As Good as Can Be

Hugh Morrison Jr. (1871-1950) photographed the people and places of Shenandoah County, Virginia, from the late 1890s until 1950. Unlike the work of many of his contemporaries, nearly 30,000 of Morrison’s glass-plate negatives have survived.

Organized in partnership with the Shenandoah County Historical Society, the MSV was pleased to present the first exhibition focused on this prolific photographer. As Good as Can Be: Shenandoah County through the Lens of Hugh Morrison Jr. included more than forty gelatin silver prints made by Morrison and loaned by various Shenandoah County families, as well as 70 modern digital prints made from scans of Morrison’s original negatives. A digital slideshow of over 200 additional images was also presented. A number of artifacts from his studio and family, including a camera, props, journal, and original studio door, were included to further enliven the display.

The images themselves stole the show, each one intriguing, and together providing a fascinating window into life in the Shenandoah Valley in the first half of the twentieth century.

Visit the online exhibition of As Good as Can Be: Shenandoah County through the Lens of Hugh Morrison Jr.