A number of years ago, I talked my Grandma Margaret out of throwing away a bunch of old family negatives. Ever since I “saved” them, they’ve been hidden away in the same Point Washington Bartlett Pears box* that Grandma had kept them in.

It wasn’t until a friend asked why I had a box of pears on my studio shelves—amongst photo paper boxes, portfolios, and negative binders—that I appreciated how incongruous it really was. In sorting & sleeving the negatives (a popular pandemic diversion!), I discovered a gold mine of beautiful images. They reminded me of photographs I’ve made of our family and farm that I’ve also hidden away as I’ve worked on other projects. Fresh Pears combines all of these images together—old & new, past & present—so the echoes I see in our family can be shared and enjoyed for generations to come. I’ve published two volumes of this booklet so far and plan to make many more.

*Grandma Margaret made a lot of pear jam!