The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the Southbury Public Library will showcase the Uncle John Collection from Friday, November 7, 2025 through the end of November, 2025. The late photographer, Georgia Sheron captured these images. The 62-piece photo exhibit of the late Southbury farmer, John Ludorf, also known as “Uncle John” was a gift to the library by Connie and Jack Hume of New York.
John had a farm in the Purchase section of Southbury which was about 126 acres. Over the many years Georgia would interview and take several photographs of her neighbor, Uncle John. He chose to use farming methods more commonly seen in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Much of the machinery and tools that John worked with dated around that time period as well. He plowed with horses and milked cows by hand well into his 90’s.
A neighbor of Mr. Ludorf, Ms. Sheron photographed him over a period of sixteen years. She would capture him while he raked hay, worked in the field, planted corn, or burned off old brush. The early nineteenth century farming methods that John used fascinated Georgia.
Mr. Ludorf was a gifted country fiddler with a wonderful singing voice. He often performed at the Roxbury fiddlers’ contest, and loved to repair old violins from spare parts. He was also active in Southbury issues, often appearing to speak at town meetings. He died in 1996.
Ms. Sheron was a master photographic craftsman of the Professional Photographers of America. She wrote a story about her friendship with John Ludorf that was published in 1977 in Yankee Magazine. She was awarded an Individual Artist’s Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts to exhibit the photographs throughout the state. She passed away in 2019.
Mr. and Mrs. Hume first viewed the exhibit at the opening of the Southbury Public Library in 2006. They decided that “Uncle John” needed to remain in Southbury and arranged to donate the photographs to the Library in 2009.
The exhibit will be open during regular library hours which are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 9:00pm, Saturdays 9:30am to 4:00pm and Sundays 12:00pm to 5:00pm. A sample of photos will be posted online in the virtual gallery.
Please visit us at www.southburylibrary.org to view a sample of photos virtually and for any updated hours and information. Or you may call us at 203-262-0626.
John’s Bio: https://www.southburylibrary.org/using-the-library/spaces/art-gallery
The full gallery: https://www.southburylibrary.org/gallery
