90
●
(THE BIG FLOOD—BETHEL,VERMONT)
Pair of snapshot albums chronicling the Big Flood of 1927 in Bethel,Vermont.The first with 150
photographs recording the devastation and clean up.The flood took out 1285 bridges, miles of roads
and railroads, and countless homes. Eighty-four people died in the flood, including Lt. Governor S.
Hollister Jackson.With scenes of collapsed residences, town buildings and bridges, flooded streets,
folks navigating the town in rowboats, and eroded farm land. The second with 184 photographs,
with a few by Tuttle (each of which describes the damage and is captioned in the negative), an
additional 50 depicting the aftermath of the flood with another 110 or so chronicling a family’s
daily life and leisure activities, with scenes of dogs and kittens, a dancing bear, a local fire, and
swimming at the lake. Silver prints, 3
1
/
2
x4
1
/
2
and 4
1
/
2
x6
3
/
4
inches (8.9x11.4 to 11.4x17.1 cm), the
prints are cornered into the albums. Oblong small 4tos, green cloth and blue cloth; ties. 1927
[700/1,000]
An early demonstration of citizen journalism by a local Vermonter. The album provides an intimate
glimpse into how an unidentified townsperson, an amateur photographer, coped with this severe natural
disaster.The photographer captured some amazing images, which complement professional prints mounted
in the album. Includes dramatic scenes of the aftermath of the disaster, which occurred in early November.
By winter, clean up crews were still coping with mess.
