"I can always spot a Hensel image. The artist had a distinct style of photography,”says Jim Marshall, President/Founder of American Historical Images LLC (AHI).
Hensel captured Pennsylvania´s bucolic landscapes and village streetscapes during an era when effects of the Industrial Revolution were just beginning to impact the pristine Northeast region along the Delaware River that borders New York and New Jersey.
Included in the Hensel Collection as well are nostalgic images of Boy Scouts of America Founder Dan Beard and his troops at his Pike County Outdoor School for Boys.
Marshall became enthralled with photographer Louis Hensel´s work when a local business man, Mr. Emerick Hirsch, discovered several boxes of vintage Hensel glass negatives in the Hawley, PA, building that once served as Hensel´s studio.
Emerick Hirsch owned a jewelry and gift shop in the former Hensel building, and when time came to sell his property in the late 1970s Hirsch called his friend Marshall, a Northeastern Pennsylvania real estate professional, who now has more than 50 years experience in the business.
As Marshall recalls, “Hirsch said, “Jim, there´s something you´ve got to see,” we then proceeded into his back room, which was filled with boxes that had about a quarter inch of dust on them. No one had touched them for nearly 100 years.”
To Marshall´s delight, the envelope-sized boxes contained a collection of Hensel´s glass negatives. It is a moment the AHI Founder will never forget. Marshall knew exactly what he was looking at.
The discovery of the Hensel portfolio brought together Marshall´s educational background in historical studies and his lifelong interest in photography.
“I knew when I saw these glass negatives they were something special,” says Marshall, who purchased the entire collection, and soon ensured that each image be meticulously catalogued, scanned and archivally printed as part of the Hensel Collection preserved by American Historical Images LLC as authorized by the Hawley Library Association, Inc.
In collaboration with Silver Images — a professional black & white photographic printer with more than 40 years experience — Hensel´s images have been brought out of their hidden boxes for new generations to appreciate and enjoy.
These stunning museum-quality pigment-on-paper “giclée” prints reveal the detailed beauty of Hensel´s work, and utilize only the most superior archival materials and procedures.
Marshall´s enthusiasm about the Louis Hensel Collection is apparent. He is quick to point out that photography, in the early years, was a difficult art form. “Early in Hensel´s career he undoubtedly used wet collodium negatives or ‘wet plates;´ pieces of .125” thick glass coated on one side with an emulsion made of gelitin and metallic silver.” Marshall continues, “Dry-plate glass negatives were first manufactured in the 1880´s and were used by a few professionals until just after WWII.” Marshall explains, “The processing of glass plates required an understanding of chemistry, as most chemical combinations needed to be made from the basic components. Transportation and storage were certainly additional issues. The use of them, wet or dry, along with the photographers delicate equipment, required great care and energy.”
According to Marshall, “The world needed to see these images, especially those of Boy Scout´s of America founder Dan Beard.”We are most fortunate to be able to share the Hensel collection of glass plate photography with the public — they are, truly reflections of days gone by.