Chansonetta Stanley Emmons (1858-1937) began as a painter and art teacher but found her true passion in photography in 1897, using the glass dry plate technology invented by her brothers, FO and FE Stanley. Originally from Kingfield, Maine, Emmons lived in the Boston suburbs for over 50 years. After her husband's sudden death in 1898, she raised her daughter Dorothy alone, traveling extensively to document rural life.

Dorothy and Chansonetta hand-painted about 500 glass lantern slides, which they presented in lectures across New England. Emmons' staged, evocative photographs captured the essence of rural Maine life from 1898 to 1930, blending old and new elements during a time of change.