SACAP to feature history in photos

    The Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project will be featuring an historic essay of the Houlton-Hodgdon area through the vintage collection of photos taken by the late Edwind Vail in the Blue Moon Gallery of the Visions Art Gallery, 66 Main Street, Houlton, Maine.
    The exhibit will start Nov. 4 with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m., and run through Dec. 24. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    Edwind Vail was a Hodgdon native who made his living as a lawyer and made his home in Hodgdon and Houlton. His passion for photography is captured in his collection of photos of family, friends and an active life pursuing travel by early motor car, fishing, hunting, camping, farming and community and social activities.
    The collection, spanning the years from 1878 to 1925, was discovered in the attic of his home when recent owners were preparing to sell it. Dusty boxes of some 800 glass plates and finished photos, and diaries chronicling the events captured in many of the photos, reveal a fascinating glimpse of life in a bygone era. It has taken the owner of the collection several years of having the glass plates developed and reading the diaries to assemble the collection and caption the photos.
    The goal of this exhibit is to share the history of the surrounding areas and let people know this history is being preserved for future generations. Thanks to SACAP, an arts organization whose mission is to foster a flourishing arts community in northern Maine creating an exciting cultural environment and a voice for art and artists, this wonderful collection will be shared with everyone for the first time.
    For more information, contact the Visions Art Gallery at 532-9119.