More than 40 historic photographs of Canton are on display at the Canton library from now through Aug. 31, and a public reception of the exhibit will be held at the library from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9.

The “Images of Historic Canton” exhibition, which features black and white photographs from the 1890s through the 1950s, celebrates schools, churches, industry, culture and the people of Canton. From early images of the Champion paper mill to group photos of state and national champion sports teams to landmark buildings associated with Canton, this exhibit represents months of research and sorting through thousands of old photographs at the Canton Historical Museum.

Each photograph selected for the exhibit was digitally scanned and edited, enlarged, and printed by Roland Osborne. Nineteen of the photos were framed at Earthworks Gallery in Waynesville. Each photo represents a unique facet of Canton’s history and is accompanied by a brief caption.

The exhibit is part of an on-going program known as the Haywood Snapshot Project, an outreach effort of the Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society. 828.648.2924.