THE BEST OF TIMES. Mary Caton-Rosser, a Chippewa Valley native with decades of experience in the photo industry, is offering others an intimate view on early 1900s life in the region – all brought to life by photos taken by her grandmother, Celia Marx-Caton. “My Grandma Celia Marx-Caton: Photographer of the early 1900s in Eau Claire” is now showing at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library.

Often found in the depths of a family member’s basement, family photographs – often preserved within the pages of aged photo albums – provide a profound, personalized glimpse into what it was like to move through the world at a particular moment; capturing life and legacies as seen by the photographer.

Mary Caton-Rosser, a Chippewa Valley native, echoes these beliefs — and the value of timeless photographs — as she offers others an intimate view on early 1900s life in the region, all brought to life by her grandmother, Celia Marx-Caton.

“My Grandma Celia Marx-Caton: Photographer of the early 1900s in Eau Claire” is now showing at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire) through November.

This exhibit transforms the lower-level gallery walls into a warm, contemplative environment, Caton-Rosser said. She invites attendees to pause and reflect on the special relationships shared with their own family as the exhibit reverbs this unrelenting theme: “Almost everyone has a special place in their heart reserved for grandparents.”

Mary Caton-Rosser, pictured alongside the dozens of photographs captured by her grandmother in the early 1900s.

“I've got a deep sentimental sense about me,” Caton-Rosser said. “(With) every one of these photos, I have a memory of my grandma — who I grew up next door to on West Grand Avenue — telling stories of all these (moments).”

This selection of black-and-white photographs features varying themes, drawn from Marx-Caton’s extensive collection of over 400 images and previous gallery installations in partnership with the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Today, she has paired the images down to the 80-plus on display at the Eau Claire public library.

The collection today centers on life in the Chippewa Valley, particularly Marx-Caton's experiences living in and around the now historic neighborhoods of downtown Eau Claire. Across eight photo boards, viewers will observe a range of images from “Women in Charge in Times of Change” to “Comedy and Cut-Up.”

Photos of people playing along the river and some of the first women to vote in Eau Claire during the 1920s are just a fraction of what Caton-Rosser has uncovered from her grandmother’s views from behind the camera.

“Eau Claire was the place to be,” Caton-Rosser said, describing how her grandmother recalled life in the early 1900s. “This is where they found a love of fashion; Where they posed a lot of pictures — like out at Half Moon Lake.”

“My Grandma Celia Marx-Caton: Photographer of the early 1900s in Eau Claire” can be found within the lower level of the public library in downtown Eau Claire. This interactive space — adjacent to the library's "Dabble Box" — perfectly emulated the goals she had for the installation.

Caton-Rosser vividly remembers the atmosphere of her grandmother's upstairs home on West Grand Avenue; the smells, sounds and stories emanating from the tiny darkroom where she developed film from her Kodak Brownie box camera.

Inspired by her grandmother, Caton-Rosser has continued to embed her grandmother’s passions within her own decades-long journey in the photo industry and visual storytelling. Through the current public library installation, she offers a moving testament to the matriarchal figures in her life and notes how photography has weaved her family closer together.

“Being able to take out those photo albums now — touching them, feeling them and having all those memories is a positive experience for me and I think it's a good exercise for the mind too.”

The exhibit's goal extends beyond connecting Caton-Rosser’s family; she also intends for it to be interactive, prompting visitors to engage with the material via an open journal and reflect on their own family ties and untold stories.

Self-described "Grandmas" of the Chippewa Valley have already shared reflections and insights from their view of the public library's photo exhibit, as seen above.

Driven by the wisdom and voice of her grandmother, she extends an invitation to all to embrace the exhibition, discover a love for analog photography and perhaps even strengthen bonds with the loved ones in their own lives.

“One of my primary reasons to do (installations) like this, is to make it interactive and get people thinking… pulling out memories that maybe they haven't explored for a long time that are fulfilling and impactful for them,” Caton-Rosser said.

To learn more about Mary Caton-Rosser's collection of photographs on display at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library (400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire), visit the lower-level gallery Monday-Thursday from 9am-8pm; Friday-Saturday from 9am-6pm.