Porter C. Thayer Photographs
Collection Overview
This archive contains 1300 photographs made by Porter C. Thayer, scanned from silver gelatin prints, held in the collection of the Brooks Memorial Library. The prints were made in 1980 from the 5x7 glass plates negatives created by Porter Thayer. These images are also available on microfilm at the Brattleboro library.
Porter Thayer was born Porter Charlie Thayer on January 6, 1882 on Main Street in Williamsville, Vermont. He grew up in the red house called the Tillotson Place in the Parish section of Newfane, Vermont.
He photographed Windham County, Vermont, beginning in 1906 through around 1920. Like most Vermont men of his generation he was a farmer, specifically an apple orchardist, managing his 50 acre apple orchard on Baker Brook Farm in Newfane. He turned to his apple business after ending his photographic career.
The postcard craze that most likely reached Vermont by about 1905, was perhaps the impetus for Porter Thayer starting up a photographic business. His diaries tell that he sold 1,197 postal cards during a six-month period at the height of his career. The cards were for sale as souvenirs to summer tourists at small general stores, local inns, boarding houses and hotels. Local folks purchased his photographs as well, especially around the Christmas season, to send to distant relatives. A Brattleboro, Vermont directory of 1909 lists Porter as advertising that he would come to anyone’s home and make images for a reasonable fee. Around 1911 he recorded that he had 720 customers. Eventually he photographed in all the towns within a 25 mile radius of his home in Newfane.
Porter Thayer perfectly fits the archetype of the town photographer. He traveled the narrow dirt roads in his buggy, behind his faithful mare Lady, who accompanied him daily. He could apparently take extended naps while Lady brought him safely home, as she always knew the way. He used two cameras: a 5 x 7 and a 6.5 x 8.5 view camera and made glass dry-plate negatives. He traveled with stacks of postcards to be delivered at stores along the way to his days work.
Working continually through seasons and years, Porter Thayer left an archive that is a cultural treasure for southeastern Vermont. The quality of his work shows that he was able to combine business needs with aesthetic ones. During the time period Porter worked, Vermont was extremely poor and rural, yet held a close-knit population that shared the labors of life. Farmers helped one another to survive in a subsistence and barter economy. For women, men, and children, life meant constant work. Thayer’s images describe the work and the tools involved. His landscape images reveal this working landscape, which today is mostly hidden by trees. The fruits of his labor as a photographer have grown in importance, as both the landscape and culture of Vermont has shifted into modern spheres of living.
Written by Jessica Weitz and Forrest Holzapfel, 2010.
Time Period Covered: 1906 - 1920
Published: October 11, 2010,
Rights: The William Thayer Family and heirs hold copyright to the Porter Thayer Photographs collection. Material in the collection may not be used without permission. For permission requests, contact Bill Thayer at billthayer08@gmail.com
Browse Options
Creator(s)
Place(s)
- Williamsville (Vt.) [49]
- Newfane (Vt.) [28]
- Marlboro (Vt.) [12]
- Wardsboro (Vt. : Town) [11]
- Brattleboro (Vt.) [6]
- Jamaica (Vt.) [6]
- Townshend (Vt.) [5]
- Halifax (Vt. : Town) [4]
- Brookline (Vt.) [3]
- Dummerston (Vt.) [3]
Format(s)
- image [153]
Genre(s)
- black-and-white photographs [153]
- photographs [153]
- group portraits [65]
- landscape photographs [1]
Topic(s)
- Children [153]
- Elementary school buildings [51]
- Portrait photography [43]
- Transportation [21]
- Thayer family [18]
- Snow [12]
- Family [11]
- Parades [10]
- Photography of interiors [9]
- Roads [9]
- Oxen [7]
- Business [6]
- South Branch School (Marlboro, Vt.) [6]
- Automobiles [5]
- Taverns (Inns) [5]
- Church buildings [4]
- Agriculture [3]
- Camps [3]
- Central business districts [3]
- Draft animals [3]
- Farmhouses [3]
- Indians of North America Clothing [3]
- Maple syrup [3]
- Webster family [3]
- Barns [2]
- Boats and boating [2]
- Boy Scouts [2]
- Fairs [2]
- Hunting [2]
- Logging [2]
- Neighborhoods [2]
- Police [2]
- Ponds [2]
- Postal service [2]
- Round Schoolhouse (Brookline, Vt.) [2]
- Stone walls [2]
- Valley Fair (Brattleboro, Vt.) [2]
- Bingham's Mill (Newfane, Vt.) [1]
- Brattleboro Retreat [1]
- Cows [1]
- Lakes [1]
- Landscape photography [1]
- Sawmills [1]
- Stores, Retail [1]
- Swine [1]
- Theaters [1]
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Browsing by:
Topic: ("Children")
Title: Class portrait inside schoolhouse, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Class portrait inside schoolhouse, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Claude Reed and his horse team, with a cart full of people, in Vermont
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Mr. Davis, blacksmith at Brookside, next to him on cart.
Title: Cong'l Church, Jamaica, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1911
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Crapo Family in front of their house, South Newfane, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1911
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Possibly hired hands holding horses or family members. Became Batchelder house.
Title: Deacon Wellman, with son Arthur and grandson, in front of stacked wood, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Delbert Pierce and Happy Atkins cutting ice on Binham Mill Pond, South Newfane, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Bingham Mill interior pictured in image bmlthayerT470.
Title: Dummerston School Class Portrait with Teacher
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Unidentified students and teacher. See image bmlthayerT168 also.
Title: Dummerston School Class Portrait with Teacher
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Unidentified students and teacher. See image bmlthayerT167 also.
Title: Edith Thayer holding baby Ruth Thayer
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Elliott St., Brattleboro, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1911
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Pedestrians strolling in residential neighborhood on Elliott street, horse and cart visible.
Title: Family portrait in front of a barn with a porcupine skin
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Family portrait in front of their dwelling with cat and dogs, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Flloyd Washer and Lottie Pierce in 4th of July costumes, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Florence Powers with a baby in a wagon, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Fourteen week old Webster Thayer in a chair outside
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Fourth of July Celebration in Towshend Town Center, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1912
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Fourth of July Celebration in Towshend Town Center, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1912
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Frank Page and Ruth Thayer with children Edward and Page, next to car on a trip
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Frank Page and Ruth Thayer with children Edward and Page, standing in roadway, Newfane, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Frank, Ralph, and Deweese Dewitt with sleds, Newfane, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1909
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Girl and boy on a decorated carriage in Willimasville parade
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1914
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Girl and boy on a decorated carriage in Willimasville parade
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1914
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Group portrait at a family picnic in front of a house in Vermont
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 1909
Resource type: group portraits
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
Title: Halladay boys with oxen, Williamsville, Vt.
Creator: Thayer, Porter C. (Porter Charlie), 1882-1972
Date: 19--
Resource type: photographs
Resource type: black-and-white photographs
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