« Rural Village of Dunstable, Massachusetts »
Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 3:54PM 
Here are two 8-inch glass negatives that were marked Dunstable, Massachusetts, a rural village settled in 1656 and incorporated in 1673. Google Earth shows that though it is still rural by today's standards, everything you see in these scenes appears to have been stripped away in the name of progress. It is difficult to determine when they were taken, perhaps as early as 1880 or as late as 1910 (some research into maps of the period might shed more light if they identify structures, land ownership, etc.).
When you have more than one image taken at the same time, there are serendipitous discoveries: the photographer took the close view above while standing in the carriage – the top edge of the wheel is just showing on the lower edge of the negative (which I have cropped out), then he left the carriage in the lane and climbed the slope of the field to get the more panoramic view below (the crop shows carriage and horses).
We can determine that it is a late autumn day by the remaining leaves on the trees, but the low angle of light is greater proof. The tiny cottage in the center foreground, perched on the bank of the pond, has suffered the collapse of much of its foundation and it appears to teeter precariously. The wider view shows church, wind-driven water tank, and a building with a cupola that may be a town hall, and lots of houses and barns. There are metal advertising signs nailed to the sheds along the road advertising boots and shoes, Singer sewing machines, and a clothing store in Lowell: We Outdistance All Competitors, Boston and Lowell One Price Clothing Company.
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