In the winter of 2016, Robert Cronin and Bill Barton shared with me their collections of glass plate negatives taken by George Dexter (1862-1927) and Edward Darling (1874 – 1962), two of the earliest Ipswich photographers. The glass plates had been stored away for almost a century. I was able to develop the negatives into high resolution black and white photos. Jeanne Langmaid Engel’s collection of Darling negatives were donated to the Ipswich Museum, processed by David Stone. Portraits from that collection are included in this slideshow.
Photographs by George Dexter
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- Women working in a shop
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- Doing hand work in the shop
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- The butchery
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- Two boys posing on High Street
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- A girl having tea with her Teddy bear
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- A beautiful face
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- Mill families
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- Farmer and wife with their chickens
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- Shucking clams on the Ipswich River behind the Benjamin Fewkes house at 48 Turkey Shore Rd.
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- “Camp Cedarcliff”
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- “Camp Cedarcliff”
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- Three women on an outing
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- A woman on the outing
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- Scouts and Indians
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- Ipswich lighthouse keeper Benjamin Ellsworth
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- “Undressing on the Beach is Strictly Prohibited!”
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- An outing to Boston
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- Boston car ride 1925
Photographs by Edward Darling
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- Albert Smith
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- Arthur H. Lord
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- Charles O. Olson
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- The Ipswich Cornet Band, 1889
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- Ipswich Cornet Band
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- Mr. and Mrs. Foster
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- The soda fountain.
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- Dr. Luce
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- Football team at Bialek field
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- Mr Fewkes and Mr. Darling at their greenhouse on County Rd.
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- A family on High Street
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- Holmes family portrait, 24 East St.
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- John B. Fewkes
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- Lizzie Dodge with her children
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- Man with a goat
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- Shepperdson Barber Shop in South Hamilton
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- Sumner Nichols and Billy Shephard
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- Sylvester
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- Ten men of Ipswich
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- Three women
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- W. A. Banfill with his new racing bike, George Dexter photography studio in Ipswich
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- The Winthrop Club drumcorps
Edward Darling photos from the Ipswich Museum collection
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- Picnic at Crane’s
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- Woman on the beach
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- Guys at the beach
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- Two men on a boat
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- Wringing out the water
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- Posing at Steep Hill
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- Little Neck women
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- Little Neck women
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- Little neck women
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- Little Neck women
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- An outing
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- Two women and a young man
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- Along the water
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- Man in uniform on Summer St.
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- Child with leg brace
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- Woman and house
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- Child and chicken
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- Dressed up with chickens
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- Lady with chickens again
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- Dressed as an Indian
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- The bride
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- Woman with dog
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- Two women
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- Swinging the ax
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- On Summer Street
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- Young man in uniform
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- Dressed up for a stereo print
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- Two women
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- Reading outside
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- Standing man
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- Man still standing
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- Elderly man portrait
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- Portrait 1
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- Portrait 1A
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- Portrait 2
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- Portrait 2A
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- Portrait 3
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- Portrait 4
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- Portrait 5
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- Portraiat 5A
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- Portrait 6
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- Portrait 7
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- Portrait 7A
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- Portrait 8
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- Portrait 9
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- Portrait 10
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- Portrait 11
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- Portrait 12
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- Portrait 13
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- Portrait 14
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- Portrait 15A
I worked in Ipswich for nearly 30 years , but lived in Newburyport. I was born, raised and lived all my life in Newburyport , but learned to love Ipswich and, in some ways, I felt. closer to Ipswich than I did to my hometown. For reasons I won’t go into I followed politics in Ipswich and Newburyport quite closely. The selectmen of Ipswich cared for their community much, much more than the councilmen of Newburyport cared for theirs. The citizens of Ipswich felt that this town was their home where-as the citizens of Newburyport felt their community, their home, was a way to make money. If I were able, when I retired, I would have a retired to Ipswich. It is a wonderful town. When ever possible keep it just the way it is. L
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That is amazing to see! I’m curious about all the portraits -who were they? Great to see the history of the town.
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Thanks, these photos weren’t labeled. George Dexter and Edward Darling had photography studios, and families would come in for portraits. They saved the glass plates to make further prints. Both men left their glass plate negatives with other people to take care of. Dexter’s glass plates were stored in a barn, then stored at an antiques shop, but many of them received water damage when the shop caught on fire.
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These are amazing! Really enjoyed seeing these. I own an original hand colored photograph, View from Bayberry Hill by George Dexter. It is in its original frame. I enjoy looking at it every day. Perhaps it was used to make the postcards. It would be wonderful if the Ipswich Museum organized a show with all these wonderful photographs documenting Ipswich. I would love to view them all together. Thank you for your blog and keeping Ipswich’s history alive and well!
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Does the name Pearce Johnson artist familiar?? Story goes he was a street artist in Ipswich then Boston. 1940’s .
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Maybe Newburyport– http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/william-pierce-johnson_184850320
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Excellent photo’s! Really great! Thanks!
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Reblogged this on Janet’s thread.
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