Guide to the Wannacomet Water Company Photographic Collection, 1892–1995

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Research Library at the Nantucket Historical Association. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the internet.

Summary

The Wannacomet Water Company, incorporated as a private company in 1880, provided municipal water service the Town of Nantucket, Mass. It ceased to exist as a private company in 1925 and has since been operated by the Town of Nantucket. The Wannacomet Water Company Photographic Collection consists of photographs, negatives, glass plate negatives, and scans depicting the company’s facilities, installation, and maintenance of distribution resources. Many of the photographs were taken in Wyer’s Valley.

Collection Details

Collection Number:
PH155
Title:
Wannacomet Water Company Photographic Collection
Date(s):
1878–1995 (bulk 1897–1929)
Creator:
Wannacomet Water Company
Repository:
Nantucket Historical Association
Language:
Material is in English.

Information for Users

Restrictions to Access: No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use: No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice: Copyright is retained by the authors of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation: [identification of item], in the Wannacomet Water Company Photographic Collection, Nantucket Historical Association.

Acquisitions Information:

Boxes 1-8: Gift of Wannacomet Water Company in 2018 (Acc. RL2018.3).

Scans: Gift of Wannacomet Water Company in 2012 (Acc. RL2012.84).

Sensitive Materials Statement:

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual’s private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Nantucket Historical Association assumes no responsibility.

Related Collections

  • MS575 Wannacomet Water Company Records, Nantucket Historical Association.

Subject Headings

  • Corporate Name
    • Wannacomet Water Company.
  • Geographic Name
    • Wyer’s Valley (Nantucket, Mass.)
  • Topical Term
    • Water distribution--Massachusetts--Nantucket.
    • Water-supply--Massachusetts--Nantucket.
    • Water utilities--Massachusetts--Nantucket.

Biographical Information

The Wannacomet Water Company was incorporated in 1880 as a private company that provided municipal water service to the Town of Nantucket, Mass. In 1925, the company ceased to exist as a private company and has since been operated by the Town of Nantucket.

Scope and Content

The Wannacomet Water Company Photographic Collection includes 671 photographs and negatives that depict Wannacomet Water Company facilities, installation, and maintenance of distribution resources, and a limited number of personal photographs showing Nantucket, Mass.; Boston, Mass.; and Brockton, Mass from 1892 to 1995. There are also 103 glass plate negatives from about 1897 to 1920 that depict many of the images that also exist as photographs or negatives as described above. The majority of the photographs were taken by the president of the company during his tenure and subsequently given to the company. There are also 7 albums containing photographs of the Wannacomet Water Company facilities from around 1920. Finally, there are 32 photograph scans depicting company facilities, utilities, and workers from 1878 to 1910.

Contents

Boxes 1-4: Photographs and Negatives, circa 1892–1995, bulk 1894–1927
These 671 photographs and negatives depict Wannacomet Water Company facilities, installation, and maintenance of distribution resources. Many of these photographs and negatives were taken in Wyer’s Valley. There are also some personal photographs of Nantucket, Mass.; Boston, Mass.; and Brockton, Mass.

Boxes 5-6: Glass Plate Negatives, circa 1897–1920
These 103 glass plate negatives depict many of the images that also exist as photographs or negatives found in boxes 1 through 4.

Boxes 7-8: Photograph Albums, circa 1920
These 7 photograph albums contains photographs of Wannacomet Water Company facilities from around 1920.

Scans: Photograph scans, 1878–1910
These 32 scans depict Wannacomet Water Company facilities, utilities, and workers from 1878 to 1910.

Processing Information

Processed by Kelli Yakabu, March 2021.

Finding aid by Kelli Yakabu, May 2021.

The Nantucket Historical Association preserves and interprets the history of Nantucket through its programs, collections, and properties, in order to promote the island’s significance and foster an appreciation of it among all audiences.

We use cookies to deliver our online services. Details and instructions on how to disable those cookies are set out in our Privacy Policy. By clicking I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies unless you have disabled them.

> >