Clifton Johnson Photographs

of the huntington house & hadley

Clifton Johnson was born on January 25th, 1865, in Hockanum, Hadley, to Chester and Jeanette Johnson. At the age of 15, Johnson began working at Bridgeman and Child book and stationery store in Northampton where he began writing and drawing. His first book, The New England Country, was published in 1892. Johnson would go on to publish another 124 books. Johnson’s publications spanned multiple genres including children’s literature, biographies, and travel. His books were always accompanied by his own illustrations and photography.

On May 25th, 1896, Johnson married Anna Tweed Mqueston. After they married, the Johnsons settled in Hadley and raised five children; Margaret, Arthur, Roger, Irving, and Katherine.

In 1929, Dr. James Lincoln Huntington, Johnson, and Johnson’s brother Henry, moved the 1782 animal barn in its entirety from the Porter-Phelps-Huntington estate to the center of Hadley where the Johnsons created the Hadley Farm Museum. The Farm Museum showcases the brothers’ collection of vehicles and equipment used on New England farms and farmhouses from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, such as “Forty Acres.” The Farm Museum is therefore not only an important Hadley historical site but is deeply connected with the history of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum.

“Hadley is the most beautiful place on earth, any prospective museum should be located here.”
— Clifton Johnson

Bellow is a collection of photographs taken by Clifton Johnson of the Porter-Phelps-Huntington estate:

Below is a collection of photographs taken by Clifton Johnson of the town of Hadley. Click HERE to view the full collection.

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“Clifton Johnson Collection” used by permission of Jones Library, Amherst, MA.

To view full collection: https://www.digitalamherst.org/clifton-johnson

Bridging the Past and Present:

Clifton Johnson: A Search for the Heart of America: Picture Show and Lecture

with William Hosley

July 28, 2021

Below is the recording of William Hosley’s presentation on Clifton Johnson’s photographs as the third installment of PPH’s 2021 speaker series Bridging the Past and Present made possible by a grant from the Bridge Street Fund, a special initiative from Mass Humanities to enable open access to local histories.

Sources:

“Biography · Clifton Johnson · Digital Amherst.” Accessed October 13, 2019. http://digitalamherst.org/exhibits/show/clifton-johnson/johnson-bio.

“Hadley Farm Museum.” Accessed October 13, 2019. http://hadleyfarmmuseum.org/.

“Hadley Farm Museum.” Accessed October 13, 2019. http://hadleyfarmmuseum.org/history.html.

The Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum