Preserving the life and legacy of a Lowell photographer

60 years and over 3,000 masterful photos

Flooded Pawtucket Dam 5/1/1923, University of Massachusetts Lowell City Engineers Collection

Who was Annie Powell?

In 1891, a 31-year-old woman from West Yorkshire, England named Annie Powell boarded a steamship and traveled ahead of her husband to the United States. She was a skilled photographer, and chose to leave the English countryside on her own to start a new life and career in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her sister and brother-in-law awaited her, and helped her to find work. It’s estimated that at the time of her death in 1952 at age 92, Annie had taken over 3,000 images in and around Lowell, but her much of her life still remains a mystery. This website is dedicated to preserving Annie’s photographic legacy, researching and authenticating her work, as well as contextualizing and promoting the historical significance of her images.

To celebrate Lowell and Annie Powell’s photography, by Annie Powell has launched the 100 Posters Project. We’re placing posters of Annie’s cityscapes and portraits in the same location (or close to it!) where they were taken 100 years ago.

Coming in October 2025

Chasing Annie Powell

A week of events commemorating the life and work of Annie Powell called Chasing Annie Powell is planned from now until October 2025. Among the events is a major series of pop-up exhibitions of Annie’s photography to be displayed in and around Lowell, a lecture by a local historian, walking tours (guided and self-guided), and the premier performance of a choral piece based on the life of Annie Powell performed by the UMass Lowell chamber singers. Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updated event information.