A Window Back

This unique portrait of New England’s yesterdays features vintage photographs from the New Bedford Whaling Museum collection. A Window Back recounts the history of photography in the New Bedford area between 1845 and 1920. It describes photographic processes and the cameras used, while painting an intimate portrait of a bygone era. 

“Each photograph captures a moment of time,” writes author Nicholas Whitman, “an angle of light, an expression or gesture. Together, these brief glimpses represent and illuminate our past, giving us a window back on time.” A Window Back features daguerreotypes, cyanotypes and more. Through these images we see the transformation of an old New England town into a bustling industrial city. Sail aboard wooden ships pursuing whales; banquet with Hawaiians and nestle among Eskimos. Enjoy the regattas on Buzzards Bay; and experience the architectural, and pastoral grandeur of the Old Dartmouth region.