From now through the month of May, the public can view photos of Connecticut’s historic barns in the exhibit “Picturing History: Historic Barns of Connecticut” at Hartford Fine Art & Framing, 80 Pitkin Street, East Hartford. The photographs on display are the winners of a juried photography contest hosted this past summer by Preservation Connecticut, formerly Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.

This contest is a result of Preservation Connecticut’s continued commitment to honoring the Connecticut barn. From 2006-2013, the organization engaged 400 volunteers to survey over 8,400 barns across the state with funding from the State Historic Preservation Office. This survey later resulted in a database of 2,000 barns, nominations for 200 barns for the State Register of Historic Places, the launch of www.connecticutbarns.org and a trail leading visitors around the state to visit these iconic buildings.

Preservation Connecticut, a non-profit whose mission in part is to promote and preserve historic places, started the photography contest in June 2020. They received 112 submissions of barn photographs from all across the state in four categories: black and white, color, detail, and smartphone. On the photo submission website, the public could vote for their favorite which resulted in four “Viewer’s Choice” awards that are also included in the exhibit. The contest jury was comprised of three professionals: Todd Levine, Architectural Historian at the State Historic Preservation Office and former director of Preservation Connecticut’s barn project; Lisa Hayes Williams, Associate Curator at the New Britain Museum of American Art; and Jeremy Frost, professional photographer, partner at Frostedworks.com, and former Preservation Connecticut Trustee. The jury picked 35 photos, one of which awarded Best in Show, entitled, “Tobacco Barn at Harvest Time, Glastonbury CT,” taken by Connie Mendolia.