In the first half of the 20th century, itinerant photographers known as "picture men" traveled the backroads of Appalachia by foot, on horseback, and even in early model cars. They made their living by taking photographs of the local farmers and their families. These images, which have graced mantels and family albums for generations, offer honest records of people as they lived and as they wanted to be seen.

These picture men come to life in this story of an Appalachian farm girl who is intrigued by an offer to photograph her family. Gentle brown-toned watercolors hint of old photographs, while poetic text leads readers from the picture man's arrival to the taking of the photograph. The story culminates with the actual 1940s photograph that inspired this story.

The Picture Man invites young readers into this bygone era, while endnotes with representative photographs by W. R. Trivett, an actual Appalachian picture man, will spark the curiosity of adults and leave them reaching for their own family photographs.

about the author
Julia Taylor Ebel is the author of several books, all of which have received awards from the North Carolina Society of Historians. Over 50 of her nature poems have been published in children's magazines, including Cricket and Pockets. Ebel teaches children's literature and language classes at Guilford Technical Community College. She lives in Jamestown, North Carolina.