H.H. Bennett

Posted by Dablad1 on February 3, 2020

H.H. Bennett was a photographer most noted for his pictures of the Wisconsin Dells area. He started in 1865 upon his return from the Civil War and continued until his death in 1908. He invented the stop-action shutter, the effect of which is best seen in the Stand Rock photo below. He also invented a solar printing house. Since electricity was not available, the house on a circular track was moved during the day via pulley and cable, providing sufficient light for taking pictures and printing them. (See blog entry for May 2013 for a picture.) On a 100-mile river trip he chronicled the life of lumber raftsmen in 30 pictures, combined them with narration, and, in the process, invented photo journalism. Unless otherwise noted, the following photos are dated 1880s.

Bennett Home 1901