Chansonetta Stanley Emmons, born in Kingfield, captured rural life in early 20th-century photographs during her travels through New England, the Carolinas, the Midwest, Canada, and Europe. She likely compiled this image for a slide program to show audiences and earn extra income, with her daughter Dorothy hand-tinting the lantern slides to enhance their appeal.

Chansonetta purchased a heavy, Century brand camera in 1904 and used it her entire career. Shutter speeds took between 1/25 of a second up to 3 seconds to imprint on the 5 x 7-inch glass plate negatives. To get a clear image, photographers counted the time aloud for subjects to stay still.