Cornish Mercantile

In the summer of 1976, I relocated from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Logan, Utah to pursue a college degree in commercial photography and fine art at Utah State University. I had spent the previous three years managing the beer, wine, and liquor department in a large, modern chain drug/variety store. My change in location went from an urban industrial area to a largely rural agricultural region and it was a new cultural experience for me. When I wasn't attending classes or working on projects, I spent my time exploring the rural areas of northern Utah, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming. During the fall of 1976, I became fascinated with the small general stores in the rural communities of this region. These stores were so different in scope and scale compared to the store in which I had been employed previously. In September 1976, I made it a goal to photograph the interior and exterior of as many stores as I could. The exteriors were no problem...