February – March Art Show: Makers, Bakers, Movers and Shakers: Vintage Portraits from Bridgewater’s Past

Makers, Bakers, Movers and Shakers: Vintage Portraits from Bridgewater’s Past

During Library Hours, February 2 – March 28

Reception on Saturday, February 14, from 11:00 – 1:00 pm

As part of Burnham Library’s Centennial Celebration, the Library is proud to present a special photographic exhibition honoring the people and history of Bridgewater through the lens of fine art photographer Robert Gumpper (1928-2005).

This exhibition features a compelling collection of vintage portraits depicting Bridgewater residents from the 1950s through the 1970s, offering today’s community a rare and intimate glimpse into the town’s past. It is particularly fitting that such an exhibit be included in the library’s centennial year, as the photographs both educate and illuminate the lives of the people who helped shape Bridgewater into the town it is today.

Photographer Robert Gumpper settled in Bridgewater in 1954. When the town celebrated its own centennial two years later, Gumpper—who specialized in large-format photography and historic photographic processes—documented the occasion by creating portraits of residents attending the Bridgewater Centennial Ball. Many of the sitters wore period costumes, resulting in striking images that capture a moment in time now long past. A slideshow of these Centennial Ball portraits will run throughout the exhibition, with select images reproduced and framed for display.

In addition to the Centennial Ball photographs, the exhibit includes portraits of Bridgewater residents from subsequent decades. Some of the subjects were well-known figures in their respective fields, while others are individuals whose names have largely faded from public memory. Regardless of notoriety, each portrait is visually compelling and tells a deeply human story. Background information has been gathered for each subject, allowing visitors to learn more about and commemorate these former residents.

Robert Gumpper (1926–2005) was a fine art photographer known for his mastery of antique photographic processes, including Gum Bichromate, Kallitype, Bromoil, and Dye Transfer, among others. In addition to his artistic work, he operated a portrait studio in Bridgewater and studied lighting and portraiture with William Mortensen, the famed Hollywood photographer. Gumpper’s work reflects both technical excellence and a strong sense of place, making it especially meaningful to the Bridgewater community.

The exhibition has been curated by the photographer’s daughter, Valerie Gumpper, and stands as both a tribute to her father’s legacy and a celebration of Bridgewater’s residents—past and present.