FAIRHOPE — The public has more visual insight into early life in Fairhope and Baldwin County thanks to resident Pinky Bass and the Fairhope Single Tax Corp.

A digital collection of family photos now called the Slosson Family Photo Albums is now kept at the Fairhope Single Tax Corp. and available for use.

“I saw some of Pinky’s photos in Kathy Donaldson’s book (“Images of America, Fairhope”). I asked to see them and borrowed them to show at Single Tax,” said Dean Mosher, Fairhope Single Tax Corp. vice president.

“Pinky gave permission for us to copy them and use them universally,” he said. Two photo albums were digitally copied, Mosher said.The first contains mostly images of Silverhill; the second contains Fairhope scenes.

“Thigpen Photography went way above and beyond the modest fee they were paid (to scan the images) and deserve the town’s gratitude,” Mosher said.

“My great-grandfather moved here in 1907 and began building houses,” Bass said.

The family had lived in Silverhill from 1894-1906, where Frank Stewart, “the Picture Man,” lived.

“My grandmother, Lois Sundberg, made photos on glass negatives at the turn of the century. I feel sure Frank taught her how to do it. The family began collecting photos he (Stewart) had made.”

Bass’ sister, Ruth Sundberg, began putting the family’s photo collection in archival sleeves in the 1950s and began making IDs of the locations and people as they could. “This family has always been a collection family,” she said.

They also were very involved in the community.

“My grandmother, Aunt Ruth and I all taught at the Organic School at the same time,” Bass said.

“I moved back here after I got my master’s degree in photography and moved in with my aunt,” Bass said.

She started graduate school with the intent of focusing on drawing, but soon discovered a love and gift for photography.

“When I moved back home, my aunt asked me if I would like to have the collection of pictures. I took possession of them in 1987-88 when she died,” she said.

The collection contained between eight to 10 photo albums and five boxes of daguerreotypes and tintypes. All of the written memorabilia went to a cousin of hers in Shreveport, Bass said.

In addition to Donaldson’s book, photos from Bass' collection have been published in a book by Frye Gaillard, she said.

The images were made of the people in her grandmother’s life in Silverhill plus some in Mobile.

“To see her with a tripod at the turn of the century in Mobile — I thought what a gutsy lady, and what a great eye.”

It’s ironic that Bass didn’t learn of her ancestor’s talent until after she herself became an accomplished photographer.

“She taught us how to draw bunny rabbits but growing up, I never saw her that way (as a photographer),” Bass said.

Bass said one of her favorite family photos involves a family car.

“My great-great-uncle, Gene Slosson and great-grandpa, "Doc" Slosson, had a car called “Sara Jane,” Bass said. They came home one day, and they couldn’t make the car stop. They lassoed a tree and drove the car around and around the tree until it stopped.

Bass has just shown work at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art. In creating that exhibit, she photographed some of the same sights her grandmother captured years earlier. The images are large, 3 by 5 feet.

“I've been using imagery out of these books for projects of my own.”

She likes the idea of making the photos available universally. “The technology has gone into this whole place. It is like recycling and moving to the next process.”

Mosher would like to get more old Fairhope and Baldwin County area photos digitized and in circulation.

“The more they are published, the more likely they will be saved,” he said. “Anyone who has old photos like these should give me a call.” He can be reached at 928-0900.