A Portland Camera Club member photographed John Vials, also known as English Jack or the "Hermit of Crawford Notch," in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Jack, a former sailor, lived in the area from the 1870s until his death in 1912 and was a well-known figure in the area. Tourists often traveled to see him.

The Portland Camera Club was founded in 1899 and is one of the oldest camera clubs in the United States. In the first decades of the 20th century, members went on regular outings to various places in Maine to picnic, hike, and take photographs. Members still meet regularly to share and comment on one another's work.