Hyde Park: Then
and Now

Who Was Charles
Piersaull?

Photo of Charles Piersaull Little is known about Charles Sylvester Piersaull. He was born in 1853 and was married to Josephine Susan Aldrich. The local registry lists his occupation as "Fishmonger" and the sign on his house says "FISH MARKET," but he did more than just sell fish. Piersaull served as the local pharmacist, bicycle repairman, and photographer. As a photographer, Charles Piersaull made his mark by leaving a rich visual record of Hyde Park's past. He took hundreds of photographs of the people, buildings, and culture of Hyde Park at the turn of the 20th century. At the time of his death in 1921, Piersaull's pictures were not taken seriously, but when they resurfaced over 20 years later, President Roosevelt immediately saw their value in understanding Hyde Park's history. The photographs were acquired by the FDR Library in 1943.

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FDR Library logo Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
4079 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, New York
1-800-FDR-VISIT
roosevelt.library@nara.gov