In March of 2022 I received a phone call from Fred Shipman who introduced himself as the president of the Piermont, NH Historical Society.  He asked if I would be interested in receiving some glass negatives taken by the photographer Henry Seldon Allen in the 1880s in Heath.  I answered with an enthusiastic ‘Yes’ and wrote down the phone number he gave me of Karen Ameden of the Jamaica, VT Historical Foundation.  Fred said that at the same time he would be giving Karen glass negatives taken in Jamaica, he would also give her the ones taken in Heath.  Later I could arrange to receive the ones of Heath from Karen.  That occurred on a dark, rainy March day in the parking lot of Applebee’s in Greenfield.  The more Karen told me of Allen genealogy the more eager I became to see Henry’s photos.  While Henry was born in a town next to Jamaica, his father was born in Heath as were 3 of his 6 stepbrothers and 1 of his 3 stepsisters.
Each of the 5 X 8 panes of glass were protected by a brown paper envelope on which Henry had written short notes in pencil:  James Allen’s Birthplace; The Mill in Mill Hollow once owned by James Allen;  Academy, Heath, Mass.;  The Hastings Homestead to cite just 4 of them.  Protecting the enveloped panes was a small wooden box somewhat like a birdhouse but open at one end.  By holding each negative up to the light just briefly, I could make out enough to whet my appetite for the higher quality image of a computer scan.
I took the negatives to my cousin Terry Dun who used the Shelburne Historical Society scanner.  We oohed and aahhed at the photograph-like images on the screen while pausing to zoom in for such questions as “Was the exterior of that house white clapboards or red brick painted white?”  The display of photos in the Old Town House on July 1st offered explanations for Henry’s calling the Red House, which preceded Sawyer Hall, the “Academy” and for his calling the Rev. Strong House just east of the Church “The Hastings Homestead.”  I’ve had wonderful discussions with Heathans about these photos.  Some questions remain unanswered.