halifax (Vt. : Town) 22 Searsburg (Vt.) 16 Ames Hill Road (Brattleboro, Vt.),Brattleboro (Vt.) 16 Jacksonville (Vt.) 11 Westminster (Vt.) 10 Brookline (Vt.) 10 Western Avenue (Brattleboro, Vt.),Brattleboro (Vt.) 9 Guilford (Vt.) 9 Merrifield Mill (Williamsville, Vt.),Williamsville (Vt.) 8 Williamsville (Vt.),Baker Brook Road (Vt.) 6 Jamaica (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 6 Vernon (Vt.) 4 Brattleboro (Vt.),Connecticut River 4 Dummerston (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 4 Marlboro (Vt.),South Pond (Vt.) 4 Mountain Mills (Wilimington, Vt.),Wilmington (Vt.) 3 Brattleboro (Vt.),Western Avenue (Brattleboro, Vt.) 3 Higley Hill Road (Vt.),Wilmington (Vt.) 3 Marlboro (Vt.),Higley Hill Road (Vt.) 2 Brattleboro (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 2 Connecticut River,Putney (Vt.) 2 Green Mountains (Vt.),Townshend (Vt.) 2 Stratton (Vt.) 2 West River Valley (Vt.) 1 Baker Brook Road (Vt.) 1 Brookline (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 1 Connecticut River 1 Connecticut River,Westminster (Vt.) 1 Londonderry (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 1 Newfane (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 1 Peaked Mountain (Vt.),Townshend (Vt.) 1 Townshend (Vt.),West River Valley (Vt.) 1 West River Valley (Vt.),Jamaica (Vt.) 1 West River Valley (Vt.),Townshend (Vt.) 1 Western Avenue (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1 Williamsville (Vt.),Merrifield Mill (Williamsville, Vt.) 1 Williamsville (Vt.),Williamsville (Vt.),Baker Brook Road (Vt.) 1 Wilmington (Vt.),Williamsville (Vt.)

1259 still image
Miniature of Farmhouse, either the Phillips, Cook or Pratt house
Farmhouse, either the Phillips, Cook or Pratt house
Image nop
    • Date Created: 1911
    • Description: Believed to be same household as images bmlthayerT199 and T200.
    • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
    Miniature of Farmhouse with people in front, either the Phillips, Cook or Pratt house
    Farmhouse with people in front, either the Phillips, Cook or Pratt house
    Image nop
      • Date Created: 1911
      • Description: Believed to be same household as images bmlthayerT198 and T199.
      • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
      Miniature of Mr. Nichol's Campsite with Four People and a Dog, in Halifax
      Mr. Nichol's Campsite with Four People and a Dog, in Halifax
      Image nop
        • Date Created: 1911
        • Description: See image bmlthayerT204 also.
        • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
        Miniature of The Gorge, Halifax, Vt.
        The Gorge, Halifax, Vt.
        Image nop
          • Date Created: 1911
          • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
          Miniature of Main Street, Halifax Center, Vt.
          Main Street, Halifax Center, Vt.
          Image nop
            • Date Created: 1911
            • Description: Shows Congregational Church, looking South on Main Street.
            • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
            Miniature of J.A. Muzzy & Co. Store on Main Street in Jamaica, Vt.
            J.A. Muzzy & Co. Store on Main Street in Jamaica, Vt.
            Image nop
              • Date Created: 19--
              • Description: See images bmlthayer T235, T251, T262 also.
              • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
              Miniature of Main Street Looking West, Jamaica, Vt.
              Main Street Looking West, Jamaica, Vt.
              Image nop
                • Date Created: 19--
                • Description: Hearse carriage visible on the righ and store on the left in image.
                • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
                Miniature of Main Street with Post Office Visible, Jamaica, Vt.
                Main Street with Post Office Visible, Jamaica, Vt.
                Image nop
                  • Date Created: 19--
                  • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
                  Miniature of Sawmill with Workers and Draught Horses in Front, Jamaica, Vt.
                  Sawmill with Workers and Draught Horses in Front, Jamaica, Vt.
                  Image nop
                    • Date Created: 1912
                    • Description: See image bmlthayerT291 also.
                    • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs
                    Miniature of Interior of Mrs. Eddy's Room, Jamaica, Vt.
                    Interior of Mrs. Eddy's Room, Jamaica, Vt.
                    Image nop
                      • Date Created: 1912
                      • Description: Same image as bmlthayerT298.
                      • Parent Collections: Porter C. Thayer Photographs