HWS Vail Photograph Collection

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Post Office and Mansion House - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

257

Dates of Original:

c. 1870 - 1880

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Historical Context

James Gardner Vail (1842-1929) was a photographer and operated a photography studio in Geneva, New York, a city on the northern edge of Seneca Lake. He was also known as J.G. Vail.

Scope of Collection

The HWS Vail Photograph collection contains over 250 photographs taken in the Geneva New York area from the mid-to-late 19th century. The collection includes stereographs, carte-de-visites, colorized card photographs, as well as black-and-white photographs. The bulk of the photographs are portraits. There are also images depicting prominent local buildings: including houses, the Geneva Railway Station, Geneva Medical College, Hobart College, and First Presbyterian Church, among others.