ROLLINSFORD —
On Sunday, July 11 from 1-4 PM, the Colonel Paul Wentworth House will host a special exhibition of vintage nineteenth-century photographs from the collection of local historian and Association for Rollinsford Culture and History member, Christopher Benedetto. The historic Wentworth House located at 47 Water Street in Rollinsford, will also be open for its regular Sunday afternoon tours during these hours.
Visitors will have the opportunity to view and learn about these unique and precious “portals to the past” which were discovered in antique stores and on the internet over the past decade. Included in the display will be examples of three kinds of early photographs: Daguerreotypes which originated in Europe about 1839, ambrotypes which developed during the 1850s, and carte de visites (CDVs) which burst on the scene in 1860 and arguably became the “Facebook” of their time. CDV’s were often printed with the photographer’s name and address on the reverse, thus serving as an early form of advertising and providing collectors with invaluable information today. Some images were also inscribed with the identity of the person in the image, making them even more valuable and historically significant. .
Benedetto’s collection includes dozens of images from New England, with a focus on New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Of special interest is the very rare image of a local Union Army officer taken in Salmon Falls village sometime during the Civil War, which was recently purchased from a dealer in Connecticut. While the man in the photo has not yet been identified, it’s hoped that someone in the local area may be able shed some light on this mystery! Admission is free and all are welcome. For directions or more information about the house, please visit our website at www.paulwentworthhouse.com.
Photo caption: A special exhibition of vintage nineteenth-century photographs from the collection of local historian and Association for Rollinsford Culture and History member, Christopher Benedetto will be on diplay at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House. (Courtesy photo)
On Sunday, July 11 from 1-4 PM, the Colonel Paul Wentworth House will host a special exhibition of vintage nineteenth-century photographs from the collection of local historian and Association for Rollinsford Culture and History member, Christopher Benedetto. The historic Wentworth House located at 47 Water Street in Rollinsford, will also be open for its regular Sunday afternoon tours during these hours.
Visitors will have the opportunity to view and learn about these unique and precious “portals to the past” which were discovered in antique stores and on the internet over the past decade. Included in the display will be examples of three kinds of early photographs: Daguerreotypes which originated in Europe about 1839, ambrotypes which developed during the 1850s, and carte de visites (CDVs) which burst on the scene in 1860 and arguably became the “Facebook” of their time. CDV’s were often printed with the photographer’s name and address on the reverse, thus serving as an early form of advertising and providing collectors with invaluable information today. Some images were also inscribed with the identity of the person in the image, making them even more valuable and historically significant. .
Benedetto’s collection includes dozens of images from New England, with a focus on New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Of special interest is the very rare image of a local Union Army officer taken in Salmon Falls village sometime during the Civil War, which was recently purchased from a dealer in Connecticut. While the man in the photo has not yet been identified, it’s hoped that someone in the local area may be able shed some light on this mystery! Admission is free and all are welcome. For directions or more information about the house, please visit our website at www.paulwentworthhouse.com.
Photo caption: A special exhibition of vintage nineteenth-century photographs from the collection of local historian and Association for Rollinsford Culture and History member, Christopher Benedetto will be on diplay at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House. (Courtesy photo)
