Verne Morton: Rural Artist

Reception (Gallery Night)
Friday, September 3rd
5-8pm
At The History Center

Verne Morton: The Back to School Edition

As the seasons turn from summer to fall, The History Center’s rotating exhibition of Verne Morton photographs next features his extensive work documenting school children at the dawn of the twentieth century. Along side these images are displays of local academic artifacts drawn from our archives and collections, with a special tribute to The History Center’s Eight Square School House and its Living History program.

The History Center invites you to a reception on the June 4th Gallery Night, to launch the Tools of History website, to view prints of Verne Morton’s photographs on display, and to honor Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton who provided significant financial support for the project. Join us at 5pm at The History Center for some wine and nibbles, and for the official unveiling of the website at 6pm.

About the Exhibit:

For nearly 50 years local photographer Verne Morton(1868-1945) devoted himself to photographing Tompkins County rural and village life. To honor the life's work of this beloved local artist, The History Center, in partnership with the Dryden Mutual Insurance Company who are celebrating their 150-year anniversary in May 2010, are pleased to present this special exhibition of Morton's work.

The exhibition is a part of Dryden Mutual's private collection of digital reproductions taken from the glass plate negative collection of The History Center's extensive Verne Morton collection.

The exhibit is on view Tues, Thurs and Sat from 11-5pm through September.

Using Tools of History

The History Center is pleased to collaborate with the South Central Regional Library Council and Ithaca College Library in unveiling a regional digital repository of local history materials called Tools of History located at www.toolsofhistory.org. Tools of History, a collaborative digitization program between SCRLC and its members, of which The History Center is one, provides access to historical information found in library and archival collections in SCRLC’s 14 county-region.

The History Center in Tompkins County has digitized a select group of 77 glass plate negatives from their Verne Morton Collection. Verne Morton (1868-1945) was a rural photographer in Groton, NY and a gifted amateur naturalist who specialized in photographing the people, flora, fauna, and farms of late 19th and early 20th century Tompkins County and the Finger Lakes area. Working from 1896 until 1945, Morton’s unique and beautiful photographs are both historic documents and art form.

The photographic collection of Ithaca College’s early 20th century downtown era includes the College and its predecessors, Ithaca Conservatory of Music and the Ithaca Conservatory and Affiliated Schools. Providing a unique view of downtown Ithaca, the photographs were taken by C. Hadley Smith from 1950 into the 1980s. Of particular importance to the College is the transition from the downtown campus to the new one and the graphic recognition of how Ithaca College has grown since 1960. Beyond the specific history of the College, the collection provides a visual slice of American history through the people it portrays.

For info, contact
The History Center in Tompkins County
401 East State/MLK Street, Suite 100
In the Gateway Center (lots of free parking in lot around back!)
Ithaca, New York 14850
Phone: 607.273.8284 ext. 6, Fax: (607) 273-6107
community@TheHistoryCenter.net