Wallace Nutting (1861-1941) was a minister, photographer, furniture maker, preservationist, and the father of the Colonial Revival movement. From his factory in Framingham, Nutting produced prints and furniture meant to evoke “old New England,” which became must-have decorative items for the growing American middle class. His style influenced design, art, and architecture for half a century.
His photographs included pastoral scenes, gardens, and replicas of colonial interiors (many taken inside historic homes in Framingham), often with women performing domestic work. These photographs were all hand-colored in his studio in downtown Framingham, and were sold in a variety of sizes to fit all budgets.
By 1925 it was estimated that there was one Nutting print in every American home. This Empire State No. 2 camera by Eastman Kodak came from Nutting’s studio in Framingham, and is the only one of his cameras known to survive today.