Bishoff Photo Display

Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 10am-3pm
In 2012, local photographer Berdell Bishoff made the generous decision to donate his photography collection jointly to the Hardy County Public Library and the Hardy County Historical Society.
The Bishoff Collection features photos from Hardy, Grant, and Pendleton Counties. And to a lesser degree photos from Mineral and Hampshire Counties.
Due to its wide focus, the preservation of the Bishoff Collection is important on both a personal level for local residents and as a visual record of the history and culture of the counties represented.
In his 45 years as a photographer of the Trip County area, Berdell captured moments that would have otherwise been lost to time. His photos depict community live at events such as the Trip County Fair, 4-H camps, parades, beauty pageants, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, and organizational and church activities. His photographs of senior class students, senior classes, and school faculty members span the years from 1950 through the 1980s. Service men and women are also pictured, often prior to them leaving for their war duties. His experience as a pilot and an areal photographer in WWII allowed him to further his photography by taking areal photos of the local landscape.
From the very beginning, it has been the library’s goal to preserve, identify, and digitize this collection for public use. In that process also lies our intention to promote local history and garner public support, as well as create a solid public awareness of the library as a destination for future collections of local importance.
We lost Berdell in 2013. But, because of his generosity and forethought, his legacy lives on and comes full circle by allowing others to visually connect with a past they never knew or somewhere along the line they lost touch with.
This unique display will be available for viewing during Heritage Weekend at the Hardy County Public Library, which serves as the Welcome Center for the weekend.