Wilton Library To Showcase Photography Exhibit On Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill

WILTON, CT — Wilton Library will open its October exhibition, "Rust and Resolve: The Last Days of Wilton’s Industrial North," on Oct. 3 with a public reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The show highlights more than 40 photographs of the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill taken between 1982 and 2007 by local photographers Elyse Shapiro and Bruce Ando. The mill, which operated in Georgetown for over 150 years, was once central to the area’s industrial economy.

The exhibition combines fine art photography with local history, documenting the mill during its final years of operation and after its closure. In addition to the photographs, a historical display curated by Julie Hughes, archivist for the Wilton History Room, will feature materials from the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill Collection in Redding.

Shapiro, a former photojournalist and longtime teacher, and Ando, a Marine Corps combat photographer turned commercial photographer, focused their work on themes of resilience, labor, and community as the region transitioned from industry to service and digital economies.

The exhibition will remain on view through Oct. 31. Most works will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the library. Admission to the reception and exhibition is free.