Carleton Kelsey was the Director of the Amagansett Library and served for several years as the Town Historian. He was a founding trustee of the Amagansett Historical Association. He was an avid collector of early postcards and other historical images of the area.
When he died in 2005, he bequeathed a large part of his collection – about 5,000 images – to the Association. With the help of the East Hampton Library, these images are being scanned and posted online so everyone can see them. The archive is searchable by name, date, and other factors.
The photograph archive is housed in the Association’s Phebe Cottage. When scanning of the print collection has been completed, we will begin work on the collection of about 3,500 photographic negatives that were part of Mr. Kelsey’s bequest. The Association secured a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that funded an examination and recommendations from expert conservators that will guide this work.
The online photo archive can be browsed and searched by going to