Southampton : 100 Years Of Photographs

The photography exhibit “100 Years of Photographs from Morris Studio: 1892-1992” will open at the Rogers Mansion in Southampton on Saturday, August 18. With photographs that date as far back as 1892, this exhibit presents a rich history of the South Fork. Included in the show are images of portraits of local families as well as local historic landmarks.

The Morris Studio closed its doors recently, but the photographs show a long-lost era of time, presented over a century later. Curator for the show, Mary Godfrey, worked for several years at the locally well-known studio.

George Morris opened the Studio on Main Street, Southampton in 1892. His son Doug sold the business to Jim Thomason, whose son Neal took over the business in 2014. Neal sold Morris Studio last year.

Viewers of the show will receive insight into days of Southampton’s past. See firemen dressed in their parade uniforms holding a pig in 1920. Or images of The Women’s Land Army that was formed during WWI by college girls who came to Southampton to do the work of farmers.

The show will also feature a photograph of a group of children from the Shinnecock Tribe in 1930, sitting on a horse-drawn drag sled.

Tom Edmonds, executive director of the Southampton Historical Museum, said these historic photographs are a fresh look at Southampton and its residents. “When I look at them I think, ‘What was this person thinking in 1900? What would they think of Southampton in 2018?’” said Edmonds.

“This glimpse into our shared past is both eerie and fascinating,” he continued. The exhibit opens on Saturday, August 18, with a reception from 4 to 6 PM. The show runs through August 2019.