New book provides historic glimpse of Warren County
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The noted local historians have co-authored a book called ?Images of America: Warren County,? brought out by Arcadia Publishing, a well-known and respected publisher of pictorial histories.
The books retail for $19.99 and will be available at the museum during and after the event, area bookstores, independent retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling (888) 313-2665. Wanamaker says the first shipment of books to the museum should arrive by tomorrow and be available for the book signing event on the weekend.
The authors say they began the project as a way to commemorate Warren County?s bicentennial. Both feel this historic milestone presents a great opportunity to celebrate the community?s many treasures and storied history. The book is filled with many rare and previously unpublished photographs of notable residents and historic buildings that document the growth and culture of Warren County over the last two centuries.
Of course, this is not the first publication the museum curators have been involved in over the years.
?Since we?ve opened the museum, we have tried to publish one rare out-of-print book a year,? Wanamaker said. ?We?ve already done five.?
Those books have included important records of Warren County history, such as a reprint of a book by pioneering local photographer Fletch Woodard, as well as reprints of by published works by Asa Faulkner and others.
?We?ve been publishing these in limited editions of 250 volumes each,? Wanamaker said. ?But this year we thought we would do a bicentennial book project. Arcadia Publishing Co. is the foremost publisher of local and regional photo history books in the country, and in Europe as well, as we found out.
?So we proposed to them that we do a book on Warren County,? Wanamaker continued, ?as a bicentennial project. They accepted our proposal and worked with us to get this done.?
The amount of preparation and research needed was considerable, since the museum contains an extraordinarily extensive collection of Warren County history, photographs and publications within its walls. This collection, of course, proved invaluable.
?It?s been a period of many years that we have been collecting,? Keathley said. ?A lot of the images came from the Charles ?Steamboat? Cassity estate that Monty was able to purchase.?
Both men noted the images have come from a variety of sources, including a distinctly modern one, the Internet, thanks to Keathley, who is quite the computer whiz.
?We actually have many albums of vintage photographs,? Wanamaker said. ?Literally hundreds of vintage photographs. People have been bringing us photographs, and we?ve been collecting photographs and vintage postcards off the Internet ever since we?ve had the museum open.
?Chris is the Internet person,? Wanamaker added. ?He?s a real sleuth. He can find anything on the Internet.?
Keathley says his interest in the Internet came about as a natural extension of his passion for collecting local history, which actually began when the Warren County native was a child. Keathley?s local roots run deep. His great-great-great grandfather was Aaron Higgenbotham, who discovered what is now known as Cumberland Caverns, but was originally know as Higgenbotham?s Cave.
One area of interest for both men has always been the Southern School of Photography, founded and operated by renowned photographer W.S. ?Dad? Lively. In fact, one of the museum?s prized displays is one of Lively?s few surviving large format 16×20 plate glass negatives. The only other examples still around are in the Smithsonian.
The Southern Museum & Galleries is regularly open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but this week only, in honor of the book?s release, the museum will extend its schedule and be open all week, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.