Event

The Maine Frontier- Through the Lens of Isaac Walton Simpson

The Maine Frontier- Through the Lens of Isaac Walton Simpson, by filmmaker and composer, Sumner McKane, is a multimedia presentation that combines the rare and historic photography of Isaac Simpson with archived films, oral histories, and live music by Sumner McKane and Joshua Robbins. The Maine Frontier is centered around a collection of over 1,500 scarcely seen photographs taken around the turn-of-the-century by Amity, Maine, native, Isaac Simpson- photographer, blacksmith, barber, musician, woodsman, mechanic, husband, and father of 13 children.

The Maine Frontier is an illustration of family, work, community, and culture in northern Maine at the turn-of-the-century. Isaac Simpson's photographic subjects, his wife Effie, their friends, family, neighbors and work-mates exemplify the character, necessities, and condition of the turn-of-the-century northern Mainer. Hear how this collection of photos was almost lost forever and enjoy a previously undocumented historical story through this vivid multidimensional presentation.

Sumner McKane is a filmmaker and composer based in Wiscasset, Maine. He records instrumental music, film scores, and music for media. He produces historical documentaries along with companion live presentations to his films. In a few short years, Sumner has built a reputation for innovative historical storytelling using multimedia, combining various mediums to tell a historical story in a live setting. His work has been featured on MPBN and NPR and he was recently awarded the 2014 Maine Arts Commission's Media & Performing Arts Fellowship.