Aug. 8, 1901: Chansonetta Stanley Emmons (1858-1937) opens a two-day exhibit of her photography in Farmington.

Emmons is the sister of the Stanley brothers, who invented and marketed the Stanley Steamer car. The brothers turned to transportation technology after becoming wealthy through pioneering work in manufacturing and marketing dry-plate photography equipment, but their sister stuck with cameras.

Emmons is among the early practitioners of photography as an art form. She carefully stages each of her photographs and controls each step of their development. She takes frequent painting-photography trips with her daughter, Dorothy, who is a painter.

“The Mermaid,” in Skowhegan, one of 25 original artworks on the Langlais Art Trail. Photo by Carol M. Highsmith courtesy of the Library of Congress MeBi

Aug. 8, 2015: Langlais Park, a new home for the newly restored 62-foot-tall 1969 American Indian sculpture by Maine artist Bernard Langlais (1921-1977), is dedicated in Skowhegan.

The restoration was needed because the sculpture had deteriorated from exposure to the elements. It also was subject to vandalism threats linked to a controversy about whether the local school district should cease using the term “Indians” for its sports teams.

Presented by:

Joseph Owen is an author, retired newspaper editor and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. Owen’s book, “This Day in Maine,” can be ordered at islandportpress.com. To get a signed copy use promo code signedbyjoe at checkout. Joe can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.

 


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