Beyond Brown Paper is an ongoing project that involves three collaborative departments at Plymouth State University — Lamson Library’s Michael J. Spinelli Jr. Center for University Archives and Special Collections, Karl Drerup Art Gallery, and the Center for Rural Partnerships.
Funded by a grant in 2006 from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, 250 of the 11,000 photographs were scanned with preservation quality resolution. A computer workstation was purchased and set up in Berlin which provided internet access to these images and the capacity for users to provide information on the images either by phone or computer. The Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire worked as a partner in making connections with Berlin-area community organizations and volunteers and in linking this project to a variety of local cultural initiatives through the hard work of a VISTA volunteer.
Scanning these images with preservation quality resolution ensures all subsequent work is done with digital images rather than manipulation of the fragile photographs. The scanned images, totaling over 43,000 to date, are accessible from this website and allow users to input written content related to the photographs.
The Brown Company Photographic Collection, which is located in Lamson Library’s Michael J. Spinelli Jr. Center for University Archives and Special Collections, documents much of the history of the Brown Company of Berlin, New Hampshire from the late nineteenth century through the mid-1960s. Among the subjects depicted in considerable detail are the varieties of work activity from the felling of trees to the final manufacture of pulp and paper in Berlin and Gorham. Also shown in detail are engineering projects, the construction of mills, and the installation of new equipment and machinery. A significant portion of the collection chronicles the social, cultural, and recreational lives of the workers, their families, and the place of these people in the life of Berlin itself.
On October 15, 2008, the Beyond Brown Paper exhibition opened at Plymouth State University in the Silver Center for the Arts, and ran through December 15, 2008. The exhibition, containing roughly 35 enlarged photos, allowed for more interaction from visitors.
St. Kieran Arts Center in Berlin, NH hosted the exhibit from April through June 2009. Along with its opening reception, an evening of Brown Company memories was shared by local folks whose lives were impacted by the presence of the company for many years. It is hoped that the exhibition will travel to other locations in the North Country and beyond.
Hear New Hampshire Public Radio’s report on the Beyond Brown Paper project: http://www.nhpr.org/node/17569
16 responses so far ↓
1 Brad Hachez // Dec 19, 2006 at 9:34 am
I think it is appropriate to acknowledge Dr. Charles Brown, the Academic Technology Fellow of the Lamson Learning Commons, as the individual who has scanned these images and done so exceptionally well.
2 Social Tagging and Cataloging « colombianflowers // Apr 20, 2007 at 10:25 am
[…] Take for example the Beyond Brown Paper site. This is a project based out of Plymouth State University, and it aims to digitize and preserve a photography collection about the paper mills that used to function in the area. The collection contains about 11,000 photographs that are gradually making their way on to their site. The fascinating thing is that the site allows for comments and collaboration, and this has brought new information to the project. Locals who used to work at these mills have seen some of the photographs, and through their comments have started to fill in the information gaps. […]
3 Elmer McKay // Jul 26, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am a model railroader. As such, we are always researching industries to build and put on our layouts. The paper industry is one that can be modeled in many different ways. I found this site by searching for “pulpwood unloading”. I am thrilled to say the least at finding this site with all of these photos. Great work!!!
4 Alice Elizabeth Strait // Sep 8, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I’m very interested in anything about the boom piers located in the Androscoggin. Please send links or info when you can. I’m very impressed with your website.
A retired educator,
Alice
5 Ian McLaren // Oct 10, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Arthur Brosius was my grandfather….but I knew him only after he retired….I am the son of his youngest daughter…Norma
6 Bilingual Librarian » Social Tagging and Cataloging // Nov 26, 2008 at 3:37 pm
[…] for example the Beyond Brown Paper site. This is a project based out of Plymouth State University, and it aims to digitize and […]
7 Steve Tardiff // Dec 2, 2008 at 10:23 pm
This site is fascinating! I own a camp in the Swift Diamond on South Valley Brook. I stumbled upon the pictures of camp 25 item 752 on this website. I believe that camp 25 is about 3/4 of a mile from my camp.
8 Dave Brevik // Jun 7, 2009 at 1:59 pm
My father was Ralph Brevik, I was surprised to
see his picures here.
9 Pierre Cantin // Dec 11, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Windigo, Quebec, on the St. Maurice River was the most important depot of the Brown Corporation until 1947. There are a lot of photos in the issues of the Brown Bulletin, in the 1920’s. Do you intent to put those photos on your site?
Thank ou.
Pierre Cantin (Chaudiere Depot, 1947 & 1948, then Sanmaur up tu 1953).
10 Jesse Aubin // Dec 15, 2009 at 3:53 pm
I actually inventoried most of these items during during my work study @ PSC. Its nice to see them on the web.
11 Seth Brown // Dec 17, 2009 at 5:20 am
I live in Taos New Mexico - I love to explore the Internet and read stories people tell. A mysterious world exists outside of the history taught in schools.
I found Beyond Brown Paper by accident a few months ago and I’m learning things that aren’t easy to talk about in my family, so much thanks for the website.
As I was growing up my dad only a few times said things about his childhood. He said that his grandfather (Herbert) died of a broken heart when some bad men took control of a big company the family had. I used to ask my grandmother about her life before she came to New Mexico in 1945.
She always said Taos, NM is God’s country and wouldn’t say a word about her past in New Hampshire.
Then a few years back, my uncle Eric (who learned Brown Co. history from his dad, who ran the company during the Depression) came to Taos and he had put together a thick folder with history and photos of the old company that my dad remembered .
I went to a party for Eric at my aunt’s house when Eric was here. On the table was the folder opened and a photo of a stern old man in a mink coat who looked so identical to my dad that I burst out laughing and confused because my dad wouldn’t put on a mink coat under any circumstances - he is strict vegetarian and will not wear leather shoes.
Eric said, “That’s your great great grandfather, WW Brown. He lived like a king long ago.” None of us had ever heard his name. That was an experience where a photo spoke more than words.
It’s a strange thing when the image of an ancestor appears 3 generations later during, in my dad’s case, the white beard stage of his life. Its even more revealing when personality morphs back to another time. The last week of my dad’s life he reverted to the way people spoke in the 19th century. My dad loved wood and worked for 23 years on a huge incredibly intricate wood house till he was 77 and not able to go on.
The people working with hands and tools - it keeps me returning to Brown Company history.
We need to recover that knowledge. Hope to visit someday.
12 Donald Frenette // Feb 13, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Great Site . . . nice to see the pictures preserved and presented in a way that people can have access to them as well as comment on them. I found two pictures of my father, Lionel Frenette and have posted links on my facebook page. One comment recieved from one of my nieces “I’ve never seen a picture of my grandfather”. Once people are identified in photos by people browsing the site are they then able to be searched for?? It would be neat to have that capability added . . . it might help in the identification of others in the photos. Thanks for saving this vital piece of Berlin History!!
13 Sandra Lemire // Feb 14, 2010 at 9:02 pm
What a website to browse. Item #8122 is my great uncle Edward Turcotte who worked on the railroad. Item #333 fourth main from the left with arms folded was my late husband’s father, Adelard Lemire. Great to see these pictures.
14 Susan // Feb 15, 2010 at 6:45 pm
In response to Donald Frenette’s question about identified photos:
We do add the information from your comments to the database usually within a week from receiving the comment. The knowledge from folks visiting the website is priceless!
15 David j. Tafel, P. Eng. // Feb 28, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I am a retired professional Engineer who will be 69 next week. I worked in several Quebec mill & locations over the course of my 35 year career in the industry. I spent 20 years in La Tuque, QC (1956 - 76) working at jobs (student thru various operations) shortly after Brown Corp sold that mill to CIP in 1954. Brown Corp made very good quality kraft pulp and that’s part of the reason CIP purchased that mill. In the years following the mill sale, CIP expanded and improved the mill … improved profitabilty … and I was part of that. But the base can be laid to Brown Corp efforts. I salute the efforts made here and will comment if I find things that I can contribute to … to the advantage of all who pass here.
16 Diane Haworth // Aug 3, 2010 at 4:09 pm
I have a photo of item#40770. It is mounted on cardboard with the notes “The Drive” Swift Diamond Steam.
It also has Beaudoin on one line and Brown Company on another. This is all in cursive pencil. Were the photographers allowed to sell the images that they took for the company? Or is there another reason for this photograph copy? Thanks, Diane
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