Americana Lecture: Samuel Chamberlain, Visual Poet of the Northshore

Our Spring Americana Lecture explores photographer Samuel Chamberlain's compelling blend of history, beauty, and locale.

Samuel Chamberlain (1875–1975) lived in Marblehead, but his work as printmaker, photographer, and writer took him across the US and to many parts of Europe. He began as an architectural renderer, then worked in various forms of printmaking, and became an accomplished photographer. He also taught at the architecture schools of MIT and the University of Michigan. Although he lived in France for a dozen years, and traveled extensively, he was proud to call the North Shore his home.

Chamberlain’s books and annual calendars captured New England in all its beauty and variety, from landscapes to historic buildings and small architectural details. Later in life, he wrote with enthusiasm about food and wine; Gourmet and Hastings House published a number of his cookbooks. Our speaker will share with us examples from the great riches of his visual art, in locations near and far.

Speaker Bruce Kennett is a designer of books and museum exhibits, a photographer, writer, and teacher. Over the past four decades, he has lectured widely on topics related to printing history and the graphic arts. His biography of Hingham artist W. A. Dwiggins (2017, Letterform Archive) was widely praised by colleagues and the press. Bruce's graphic design clients have included L.L. Bean and the Folger Shakespeare Library, and he has taught at the Art Institute of Boston, Northeastern University, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Bruce first discovered Chamberlain in the 1970s and has been continually inspired by him ever since; he is thrilled to be able to share with North Shore residents his passion and respect for this important artist.