Clayton

Clayton depicts and documents the history of this diverse New York community.

The town of Clayton, located in northern New York State, was established on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence River. At the turn of the last century, Clayton was in its heyday, and was one of the most famous resort destinations in the northeastern United States. During this period, Clayton was a place of affluence, its economy and culture built on the timber trade, shipping, boat building, and tourism industries. This book highlights the collection of Lester Corbin. Mr. Corbin, known as the "Dean of the Thousand Islands Photographers," dedicated his life to compiling the photographic history of Clayton and the surrounding Thousand Islands Region. Whether shooting his own photography or restoring the collections of photographers who went before him, Mr. Corbin was able to develop one of the most extensive collections in the area. Every photograph in this book is taken from an original glass plate or negative found in the collection.