Vermont is the state that most exemplifies New England charm and Yankee culture. Examples of family dairy farms, dazzling autumn foliage, maple syrup production, vernacular classical architecture, and independent Yankees are all found in abundance. With just over 600,000 citizens on its 9,250 square miles, Vermont is the second least populated state in the United States.
The National Geographic Society assigned Nathan Benn to photograph the state of Vermont in February 1973. The coverage commenced on March 6, 1973 with the annual “First Monday” town meeting in Burke Hollow, Vermont. Nathan scouted several town halls in the days before First Monday to determine which venue would provide the most photogenic interior. Burke Hollow was selected because the old Union Meeting House had large windows for natural light and a charming rollup painted curtain to frame the stage. The best moment came at the very beginning of the meeting, when the town officers stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance while a white-haired Yankee gentleman respectfully held the American flag. The scene lasted less than a minute, and the photograph taken with a handheld Leica at 1/15th second was displayed over two pages in National Geographic.
National Geographic published the Vermont story over 34 pages in the July 1973 issue of National Geographic Magazine. The author was National Geographic staff writer Ethel A. Starbird. Ethel was a native of Vermont, and her words complimented well with Nathan’s images.
Technical Notes: Nathan used Leica M4 and Nikon F cameras with Kodachrome and Ektachrome 35mm film. Between March 1973 and January 1974 Nathan shot 395 rolls of film, almost all by available light.
