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George W. French |
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"When Shades of Night Are Calling"
West Pond, Parsonsfield, Maine
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Color Photo by Geoge French
From a Post Card Published by Arthur D. Lutte, Fryeburg, Maine
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| Maine: Through the Camera of George W. French
George W. French (1882-1970) was the recipient of numerous American
and foreign awards for his distinguished photography. His work
was selected by such firms as American Bell Telephone Company
for use in posters; and for many years his photographs were familiar
to Americans, as they were reproduced on calendars, postcards
and various forms of commerical advertising.
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A native of Kezar Falls, Maine, French worked his way through
Parsonfield Seminary, Bridgton Academy and Bates College, where
he was an outstanding athlete. He taught and coached at Deerfield
and Monson Academies, and worked as an executive for the Boy Scouts
of America. In 1922, he decided to devote all his time to his
greatest interest, photography. He used an 8x10 view camera for
his black and white scenic views. From 1936 to 1955 he was the
official photographer for the Maine Development Commission, the
State agency then responsible for promoting Maine's economic and
recreational potential. This association delighted French because
it enabled him to work at what he loved, capturing on film the
scenes and people of the State of Maine. The photographs produced
by French for the Development Commission were transferred to the
Maine State Archives for permanent preservation with all other
records of that Agency having archival value; and those used in
this exhibit are a selective sample of his work for the Commission.
Of his own work, French said, "I hope to leave a sort of monument
to represent a life devoted to picturing the beautiful side of
the great out-of-doors, as well as preserving in pictures the
dignity and charm of everyday folks and their ways of life." The
Maine State Archives is pleased to contribute to that hope.
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| This is an excerpt from the Maine State Archive: George W. French
Check out Maine Street Yesterday Exhibit |
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