About

This website is part of a journey about my fascination with the hundreds (yes hundreds) of different types of photographic processes before the digital age. How did it begin?

I got the photography bug in the late 1970s when I took a camera with me to the Florida Everglades to illustrate some articles I was writing. Photographing the wildlife was more fascinating than doing the writing. I decided to start with the basics and signed up for a course in black-and-white photography. The first time an image appeared on the photo paper under the ruby light in the developing tray the experience was magical. This was the golden age of Ansel Adams zone system. It was also the flowering of what was known at the time as “alternative processes”. I was intrigued by artists who worked in platinum, salted paper, cyanotype and yes, even the daguerreotype. I was hooked. I had no choice but to become a photo archivist and oversee the care of these amazing creations and make them available to the public for study and appreciation.

Working at the Chester County Historical Society/History Center was my dream job. It gave me the opportunity not only to administer and catalog the photograph collection but to curate exhibitions, give lectures and to publish two books, Reflected Light: A Century of Photography in Chester County, Pennsylvania and Chester County Then and Now. I also had the honor of writing a history column for West Chester’s Daily Local News. I was immersed and fascinated by the history of Chester County during my 33-year tenure at CCHC. Even though I am now retired my interest in that history is ongoing.

I love biography. I saw the potential for fleshing out a bare-bones list of photographer’s names and working dates into creating a context for understanding their lives and work. Who are these photographers? Where did they come from? How did they learn the art of photography? Why did they think that Chester County was a good place for a studio? How did they prosper? Who was their competition? How did their personal lives impact their choices? If they left, why did they go? How did the world economy and world events affect their dreams and fates? So many questions, and now there are so many resources readily available at hand to answer them. It is a historian’s dream.

This work evolved into a study of the history of the art and business of photography in Chester County during the 19th century. The best approach was to work town by town, to get the feel of the market in each location. This is why it is essential to include the work of other local historians who are experts in their region. Kevin Stuart has contributed his fine research on Phoenixville photographers. I have also included references on the links page to articles by other historians on Chester County photographers. My goal is to have Chester County Photographist be your go to resource for information. But this can’t happen without your participation. If you have some information I don’t have, I would love to hear from you. Please use the contact page provided. This site will be constantly updated and new information comes in.

Pamela C. Powell, 2024.