“Pictorally Speaking” a photography exhibit at Wistariahurst Museum by Charles Abel

About this event

Chuck Abel Presents: Pictorally Speaking: Modern Holyoke Photographed Through a 125-Year-Old Lens Photographer Charles Abel is bringing an exhibit to Wistariahurst Museum’s Gallery that shows visitors a view of Holyoke they’ve never seen before. Pictorally Speaking features cameras from Wistariahurst’s archive alongside photos Abel has taken of Holyoke. Abel captures views of modern-day Holyoke from a historical perspective- literally. About his process, Abel says, “I saw the 5×7 field camera, and I knew that was the one. After cleaning the camera and testing it for light-leaks, I made a few sample images to get a feel for the camera…In the end, this series of photographs is a combination of modern documentary images taken in the Pictorialist style with a 100-year-old camera and 125-year-old lens.” Museum Director Megan Seiler looks forward to this exhibit, saying, “We get to look at the present through the past’s lens.” Wistariahurst welcomes visitors to the opening reception of Pictorally Speaking on August 3rd, 2026, from 4:30-6:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on view through September 8th, 2026, during open gallery hours, Mondays, 10:00 am-2:00 pm, and Tuesdays, 4:30-6:30 pm. About the Artist: Charles (Chuck) Abel is currently working as a Librarian at the Chicopee Public Library. He also teaches a Photographic Archives class for Simmons University as an Adjunct Professor. He plans to continue to photograph, as he has done for the past 35 years, Holyoke and the Pioneer Valley. Abel also worked as a newspaper photographer for 25 years, starting at the Holyoke Transcript and then the Springfield Newspapers. He was the Photo Editor for the Daily Hampshire Gazette for 10 years. Abel has an MFA in Photography from the University of Hartford and a Masters of Library and Information Science from Simmons University. This program is funded in part by a grant from the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, a local agency which…