Showing 1 - 10 of 773 Records
Porter C. Thayer Photographs
- Description: 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.
Collection
Tennie Toussaint Photographs
- Date Created: 2007-04-10
- Description: The Tennie Toussaint collection includes photographs of agricultural landscapes, logging, mills, barn raisings, and railroad bridges from the Danville, Vermont area, circa 1900. Tennie Toussaint was a columnist for the Burlington Free Press in the 1960s - 1970s. In addition, she was an artist, librarian, made maple syrup, and refinished antique chairs. The photographs were taken by Elgin Gates, a North Danville blacksmith. Other notable figures in this collection are Frank Valley, a carpenter responsible for a lot of the new barns built at this time and the remodeling of many local houses who was known for his meticulous craftmanship, and Arthur Sanborn, who owned the sawmill and whose home had modern touches such as electricity, an aluminum roof, and a stained glass window. The mill owned by Sanborn had previously been run by the McFarlands and produced one million board feet a year at its peak.
Collection
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, November 4, 1882
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1882-11-04
- Description: Topics include Buckham's interest in getting Frederick Billings to serve as a trustee of the University, Morrill's thoughts on the design of a new library building, and Morrill's thoughts on the Charles J. Folger's candidacy for Governor of New York and President Chester Arthur's role in getting Floger to run.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, June 11, 1887
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1887-06-11
- Description: Topics include a $50 donation from Morrill to the University and his thoughts on his upcoming commencement speech on Land Grant Colleges.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, May 22, 1893
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1893-05-22
- Description: Morrill writes about the state of agricultural colleges in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as well as the idea of having him make an address in support of keeping the Agricultural College at the University of Vermont.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, June 14, 1873
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1873-06-14
- Description: Morrill writes with interest about Buckham's recent discourse on history and with a few thoughts on Milton's work on Latin history.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, October 7, 1873
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1873-10-07
- Description: Morrill writes about a former supporter of the University named Harry and Senator George Boutwell's changed opinion on agricultural colleges.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, January 30, 1874
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1874-01-30
- Description: Morrill writes about his surprise at the actions of Henry Clark, the postponement of a bill from Senator George Hoar, and an address from President Andrew White of Cornell in support of aid to colleges and against sentiments previously expressed by President Charles Eliot of Harvard and President James McCosh of Princeton.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Albert L. Cummins, May 30, 1877
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1877-05-30
- Description: Morrill writes to Lt. Albert L. Cummins with an offer to teach military instruction at the University of Vermont.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham
Justin Smith Morrill to Matthew H. Buckham, July 21, 1876
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- Creator: Morrill, Justin S. (Justin Smith), 1810-1898.
- Date Created: 1876-07-21
- Description: Morrill writes with praise from Senator Theodore Randolph about President Buckham's work on the examining board at West Point.
- Parent Collections: Justin Morrill Letters to UVM President Buckham