This collection of old photographs has become an obsession! My name is Peg Giles and I'm afraid that these historic pictures have taken over my life.

UPDATES ... After three years of work, I have completed scanning all 5,000 glass plate negatives. WOW! Many still need to be identified and moved to the correct categories, but they are now all on the site.

In the early 1900's my grandfather, Frank DeMars, traveled around Northwestern Connecticut & Southwestern Massachusetts (mostly by horse and buggy) recording rural life, mills and factories on the rivers, small towns and the people who lived in them. He took most of the pictures in the Winsted CT area.

When he opened an art store in Winsted, he bought glass plate negatives from a number of other photographers. For more info, go to About Us.

PLEASE LOOK at the unknowns & help me identify them. Keep checking in to see what others have identified!

RELATIVELY NEW - A "search function" - Look for it at the top of each page. Type in the photo number or a key word, like "horse" or a family name like "Gilbert". Also, we have a Facebook Fan Page.

For info about deals & various finishes, see our Coupons & Frequently Asked Questions.

To view pictures full-screen: Once you are in the galleries [example - Towns, Winsted, residences], go to the "style" icon on the right; click on journal. Then scroll down from picture to picture. Go to "next" at bottom for the next page. Repeat. For a list of the 50 or so towns go to the About Us section.

Corrections or suggestions? I'm not a historian or a CT native - I'd love to hear from you. Contact us at info@demarsimages.com