PHOTOGRAPHY | DOCUMENTING HISTORY

For a Decade, I Photographed City Events

I never made a dime and seldom had more fun

It’s been a decade since I bought my first DSLR camera, a Canon T3 with two kit lenses; an 18–55mm lens and a 70–300mm lens. Shooting at night with a max ISO of 6400 was interesting. I did alright for someone who, at that time, had no idea what I was doing.

I quickly put the camera and lenses to good use, documenting community events in my hometown. Eventually, it paid off when the historical society hired me to photograph the city. It was a small contract, but I got paid.

I paid back their faith in me by donating digital files of every event I photographed over the next ten years. Thousands of those files are in the hands of the historical society now. Call it my contribution to a city that cares for its residents, who return that care by paying it forward to their neighbors.

But now it comes down to this; how do I cull from thousands of photos to share in a story? It’s impossible. I’ve picked 20 photos — too many, I think, for Medium. So I’ll whittle that number down, trying to choose images of significant events over the last decade, and include a few of life in this city.

We have events nearly year-round, celebrating the four seasons, a winter and summer stroll, Johnny Appleseed Festival (he was born in Leominster), Kids Day, Ladies’ Night, and more.

In 2012, a fire engulfed the Columbia Block Building. Fire crews from surrounding communities assisted in containing the fire, but the damage was apparent by morning. Thirty families would need to find new homes, and several residents lost their livelihoods when their businesses were destroyed.

In 2014, the Longsjo Classic bicycle race returned after a brief hiatus. The race started in 1960 and was named for Arthur M. Longsjo Jr., a native of Fitchburg, Mass. Longsjo was the first American to compete in both the Summer Olympics (cycling) and Winter Olympics (speedskating) in the same year (1956). In 1958, Longsjo was killed in a car accident.

The multi-day race was held in Leominster, Fitchburg, and Worcester on its return and drew large crowds as it had previously. But it wasn’t to last. The Longsjo Classic held its final race in 2019.

Louis Charpentier, known as Mr. Christmas, carved hundreds of Christmas sculptures from styrofoam in his home on Merriam Ave, which he displayed in his front yard for 64 years. People who received carved Christmas mice still cherish them. Louis passed in 2015 at the age of 104.

In November 2016, the Moving Wall, a half-size replica of the Vietnam Wall, pulled into Leominster. Thousand of visitors from Leominster and neighboring communities attended the three days and nights of events to honor the men and women who lost their lives in Vietnam.

Last year, I was privileged to photograph the return of the late Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, a marine aviator who lost his life in a crash in Norway during training exercises. I write privileged because I was the only photographer the family allowed in the church during funeral services, with the proviso that photos inside the church would not be made public.

Residents turned out to welcome the procession home to Leominster. They attended Reynolds’ wake at city hall and waited outside the church during services. All this to welcome home Reynolds’ remains and his family as they grieved publicly, proudly, and painfully. Reynolds is buried alongside other veterans at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon.

In time, I hope someone will come across my photos in the historical society’s files and ask who I was, just as I wondered about a photographer when I found images from a hundred years ago. Perhaps this is the legacy I will leave for my family and city.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for stopping by. Lay 50 claps on me and comment if you would please. I will return the favor. Cheers!

I accept tips, which go directly to Dining for Hunger, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization that looks to end food insecurity. If you can spare a dollar or two, I’d be grateful.

More stories from Bruce Coulter.