Lesson Plan & Activities
The Mattatuck Museum has many works in its collection that depict scenes of Waterbury. They range from landscape paintings to architectural drawings to photographs of home life. One of these collections contains photographs by Frederick Stone, who depicted life in Waterbury and the surrounding area from 1880-1930.
Photographs by Frederick Stone
Waterbury native Frederick Stone (1862-1932) was a studio photographer and independent stringer for the Republican American. His personal views of Waterbury and its citizens at the turn-of-the-century are scenes of everyday hometown life. Printed from glass plate negatives, the photographs are crisp and clear. The Museum purchased a large group of these photographs in 2009 and it allows an excellent survey of Stone’s work. Subjects are as diverse as family portraits, records of important social events, the city, and the countryside. Stone was active in Waterbury’s Photography Club.
In this pleasing shot, four women are seated on the steps leading to the photographer’s studio. Stone must have strategized their placement as the varying heights of their placement keeps the eye moving and the composition dynamic. As well, each woman, dressed stylish high-necked, flowing skirt fashion, gives the viewer a distinctly unique countenance. Delightful, not saccharine, the image is evocative and perceptive. A sign fixed to the building’s clapboard and seen in the space above the two women at left announces Stone as a landscape photographer. Though not all his landscapes are identified, some are from Waterbury neighbors, Woodbury and Middlebury.
He also shot scenes in Waterbury parks that oftentimes included a figure. The woodland serenity contrasts with prosaic city scenes such as Simon Bohl’s Meat Market, 90 South Main Street and front view of Jones, Morgan & Co., 96-106 Bank Street.
Lesson Plan and Activities
Lesson Plan: Scenes of Waterbury
Activity: Create the Green Instructions
Activity: Create the Green Worksheet
Activity: Landscapes
Activity: Scavenger Hunt
Walking Tours of Downtown Waterbury
These walking tours were developed in 2019 by architectural historian Edward Halligan to allow participants to explore Downtown Waterbury and learn about the rich architectural history of the city. Print these maps at home to follow the tour path to learn more about the buildings downtown.
Downtown Waterbury Walking Tour Map 1
Downtown Waterbury Walking Tour Map 2
Downtown Waterbury Walking Tour Map 3
Other Resources
How to Draw a Landscape Video
Learn More About the Hudson River School
Mattatuck Museum Collections
Neighborhoods of Waterbury