Historic Photograph of Legh Furnace Highlights Maryland's Industrial Past and Artistic Legacy
A 1937 photograph by renowned pictorialist A. Aubrey Bodine documents the Old Iron Furnace in Carroll County, connecting Maryland's industrial history with artistic excellence through Bodine's innovative techniques.
The Old Iron Furnace near Avondale, Carroll County, captured in a 1937 photograph by A. Aubrey Bodine, represents a significant piece of Maryland's industrial heritage that has since transformed into modern residential development. The furnace was part of Legh Furnace, established by English immigrant Legh Master who purchased thousands of acres in 1770 to create an iron business in what was then Frederick County. Master's operation became a notable enterprise before his death in 1796 and burial at the furnace site, with the property later renamed Avondale by subsequent owner Isaac Van Bibber in 1802.
The photographic documentation by A. Aubrey Bodine (1906-1970) provides valuable historical preservation of this industrial site. Bodine, regarded as one of the finest pictorialists of the twentieth century, began his career in 1923 covering stories for the Baltimore Sunday Sun and created remarkable documentary pictures throughout Maryland. His work consistently won top honors in national and international salon competitions, establishing his reputation for artistic quality that exceeded typical newspaper photography standards.
Bodine's approach to photography as a creative discipline involved extensive technical experimentation and manipulation. He worked on negatives with dyes, intensifiers, pencil markings, and scraping to achieve desired effects, often adding clouds photographically and composing images directly in the camera viewfinder. This methodology, which Bodine described as "making" rather than "taking" pictures, resulted in photographs that served both as historical documentation and artistic expression. More than 6,000 photographs spanning Bodine's 47-year career are available for viewing at https://www.aaubreybodine.com.
The transformation of the furnace site into the Furnace Hills golf course community illustrates the ongoing evolution of Maryland's landscape from industrial to residential use. Bodine's photograph serves as a permanent record of the area's industrial past, while the full biography of the photographer, "A Legend In His Time" by Harold A. Williams, provides additional context about his artistic contributions and can be found at https://www.aaubreybodine.com. This intersection of historical preservation, artistic achievement, and community development demonstrates the layered significance of documenting regional heritage through skilled photography.