50 Barn Cupolas

I have been photographing barns for more than 40 years. During that time, I noticed that many old barns have elaborate cupolas. So I began shooting close-ups of the cupolas.

I selected fifty of the most interesting ones to include in my new book, 50 Barn Cupolas. Each cupola is different, and each one expresses the pride that its original owner took in his barn. Some have been lovingly restored – others are on their last legs.

The book explains how old New England dairy barns came to have cupolas. It takes you back to the nineteenth century when dairy farmers turned a ventilation problem into an opportunity to express their individuality. It also documents the way fifty nineteenth-century carpenters creatively executed the same project.

50 Barn Cupolas is available in both digital and printed versions.