Sap drips into a bucket in an undated photograph.
Sap drips into a bucket in an undated photograph.

Searching the Valley News archives is like a treasure hunt: you never know what you may run across.

Before the newspaper’s photographers switched to digital photography over a decade ago, film negatives were filed in envelopes, glassine sleeves or plastic pages (depending upon the era).

I recently found a group of envelopes labeled ‘Spring,’ ranging from 1969 to 1980. They are photos — most likely by veteran photographer Larry McDonald — of the season for an advertising supplement.

It’s interesting to see how the Upper Valley has changed looking back at older photographs, but the cycle of the season (sugaring, muddy roads, and new birth) remains the same.

— Geoff Hansen is photo editor at the Valley News.