By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – If the worth of a photo is measured in words, the Cornwall Scrapbook has a lot of valuable things to say.
A new history of Cornwall unfolds in 350 images scattered across a 120-page book.
Ian Bowering, curator at the Cornwall Community Museum, was inundated with photos that had to be archived and scanned. His wife, Lor, encouraged him to turn the tedious task into a book.
“This was my exercise to learn how to scan,” said Bowering. “I’m very pleased with it.”
He specifically wanted the photography to outweigh the text so the images could speak for themselves. This is book number 25 for the Cornwall historian.
“The reason why there are only 10,000 words is because it’s a book on memories and it’s meant to jog your memory. I thought the pictures would do that for you,” he said.
Many of the pictures are from the lens of Marcel Quenneville, a longtime photographer for the Standard-Freeholder. His daughter, Barb Tobin, donated a large chunk from her father’s collection.
The book was even printed in Cornwall by Angel Printing.
“There’s only 700, and we’re not printing anymore,” said Bowering. “I encourage you to get it before it’s gone.”
The book has been in high demand since it was recently launched. 250 have already been sold.
The scrapbook showcases photos that depict the history of Montreal Road – the first time this has been done in print, said Bowering.
The Cornwall Scrapbook also focuses on Pitt Street, former industries, and Cornwall life in general.
Former summer student Katie Beaudette helped Bowering put the book together from a graphic design standpoint.
The scrapbook retails for $25. Proceeds will go towards the SDG Historical Society and Friends of the Library.
For more information, call the museum (613) 936-0842 or visit the museum (160 Water Street) from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.