C. G. (Charles Gilbert) Hine

Born in 1859 in New Albany, Indiana, he moved with his family to the New York area in 1868. He later worked in the family’s insurance publishing business, eventually succeeding his father as head of the company and editor of The Insurance Monitor.

Outside work, he built a rich second career as a local historian, writer, and amateur photographer. Archives at the New-York Historical Society describe him as traveling largely by foot and bicycle, gathering stories and making photographs across New York and New Jersey, especially along the Hudson River and on Staten Island. He also documented places connected with his summers on Martha’s Vineyard.

His published work ranged from local histories and travel sketches to the limited-edition Hine’s Annuals issued between 1905 and 1915. His surviving photographs—often platinum, cyanotype, and albumen prints—show streets, buildings, and everyday city life with a careful eye for atmosphere, making his books especially appealing to listeners interested in place, memory, and overlooked corners of regional history.