Hingham Photography During the Late Victorian Era -- Hingham Public Library’s Glass Slide Collection

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Settled in 1635, Hingham was one of the first towns incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. With the advent of photography in the late 1800s, Hingham began to document its architecture, citizens, and everyday life. The Hingham Public Library’s glass slide collection contains over 200 individual images of Hingham taken between 1880 and 1910. This unique collection of snapshots includes scenes of the Cushing House on North Street, the Old Ship Church, Main Street, various businesses, Hingham cemetery, the harbor, select individuals, and more. With the release of Kodak's small, personal handheld camera in 1888, the proliferation of images such as these expanded rapidly. During this exciting time, Hingham men like Frank W. Reed, William B. Luce, Charles Marble, and William Hudson began to transform photography into the hobby it is today.