Book Review -- Historic Photos of Connecticut a Possible Christmas Gift for The Connecticut Yankee on Your List

Note: The publisher sent a complementary copy of this book to me in exchange for a review on Connecticut Outdoors.

The Facts:

Title: Historic Photos of Connecticut

Author: Sam L. Rothman

Publisher: Turner Publishing

Cost: Cover price is $39.95. The book is available on Amazon.com for $28.76

Historic Photos of Connecticut by Sam L. Rothman is a collection of photos, all black and white, chronicling some of the most interesting moments in Connecticut history from 1878 through the 1960s. It's hard cover and glossy, with 206 pages. The book uses captioned photos in chronological order to guide the reader through the coming-of-age of modern Connecticut.

The book starts in 1878. This was the year the state capitol building was completed in Hartford. The book is then split into 4 sections, each titled to with the theme of the time. The first section goes from 1878 through 1916, considered the "gilded age" of Connecticut. The second section from 1917 to 1938 focuses on the impact of the Great Depression, WWI, and the transformation of Connecticut into a manufacturing center. The third section from 1939 to 1945 focuses on WWII. The final section is titled "Peace, Prosperity, and the Future". It runs from 1946 through the 1960s.
Throughout the book, some of the most famous points in Connecticut history are hit. There's a picture of the Charter Oak, Mark Twain's home, WWII soldiers, and the Great Flood of '55.

The book is an easy read, and something that can be thumbed through at leisure. Most of the captions are short, yet descriptive enough to give the background necessary to fully understand the photo. As I examined each photo, I was struck by a few things. First, I noticed how formerly people dressed in years past. Even in a candid shot of men loitering outside a store you see them dressed in full suit and vests. A far cry from the jeans and T-shirt you would likely see on the men today. I also noticed from the photos that Connecticut has always been a cultural melting pot. Several photos going back to the 19th century show people from many different backgrounds interacting together long before "diversity" was a common buzz word. One of my favorite photos in the book is a picture showing 5 young boys sitting on a curb looking at the latest edition of The Hartford Courant newspaper. The headline on the newspaper reads "Germany Surrenders -- Unconditional Terms Accepted". It's V-E day. Although one can't be sure, the boys appear to be of different backgrounds, including one African-American boy.

I come at this book from the perspective of a life-long Connecticut resident. I'm someone who's familiar with Connecticut history, so I was able to grasp the author's general themes for each section. I wonder if someone not from Connecticut would be able to get a full sense Connecticut's character based on this book. The book focuses a lot on life in the larger cities (Hartford, New Haven). Would a non-Connecticut reader understand the dichotomy of Connecticut ranging from the highly industrialized cities to the traditional New England farming communities that existed worlds apart within such a small state? Hailing from one of these small, rural Connecticut towns, I would have preferred a higher percentage of photos focusing on life in the rural communities of Connecticut. To me, the history of Connecticut is not complete without touching on the small towns (think town greens with Congregational churches, covered bridges, and dairy farms) that give Connecticut a true New England flavor, in addition to displaying the industry and wealth that characterized the cities and Gold Coast. However, in defense of Mr. Rothman, I suspect the number of photos he had available to chose focusing on urban life far outnumbered the rural photos.

Aside from this small criticism, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Historic Photos of Connecticut. I gained insight into past life in Connecticut, and boned up on my history while doing it. The photos in the book focus on real life and real people. Through the faces and fashions of the people in the pictures one gets a sense of life in Connecticut that can't be fully understood by reading text book-type accounts of history. I recommend the book as a Christmas gift for anyone with Connecticut roots, or a book that you might consider adding to your own collection.