Faces of Appalachia: Photographs by Albert Ewing

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In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society acquired a collection of over 5,000 glass plate negatives taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing (1870-1934). Faces of Appalachia is the first-ever exhibit of his work. A remarkable documentation of Appalachian life along the Ohio River in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ewing's photographs preserve a sense of place for the region. Ewing lived in Lowell, Ohio, a community on the Muskingum River north of Marietta, and worked primarily in West Virginia and along the Ohio River. In addition to portraits, he captured the built environment of the communities in which he worked, including homes, farms, businesses and schools. See a selection of his photographs displayed with examples of the original glass plate negatives and cameras from the time period. Even though the names of most of Ewing's subjects have been lost, his work brings their stories to life.