R Herman CassensR. Herman Cassens from the collection of the Penobscot Marine Museum
In 1909, R. Herman Cassens, a young entrepreneur, started a postcard company, the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Company, in the mid-coast town of Belfast, Maine. He and his small crew of photographers traveled through rural New England and New York focusing their lenses on locally known landmarks, street scenes, country stores and businesses, events and people. The exposed glass plate negatives were sent back to the "factory" in Belfast where they were processed, printed and sent back to the general stores for sale at "2 for 5 cents.
Hallowell's Museum In The Streets project purchased all the photographs of our city in the collection and donated them to the Hubbard Free Library Collection. At the Community Celebration folks chose the photo of what is now Boynton's market to be enlarged and displayed at the library. The photographs appear below.
Eastern Illustrating Company Photographs of Hallowell
