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Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory

Photograph
On Saturday evening January 14, 2012, several hundred people attended the 'opening' of the exhibition "Small Towns, Big Picture - the Photography of Bill Simmons" to see 31 giant 'blow-up' photos from the huge Simmons collection of the Society's photo library of Saugatuck area life in the 1940s and 1950s. The exhibit, which runs through March 9, is sponsored jointly by the Society and the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and is featured in the Center's gallery. When he died in 1966, photographer Bill Simmons left nearly 3,000 photographs documenting life in Saugatuck and Douglas from 1940 to 1961 - filed away in little envelopes, numbered, named, and placed in two wood boxes, some with date and identifying information. Making up what must be one of the largest "photo shoots" of any mid-century American town, the collection disappeared until it was given anonymously to the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society in 1998. This exhibition presents some Simmons photos which are shown here for the first time. The exhibit curators/designers were Jim Schmiechen and Ken Carls. Jack Sheridan will present a program about the Simmons collection at the SCA on Wednesday, February 8. Walk onto the SCA's Big Screen and into the 1940s and 1950s on February 8th with Jack's Q & A presentation of these and more from the Simmons Collection. source: https://www.sdhistoricalsociety.org/Newsletter/2012/jan12/jan12_newsletter.htm
exhibit promotional graphics
Ken Carls viewing one of the exhibit 'blow up' photos. Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 3 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 4 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 5 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 6 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 7 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 8 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 9 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 10 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 11 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 12 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 13 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 14 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 15 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 16 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 17 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 18 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 19 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 20 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 21 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 22 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 23 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 24 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 25 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 26 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 27 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 28 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 29 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 30 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 31 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 32 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 33 Small Towns Big Picture exhibition inventory picture number 34

2022.21.836

Digital scan

Simmons, William "Bill" R. 1890/1-1966

This entry documents what photos were displayed at the 2012 exhibition and their photo captions. They are low-resolution images. Higher resolution versions have been cataloged individually in the Simmons collection 2022.21.

William (Bill) Simmons

Winthers, Sally

2022.21

2nd floor archives

Simmons, William "Bill" R. 1890/1-1966

04/13/2023

04/13/2023