The Art Center presents: ‘Images of the Past’ the Thom Hindle Collection
DOVER — In celebration of the upcoming 400th anniversary of the founding of Dover, N.H. in 1623, The Art Center presents The Thom Hindle Collection: an insightful, historically significant exhibition dedicated to the rich history of Dover, N.H. and surrounding areas through Sept. 30.
Thom Hindle, the curator of this collection, is himself notable in the history of Dover. He taught classes at UNH, is a past president of Dover’s historical society, and, at one point, was in charge of the Woodman Institute. However, Thom is best known as a local photographer, with a long-time photography business on Atkinson Street. Thom has been, and continues to be, a mainstay of Dover taking pictures of the city he loves.
His avid interest in history and photography inevitably merged as he discovered early photographers' work of the city. Consisting of glass plate negatives, photographers’ notebooks, and antique cameras that he collected and catalogued over the last 50 years, the collection now numbers over 100,000 objects that have been studiously preserved by Hindle and stored in a climate-controlled environment to ensure they last for future generations to study and enjoy. This immense collection includes not only images from Dover’s past but also Rochester, Farmington, Concord and Massachusetts, as well as Maine, Vermont and New York.
Throughout the month of September, The Art Center will feature photographs Hindle reproduced from original glass negatives representing the works of local and Boston area photographers that have never been exhibited before. Focusing this exhibit on the years 1900 through the 1950s, Hindle chose to display a variety of themes. Vintage images of Dover, Rochester and Portsmouth are set along with exquisite “Portraits” including families, children, a World War I soldier and a nurse circa 1910.
“Transportation” bursts with images of street cars, trains, bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and even an old Jenny airplane at Hampton Beach. The 1939 World’s Fair, Washington DC in the 1920s, fish shanties at Ogunquit, clam shacks at Joppa Flats and more are explored in “Travel”. Early swimming costumes, Short Sands at York in 1910, the original Farragut Hotel in Rye and the Nubble Light and Bell Tower from the 1930s are all in the section “On The Beach”. “Camping-Fishing” will be of particular interest to the outdoorsmen and women who want to see how old-fashioned camps were set up and what gear was used by both fishermen and hunters back in the day.
Thom Hindle has published several articles and authored books. “Dover a Century of Change” was published in 1994, “Tri-City Memories” published 2014, “Factory on Fire” published in 2017 and “Dover, N.H. Through Time” which was published in 2020. The Art Center invites guests to the artist’s reception to meet Thom Hindle in person on Sept. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. to sign his just released 128 page “Dover, N.H. Through Time Volume Two” with over 325 photographs in sepia and full color.
This exhibit is sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental and Kennebunk Savings.
Please visit The Art Center located at 1 Washington Street, Dover NH, Suite 1177. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit www.theartcenterdover.com or call 603-978-6702 for more information.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: The Art Center presents: ‘Images of the Past’ the Thom Hindle Collection
