Last Photographers
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Many of the photos in the previous articles were taken by Richwood photographer Finley Taylor (1887-1976). Finley’s keen eye and skills at lighting and photography make him one of the last great old-style photographers—from hauling around a heavy camera and tripod, to taking lengthy exposures, to using dangerous darkroom chemicals to develop images. We thought you might enjoy some of Finley’s amazing photography from early 20th-century Nicholas County. For more about Finley and his photos, please see “Finley Taylor” by Luther D. Baker (Winter 2013). –ed. For centuries, photographers have documented people’s lives by preserving images. Finley Taylor of Richwood was a master photographer, intentional and strategic, and a philosopher of human nature. Around the turn-of-the-20th-century, Finley lugged his cumbersome 5x7 Rochester field camera through rugged logging camps, photographing families who lived and toiled during the great logging era in Nicholas County. He was also an accomplished portrait photographer. In archiving the people of his beloved Richwood, Finley had a special way of depicting their souls and exposing their genuine character. He began his career working with photographer G. W. Yorty of Gad, about 30 miles west of Richwood. Finley followed G. W. to various gatherings, picnics, funerals, and celebrations, hoping to learn his secret craft. Eventually, G. W. migrated west to care for his declining health, and Finley, with his wife and children, moved east to the booming town of Richwood, where he was employed by the Cherry River Boom and Lumber Company. As land speculators purchased virgin forest, commercial logging operations expanded in Richwood and surrounding areas. Richwood’s sparse population of 24 grew to more than 4,000 in 1911. Finley quietly but purposefully watched the hum and scuttle of the town’s residents and, with his camera, began recording the growth of a new era. With his wife’s assistance, he developed images in his darkroom and eventually opened a home studio, photographing local townspeople. He truly captured the essence of his subjects, often dressing them in humorous attire to relax them and bring out their true selves. As part of his job, he also photographed chilling crime scenes, car wrecks, and funerals. While Finley enjoyed his studio portraits, his photograph work really shined when he traveled around the mountainside on horseback. Away from the familiar territory of controlled studio lighting and into the dim forests of the Cranberry Wilderness log camps, Finley perfected his use of natural light and produced much of his greatest work. He spent long days set-directing various logging camp workers and their families in strategic poses. In doing so, he recorded their primitive, yet subtly elegant, ways of life. Many were immigrants from Italy, Czechoslovakia, and Slovenia and didn’t speak English. Still, Finley communicated with and sold them photos, which they shared with their loved ones across the ocean. Finley Taylor continued his work for 38 years. On July 16, 1949, he retired, unexpectedly and somewhat mysteriously. He took his last portrait and folded his black cloth one final time. After his wife’s passing, Finley lived with his daughter until he died in 1976. He’s buried in the Richwood Cemetery. Finley Taylor was a photographer ahead of his time. His gift for depicting the uniqueness of an individual or family was a beacon to future photographers. You can read the rest of this article in this issue of Goldenseal, available in bookstores, libraries or direct from Goldenseal. |
