NAHANT — The town’s first-ever photography exhibition is coming this Independence Day weekend. After deciding to host the event, the Cultural Council invited all residents to share their photos from past, present, and future.
The exhibition will be held in the Nahant Community Center’s Serenity Room, with an opening reception scheduled for Friday, July 5 at 1 p.m. It will then be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7.
The only requirement the council had for photo submissions was that they were taken in Nahant. Council member Robert Wilson described his peers’ vision for the event as an “exhibit to celebrate the people, places, and things that make the town unique.”
More than 300 images were submitted and subsequently printed by the council when it held two complementary scanning sessions. Wilson expressed gratitude for the high level of participation from the town, as well as the diverse submissions that spanned centuries.
“Every era of the town’s history is represented, ranging from a glass-plate negative of East Point taken in 1907 to recent town weather events and everything in between,” the council said in a joint statement. “Amazing images were also taken and submitted by Johnson School students during ‘camera walks’ guided by teacher and photographer Heidi Fiore.”
According to the council, almost every resident who submitted a photo agreed to donate their print to the Nahant Historical Society after the exhibition.
Nine local photographers will be highlighted with panels including some of their most notable pieces, as well as for their range of approaches to and styles of photography. Among the group is Nahant’s own Roland “Rollie” Oxton.
“Our goal was to provide a little history and context (for young and old) when viewing all the wonderful images submitted by our resident participants,” the council said.
The event is co-sponsored by the Nahant Historical Society and Nahant Preservation Trust. The council also gave credit to its state partner, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, for assisting in making the event a reality.
