ILLUSTRATED LECTURE AT TRENT HOUSE: Archivist and photographer Gary Saretzky will present an illustrated lecture on 19th century New Jersey-based photographers at the Trent House Museum on September 24. Pictured here is Edward H. Stokes. He was a photographer in Trenton and is one of the subjects of the lecture. He also resided at the Trent House for many years. His son donated the Trent House to the City of Trenton to be used as a museum.

Of the approximately 3,000 different photographers who were active in New Jersey before 1900, more than 250 lived or worked in Mercer County, most of them in Trenton. In a slide lecture, Gary D. Saretzky will profile these pioneers, including Edward H. Stokes who lived in what is now the William Trent House, and discuss them within the larger context of New Jersey photography in the 19th century. As you will see in the slides, these photographers documented the people and places of their times and, in addition, their individual histories provide insight into social conditions of their era. The illustrated lecture will be held Saturday, September 24 at 1 p.m. at 15 Market Street in Trenton, adjacent to the Hughes Justice Complex. There will be complimentary light refreshments and tours of the Trent House. Admission is free.

Gary D. Saretzky, archivist and photographer, has worked as an archivist for more than 45 years at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Educational Testing Service, and the Monmouth County Archives, where he has been county archivist since 1994. Saretzky taught the history of photography at Mercer County Community College from 1977 to 2012, and coordinated the Public History Internship Program for the Rutgers University history department from 1994 to 2016. He has published more than 100 articles and reviews on the history of photography, photographic conservation, and other topics, including “Nineteenth-Century New Jersey Photographers,” in the journal, New Jersey History, Fall/Winter 2004. In 2012, he received the Maureen Ogden Award for Lifetime Achievement in New Jersey History at the New Jersey History Issues Conference. Saretzky’s biography may be found in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Art.

Listed in both the State and National Registers of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark, the meticulously restored 1719 William Trent House and historic kitchen garden continue to reward visitors with a glimpse into pre-revolutionary life in America and its interpretation of William Trent’s lifestyle and diverse household. Owned and maintained by the City of Trenton and operated by the Trent House Association, the historic house museum is open to the public for tours Wednesday through Sunday, 12:30 to 4 p.m. and by appointment for school and group tours. For more information and driving directions, visit www.williamtrenthouse.org or call (609) 989-3027.