Community Corner

Historical Society's 2013 Calendar: Local Color in Black and White

The $10 calendar is for sale at Town Hall in the Clerk's Office.

 

The Swampscott Historical Society's calendar for 2013 includes a bird's-eye-view of town circa 1930.

It includes a cozy shot of the former Swampscott Little League Field nestled among woods at Jackson Park.

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And a photo of workmen tearing out the stone retaining wall for a 1914 move of the Civil War Monument.

What it won't have, says town historian Lou Gallo, is a month that appears as October does in the Society's 2012 calendar.

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That month had two days listed as the 13th, resulting in a month with 32 days. 

Who knew they needed to proof the publisher's calendar layout?

Well, this time they knew and extended their proofing from photo captions to actual dates.

"This year the committee scrutinized it," said Lou.

Unlike earlier editions — the Society has published a town calendar with historical photos most years since 1993 — the 2013 calendar follows no theme.

The months are topped by photos that historical society members liked — and photos that have not appeared in earlier calendars.

In fact, many of these scenes have just poked their heads from obscurity, dug out of boxes and prepared for filing at the Historical Society.

The cover shot is an exception. It is a photo of a painting by the famous artist Maurice Prendergast. He captures a moment in time: bathers at the Swampscott shore a century ago.

Its title is Swampscott Beach but the location is commonly known as Fisherman's Beach.

The cover shot is the only photo to stray from the motif of black-and-white shots that grace the inside of the calendar.

But black and white or not all the photos capture Swampscott's vibrant history and rich local color.

The calendar costs $10 and is for sale at Town Hall.

The Society only ordered 150 copies.

It is one of the group's biggest fundraisers of the year, said Lou.

"it's fun," said Lou. "More people buy it for the old photos than the calendar."

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