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FROM THE BRYANT ROOM ARCHIVES
By Myrna Sloam,©Nov/Dec 2000
The Photographic Legacy of William H. Pickering
An exploration of the Bryant Library's photo collection will lead
the researcher to value the contributions to Roslyn history made by photographer
William H. Pickering and his family. From about 1900 until the mid 1920s, Mr.
Pickering, a local businessman and self- taught photographer, captured friends,
family and life in Roslyn, in numerous black & white photographs.
Immigrating from England, William Pickering and his wife Emma Hasell were married
in 1891. After working on estates in the Roslyn area, in 1901-02 they moved
into a house on East Broadway in Roslyn Village, where they worked hard, raised
nine children and participated in a wide variety of community activities. The
Pickering store, next to their home, was well known and sold newspapers, cigars,
candy and stationary, as well as postcards and photographic supplies. In keeping
with the growing accessibility and popularity of photography at the turn of
the century, William Pickering established himself as a respected local photographer.
The contribution of local photographers to preserving the history of a community
can not be ignored. Many of the photographs produced by Mr. Pickering depict
street scenes and village events, such as parades on East Broadway and on Old
Northern Blvd., and are the best visual record of what life was like in Roslyn
in the early 20th century. Over time, these pictures have become some of the
most recognized and cherished images of Roslyn.
Through the years, copies of Mr. Pickering's photos were donated by family members,
especially Annie Pickering Buck, to the library's Local History Collection,
where they are utilized by a wide variety of researchers and are preserved for
future generations.
A few months ago, I was contacted by author Wallace Kaufman, a grandson of William
H. and Emma H. Pickering, who is gathering his family history. After a visit
to the Bryant Room to examine our photo holdings, Mr. Kaufman offered to let
the library copy some family photos from his mother, Emma. I was delighted at
his offer and at the opportunity to add additional Pickering photographs to
the collection.
With Mr. Kaufman's permission, I am pleased to share a few of these photos with
the entire community. I wish to thank Wallace Kaufman, his mother Emma Pickering
Kaufman and all the Pickering family members who, through the years, have been
so generous and so willing to share their photographs and their memories with
us all.
Permission to reproduce, publish or display whole text articles must be obtained from the Bryant Library Archivist.
Email: localhistory@bryantlibrary.org