New England. Image of New England, 1839-1989: 150 Years of Photography by Thurman F. Naylor.

SPSE, The Society for Imaging Science and Technology and Photographic Historical Society of New England, 1989. Foreword by Clifford S. Ackley. Profusely illustrated. Topics covered include Francis Edgar Stanley, Union cases, Oliver Wendell Holmes, color film, Harold E. Edgerton, Edwin Land and Polaroid, photographs from space, Bradford Washburn and his 55-pound Fairchild camera, and underwater photography. Wraps, 22 pages, fine. Summary:

Image of New England, 1839–1989: 150 Years of Photography (1989) is a concise, 22-page commemorative catalog written by photo historian, prolific camera collector, and author Thurman F. Naylor (often known as Jack Naylor). It was co-published by SPSE (The Society for Imaging Science and Technology) and the Photographic Historical Society of New England to celebrate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the invention of photography.

Featuring a foreword by Clifford S. Ackley, the curator of prints, drawings, and photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the booklet functions as a rapid chronological and thematic survey of how New England innovators fundamentally shaped both the artistic and technological trajectories of the medium.

Core Themes & Technological Highlights

• Pioneers of the Image: Naylor reviews the earliest days of American photography, centering heavily on Massachusetts-based innovators. The narrative highlights the artistic and technical mastery of early Boston daguerreotypists and documents the historical significance of the nineteenth-century Union cases used to protect fragile images.

• The Stanley Steam Brothers: The text delves into the fascinating contributions of Francis Edgar Stanley (famed co-developer of the Stanley Steamer automobile), tracing how he and his twin brother invented and mass-produced the revolutionary dry-plate photographic process before selling their company to Eastman Kodak.

• Optics and Enlightenment: The publication examines the conceptual leap forward driven by polymath Oliver Wendell Holmes, who famously praised the camera's ability to capture reality and went on to perfect the popular, handheld stereoscope that brought three-dimensional viewing into American homes.

• Modern New England Dynasties: Moving into the 20th century, Naylor tracks massive corporate and academic breakthroughs birthed in the region. He charts the genesis of Edwin Land’s instantly developing Polaroid film and the pioneering work of MIT professor Harold E. Edgerton, whose ultra-high-speed stroboscopic photography captured moments otherwise invisible to the human eye.

• Expanding the Horizons: The survey concludes by showcasing how New England photographers continually expanded the physical boundaries of the lens. Naylor looks at the extreme-altitude aerial mappings of cartographer Bradford Washburn—who utilized a massive 55-pound Fairchild camera to document unmapped mountain ranges—alongside mid-century milestones in deep-sea underwater photography and automated satellite snapshots taken from outer space.

Image of New England serves as a concentrated, highly illustrated historical primer. Rather than offering a purely aesthetic overview of regional landscapes, Naylor uses his expertise to demonstrate that New England was not merely a picturesque subject for the camera, but the very crucible where modern photographic technology and optical engineering were forged.