Thirty-eight lithotype illustrations from photographs of Framingham were published in 1880 by the Lithotype Printing Co. of New York, NY. The photos are grouped to represent the three principal villages of Framingham - Framingham Centre; South Framingham; and Saxonville. These books were sold door to door, and customers could purchase a small album representing a single village, or a larger album combining all three.
In 1980 volunteer curator Stephen W. Herring captured photo images of the same sites. The labels in this exhibit are based on his commentary.

Portfolios such as this one, illustrating the buildings, amenities, and natural settings of individual towns and cities proliferated in the late 19th century, as interest in travel surged, photographic equipment became more portable, and towns and cities vied to attract industrial entrepreneurs. The lithotype printing process, still in use today, employs an etched stone surface, with the design in relief.
The Lithotype Printing Co. was owned by A.G. Bushnell, a Massachusetts native. The company is listed in Illustrated New York, published in1888, as "one of the best-known and most prosperous" firms devoted to "the printing and publishing of fine-art goods, [including] manufacturers' catalogues and book illustrations, mezzotype engravings, and reproduction of art pictures of all kinds."


Lithotypes catalogued by Martha W. Davidson
Exhibit coordinated by Steven Lessard, intern from Framingham High School
Exhibit curated by Dana Dauterman Ricciardi