Peter L Borst 2020-09-17 00:41:45
In the late 1800s, a pioneer photographer by the name of Verne Morton was working in the vicinity of his home in Groton, New York. He undertook to document daily life, photographing family, friends and neighbors. Among these was the Coggshall family, who had one of the biggest and most successful beekeeping operations in the world at that time. Eventually they would expand from New York to Florida and Cuba.
Verne Morton worked with large format glass negatives. He published locally and in the national beekeeping journals. Morton’s photos appear in Anna Comstock’s (Cornell University, Ithaca, NY) book “How to Keep Bees,” published in 1905. These images depict people caring for bee hives; some on a very small scale and others with vast holdings, the same as it’s always been. Some of the faces belie sentiments such as skepticism and forbearance but also enjoyment and enthusiasm.
As it happens, Verne lived about 25 miles from where I do, so the pictures have a special meaning for me. I have been able to visit many of the places he photographed, including the Coggshall homes and farms, well kept up and still some of the nicest in the region. Groton has changed a bit, adding a Kwik-Fill gas station and Wally’s liquor store. The bandstand in the center of town is gone, but most of the old buildings still line Main Street.
Seeing Verne’s photos made me realize they are windows that open into a life lacking many of our conveniences like cars, electricity and such, but rich in many other qualities, and by no means primitive. Homes, furniture, and clothing serve as examples of fine craftmanship, farms were productive, and people appear prosperous and lively.
Following this lead, I began to collect historical photographs for presentations and articles, focusing on New York State at first, but expanding to California and beyond, wherever beekeeping history would lead me. I sorted through many hundreds of images I collected over the past 20 years and tried to document the pictures as best I can. In some cases I lost track of where I got them.
Peter L Borst has published over 60 articles on topics as diverse as beekeeping technique, honey bee genetics, and the history of beekeeping. He has presented on these for beekeeping organizations in many states. He is retired from Cornell University, and lives in the woods near Ithaca, NY
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