Introduction

George Seeley's Stockbridge portfolio, made between 1916 and 1918, is a unique collection of thirty-two platinum prints that demonstrate the photographer's artistic sensibility, technical skill, and love of the natural beauty of his hometown of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Platinum prints, though more expensive than silver prints, were preferred by fine art photographers such as Seeley because they offered a more subtle range of delicate tones. These highly personal photographs depict a variety of subjects--summer and winter landscapes, architecture, still lifes, and allegorical figures--and were gathered in a luxurious marbled presentation case that may have been intended as a gift for Seeley's sister Laura, his closest friend and model.

The portfolio was acquired by the Clark Art Institute in 2000 in honor of John H. Brooks, and the collection is exhibited here for the first time.