“Approaching Adelphi, August 18, 1916,” AC.336: Southern Ohio Hiking Trip Photograph Album, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Boone, NC 28608.
The southern and eastern portions of Ohio are a scenic part of central Appalachia consisting of rolling hills, cliffs, caves, and waterfalls. The Hocking Hills, part of the Allegheny Plateau, provide striking geologic poses due to their sandstone composition, leading to the formation of steep cliffs and gorges. In October 1916, three young men — whose names are now lost to our knowledge — set out on a hiking trip to photograph this distinct terrain, capturing 112 images along the route. The names of the landmarks and towns along the men’s journey were every bit as compelling as the landscapes featured in their photographs: Wild Cat Hollow, Old Man’s Cave, Adelphi, Swamp Road, Mount Logan, Fort Ancient, and Shaker Village. The album is a not only a document of time and landscape but also provides rich artistic scenes which use natural light to catch the details and scale of the crags and the undulations of the fields and hillsides.
Learn more about this collection here.
Written by Trever McKenzie, Archives Assistant