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February 2006
  Articles on this page: • Member of the Month
Member of the Month Tague Postcards Irene Tague PO Box 298 Lanesboro, MA 01237 Phone: (413) 442-4994 Irene Tague began Tague Postcards fourteen years ago following the death of her late husband William H. Tague. Bill Tague left an extraordinary legacy. For four decades he took thousands of photographs of Berkshire County, capturing its landscapes, prominent citizens, city scenes and the residents going about their daily lives. Bill's photos were featured in "Eagle Eye", a picture page in The Berkshire Eagle, published every Saturday. Irene began her career in advertising at The Berkshire Eagle where she met her husband Bill in 1951. She then went on to run an art gallery in Williamstown in the 1970's. The Tagues’ life together was extremely active, attending all the big Berkshire parties and benefits because Bill covered them for The Eagle. The Tagues were the typical couple of the '50’s. Thirty-seven years after the death of her husband, Irene wanted to do something with his work and share it with others. She began selecting her husband's photographs to publish as postcards. "I did it as therapy," she said. During a day trip to Northampton, MA, she saw some black and white postcards for sale at Thorne’s Market and asked the salesman if the cards they sold ever sold out. He said yes, and that gave her an idea, "I thought to myself, I could do that". Shortly after, the postcard business began with seven images of Berkshire County in 1991, which she marketed to local shops, supplying the racks and keeping them filled. There are now seven hundred images available as postcards at 26 locations throughout the Berkshires. “It’s the kind of thing that helps people in troubled times. He left a legacy. It’s all about the way we were; it’s nostalgia,” she stated. In the process of reviewing her husband's photographs, Irene became interested in finding a home for them where they could be even more widely enjoyed and appreciated. In 2003 she met with representatives from the Department of Environmental Management with the idea of making a gallery at the Mt. Greylock Visitors Center. Despite the amount of work that went into approving the plan, the right lighting, and a curator who understands the work of her husband and its connection to the Berkshires, her plan was accepted. Tague donated more than one hundred photographs to the state reservation. It is a permanent collection on exhibit for all to enjoy located on Rockwell Road in Lanesboro. Among other things, Tague helped edit and select the images for Bill Tague's Berkshires, published in 1996 by Arcadia Publishing. The first volume sold out, and the second (published in 1998) almost sold out. "He was considered the Norman Rockwell of photography," she says. Irene credits her husband for giving her an eye that enables her to capture scenes most appealing to viewers. Most recently she began a series of concerts for families at the Mt. Greylock Visitors Center. The concerts are sponsored by local companies throughout the community. In 2005 there were six concerts drawing hundreds of attendees. Irene has made little money on the projects she has undertaken, but says that sharing her husband's photo legacy with other people is more important.  RETURN TO TOP |
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