Friday, April 9

proctor maple research center

The Center for Digital Initiatives (CDI), part of the University of Vermont's (UVM) digital library, recently posted some fantastic shots from the archive of the Proctor Maple Research Center (PMRC) and has given permission to reproduce them here. [thx Robin.]

The PMRC is a field station of the Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station of UVM, and the first permanent maple research facility in the United States. The collection of photographs (sample below), taken between 1948-1957 document the history of maple research at the University of Vermont. Further reading at UVM's Maple Research Collection.

Neat to see the mixture of scientific photos mixed in with quite a bunch of the students just messing around. Classic 50's styling; sweaters and wool trousers/jackets/hats as far as the eye can see. Love the maple-buster power augers too... Presented below with their CDI titles and dates w/ few editiorial comments.

F. Havens and E. Havens. 1948 / Bill Scott and Tom Sproston outside the research shed. 1948

Ed Fielling surveying the sugar bush. 1952 / Mr. Searle. 1948

Fred Havens, Bill Scott, James Marvin, Bill Mahan, and Hugh Conklin. 1948 Worker pumping maple sap into pipeline. 1955
Workers surveying the sugar bush. Undated
Plastic and metal collection containers. 1956
Two workers in front of the research shed. 1955

Worker collecting maple sap. Undated / Herb Beam power tapping trees in the sugar bush. Undated

Worker power-tapping sugar maple. Undated / Herb Beam tapping a sugar maple. 1955

Worker building a collection box for E.R.R.L. 1952 Student workers posing in the sugar bush. 1952
[plate must be flipped as collegiate sweaters reversed -ed.] Workers washing collection buckets inside sugar house. 1949Woodpile behind sugar house. 1953