An Intimate View: Sandwich through a Lens

Special Exhibit:  An Intimate View:  Sandwich through a Lens              March 4-June 19

An intimate view: Sandwich through a Lens focuses on life in Sandwich at the turn of the twentieth Century, illustrated through photographic images printed from glass plate negatives originally belonging to the Jones family, and on loan from the Sandwich Public Library and its Archives.

The history of the Jones Family in Sandwich began not in Massachusetts, but far away in Alsace-Lorraine, France. It is a quintessential American story of hardship, sacrifice, immigration and success, and has surprising twists and turns along the way.

Joshua and Reliance (Phinney) Jones settled in Sandwich in the 1850’s, and their son Isaiah Tobey Jones later purchased what is now the Isaiah Tobey Jones Bed and Breakfast at 165 Main Street. Isaiah was a principal in the Sandwich Tack Company, then located on Shawme Pond, as well as being instrumental in organizing national marketing and distribution efforts for the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. The family grew and prospered, having seven children and becoming integral members of the economic and social fabric of Sandwich life.

In the late 1800’s, Isaiah Tobey Jones Sr. purchased over fifty-five acres of salt marsh, beach and creeks between the town of Sandwich and the beachfront of Cape Cod Bay, and in the fall of 1897 built a cabin/camp in the midst of the marsh, to the east of the boardwalk.

This area was donated by the family to the town of Sandwich, and the images in this exhibition celebrates the Jones’ life in town and on the seashore, a life that is still relatable and enjoyed by many today who love Sandwich.