Perhaps the best-known early Ipswich Photographer was George Dexter (1862-1927). His photographs along with those of Edward Lee Darling (1874-1962) provide a wonderful visual history of the town. The late Robert Cronin, an Ipswich native, shared with me his collection of George Dexter glass plate negatives that had been in storage for almost 100 years, These digital images were created from the glass plates.
The former Ipswich Central St. Post Office, with postmaster Luther Wait standing in the middle. Photo by George Dexter.
Cronin told how he came to have the glass plate negatives and why he shared them with me:
“I’ve been looking at a folder of old photos I had printed from some glass negatives I acquired a long time ago. It brought to mind my father saying many years ago, that if I did not “get on the ball and print the rest of the negatives, no one would be around to tell what they are” (or even care). Originally those negatives, made on glass, numbered into the hundreds. The photographer’s name was George Dexter. It seems that anything in Ipswich was subject to his lens.
“My uncle George Matherson worked for Mr. Dexter and somehow ended up with boxes of these glass negatives. My introduction to them was not good. As young kids, the value of these pieces of glass were not a priority. It was only later, when I was out of the service, and took up photography as a vocation that I found out what went into making these glass plates. The photographer in those days had to go through many pieces of glass to get glass without bubbles. He had to mix his own chemicals and coat his glass plates.Exposures could be loner than 60 seconds. Developing time was quite long as well. So those who use instant cameras can’t possibly appreciate what went into producing the finished product.
“The sad part is that I loaned the prints to a prominent party in town, who became ill and eventually succumbed. I felt I should ask for my prints, and after a period of time approached the offsprings and was told that they had no knowledge of the alleged prints. (This episode is one of the reasons that I am not enamored with lawyers.)
“I eventually realized that the prints were lost to me, but still owning the negatives, history was still within my grasp. This is where Murphy’s law enters the picture again. I decided to spend on evening in the dark room and replace my missing prints, but could not continue without something I had left with a friend. I had no sooner arrived at Charlies house and his phone rang. He hollered that it was Jen, and we better scramble. My dark room was on fire, and she had called the fire department. Among the debris lay most of the glass negatives. Only a few that were in the house survived.“
Click on any image below to begin the slideshow. Click on the ESC button or the X in the upper left corner to exit the slideshow.
The Steamship CarlottaCamp on Town HillThe John Baker house on the South GreenCelebration on the Choate BridgeThe Civil War monument on the North Green“Crane’s Landing” Crane’s LandingGiles Firmin Park, County Rd.Gould Creek bridgeGrape IslandUntitledPier on Grape IslandGrape IslandView of IpswichThe wharvesUncertain locationYacht ClubScoutsMarsh hayTurkey Shore, looking back at TownView from Town HillPost Office on Central St.East St. cove on the River, filled in for the parking lotIpswich River, with the Green St. jail in the distanceMoses Jewet houseUnknownCentral St.Lower North GreenLittle NeckPayne SchoolCamp on Choate IslandAsa Lord’s storeThe Agawam House hotelThe High St. power stationView of Water and Summer Streets from Turkey ShoreThe Ada K. DamonWater St.Dustbane factory on Washington St.Baptist Church on Loney’s LaneIpswich River and Ringbolt RockNecks and Plum IslandFormer cove at East St.Clam shacksGreen St. Bridge, the jailWreck of the Ada K. DamonLadyLittle Veniceboys posing for a photoChoates BoatyardSundial on Plum IslandUnknown houseIpswich after a snowstorm, view from Town HillView after a snowstormMarket St.The Warner Bridge on Mill Rd.1 High St.Choate BridgeUnknown roomNeck cottagePlaque to Samuel Appleton at Appleton FarmsView from Treadwell’s IslandTurn in the RiverIpswich RiverGreen St. BridgeTh Ellsworth House, Water St.Paganis’ Olympia Fruit StorePlum Island lifeguard stationHouse on Essex Rd?Unknown location on the RiverMineral and High StreetsThe old stone mill, and the dam that was built in the early 1800s.The Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe Memorial BuildingMeeting House Green and the Dennison SchoolLittle NeckLower North GreenGravestone of Lydia Dennis, wife of John DennisThe Caleb Lord house at the top of Manning St. (no longer standing)High St.The Cape Ann Sea Serpent by George DexterLittle NeckLittle NeckIpswich lighhouse and keeper’s houseLaunching a boat in EssexUnknown houseView from Town HillSalt Marsh hay stackHigh St. before these houses were moved for the bridgeThe Joseph Fowler house13 Topsfield Rd.Hart HouseHart HouseHart HouseGreen St. Bridge and Howard houseGrape IslandGrape IslandGrape IslandGreek immigrant mill workers with their familiesA first period living roomInside the Whipple HouseFarmer family with their chickensCounty St. bridgeDenison School on Meeting House GreenPhoto trickery by George DexterEast and Hovey StreetsUnknown stairwayWhipple House bedroomBay View Rd.Photo of a young woman by George DexterunknownBand on S. Main St.Bella VistaMill StrikeTapleyville Station in Danvers
7 thoughts on “George Dexter’s early photos of Ipswich”
A pleasure to view, thank you,
Amazing pictures, thank you.
These photos are priceless as are your identifications.
Lets find elderly Ipswichites to identify even more–including people.
What a beautiful town we had–and still have thanks to its caring citizens!
What a special treat. I am George Dexter’s great granddaughter and have never seen these photographs before. My brother found this article and shared it with me. I have visited Ipswich and visited some of these venues, along with seeing George’s gazebo studio which was still standing and in beautiful condition maybe 15 years ago.
Hi Kathleen thanks for your comment. The house at 15 Argilla Rd. belonged to George Dexter, built in 1893. Is the gazebo on that property? http://mhc-macris.net/Details.aspx?MhcId=IPS.5
My husbands family were from MA.
We have a photo of the marsh taken by Dexter. So curious about it!!
My husbands family is from MA.
We have a picture of the marsh by Dexter.
So curious about it!
A pleasure to view, thank you,
Amazing pictures, thank you.
These photos are priceless as are your identifications.
Lets find elderly Ipswichites to identify even more–including people.
What a beautiful town we had–and still have thanks to its caring citizens!
What a special treat. I am George Dexter’s great granddaughter and have never seen these photographs before. My brother found this article and shared it with me. I have visited Ipswich and visited some of these venues, along with seeing George’s gazebo studio which was still standing and in beautiful condition maybe 15 years ago.
Hi Kathleen thanks for your comment. The house at 15 Argilla Rd. belonged to George Dexter, built in 1893. Is the gazebo on that property? http://mhc-macris.net/Details.aspx?MhcId=IPS.5
My husbands family were from MA.
We have a photo of the marsh taken by Dexter. So curious about it!!
My husbands family is from MA.
We have a picture of the marsh by Dexter.
So curious about it!