Exhibit to feature 50 photographs by Anna Carroll

HOBART―The Hobart Historical Society is featuring 50 of the photographs of Anna Carroll (1868-1925) in an upcoming exhibit at MURAL on Main Gallery. The exhibit reveals the life and legacy of Carroll, a long-time Hobart resident and prominent community presence.

The exhibition opens on Saturday, August 22 with a public reception from 2 to 4 p.m. The show runs through September 27  and gallery hours are 12-4 p.m. The gallery is located at 631 Main Street, Hobart.

With support from a half-dozen community organizations, Hobart Village Trustees recognized Carroll in an official village proclamation describing her as a "trailblazing resident and gifted photographer who documented the evolution of [the Hobart] community during her lifetime."

Opening its doors to art lovers, local history enthusiasts, and curious visitors alike, the MURAL gallery, located in the center of Main Street, showcases an intimate look at the people and pastimes of Hobart at the turn-of-the-twentieth century through the eyes of a woman whose interests included the increasing popular use of photography as an art and documentary medium.

Born in 1868 in nearby Roxbury, Carroll moved to Hobart with her mother in 1885, following the death of her stepfather, Edward Faulkner. Carroll dedicated her life to the spiritual and social fabric of Hobart, as a devoted Sunday School teacher for the Hobart Methodist Church, where her service is permanently memorialized in a beautiful stained-glass window dedicated in her honor. Her service to her community inspired the formation of the Anna Carroll Circle that remained active in village affairs as late as 1946, decades after her death.

Carroll picked up the camera during a time when photography was still a demanding, technical craft largely dominated by men. Undeterred by social conventions and the heavy and cumbersome early photographic equipment, Carroll traveled around Hobart and its surrounding landscapes, documenting the quiet, everyday moments that defined her family and hometown. Her surviving photographs reflect an era of transformation as the slow, agrarian lifestyle of the nineteenth century—and its people—gave way to the twentieth century with its promises of speed and invention.

Visitors to the exhibition will be treated to a selection of Carroll’s glass plate images that were digitally restored by former photographer and noted artist John Jackson of nearby Jefferson  several decades ago and recently printed for the show by Hobart photographer Kelly Chien, who completed further restoration. The display, curated by public historian Carolyn Bennett and photographer Richard Hudson, highlights Carroll’s extraordinary eye for composition, light, and human emotion. From stunning rural vistas to formal family portraits, her work rises above simple historical record-keeping and tells a vibrant story of quiet community pride.

This retrospective of Carroll’s images is more than just an art show—it is a celebration of a woman whose vision ensured Hobart's early heritage would not be forgotten. By bringing Carroll’s photography back into the public light, the Hobart Historical Society honors a local figure.  Whether you are a lifelong resident eager to explore local roots or a newcomer discovering Hobart for the first time, this remarkable collection promises an interesting journey through history, craftsmanship, and local pride.

The exhibit was made possible by funding from the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation, Hobart Community Foundation, Robinson Broadhurst Foundation and the Robert B. and Addie P. Thompson Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Delaware County Historical Association and the Hobart Community Alliance.