THIS PHOTO of 557 Central St., Lowell, is probably of Annie Powell’s niece, Catherine Devno, about the time she bought the Anders Thomassaon Drug Store in 1914. It was one of about 85 final effects she left on her death in 1952.

Her image is #1 of the 100 Posters Project, hanging at Harlen Barbershop.

For five decades, from 1891 to 1942, Annie Powell was a vibrant presence in the streets of Lowell, MA.

Taken circa 1903, this image captures the well-to-do family of Anders Thomasson, a Swedish born pharmacisdt.

She was the floppy-hatted woman who worked well into her 80s with a bulky tripod and old-school camera. With West Yorkshire English accent, she persuaded passing children and adults to model for her in beautifully choreographed scenes. She spent hours manually editing large glass plate negatives into art for about 15¢ an image.

She died at 92 in 1952, never advertising or signing her work. She lies in an unmarked grave a few steps away from the final resting place of fellow Lowell citizen, Jack Kerouac. Recent discoveries with forensic and compositional analysis show her to be the likely author over 3,000 photographs in books, postcards and archives at universities including Cornell, Harvard, and in her adopted city at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Lowell National Historical Park.

Explore Slideshows

Explore Annie’s work through two captivating slideshows: One delves into the mystery that sparked the investigation, while the other uncovers compelling evidence revealing her as the anonymous photographer behind thousands of Lowell street scenes.

Annie’s Timeline

A preponderance of evidence suggests the woman pictured here is Annie Powell. Taken in 1924 on Palmer Street, Annie would have been 65 years old at the time. The object the woman is holding may be a long pneumatic tube shutter release. See the inset image of the woman’s right hand, which seems to be cupping an object.

(Image courtesy of UML)

See Annie Powell’s timeline