Nestled among the hills of western New York State is the beautiful lake Keuka, the Indian word for "canoe landing." Once visited, the loveliness and serenity of this particular lake in New York's Finger Lakes region draws people back. Visitors return to stay for a week or the summer, and tourists come back, often annually. Many who have lived or summered at the lake return to retire. Keuka Lake brings back the time period from 1850 to 1960, the era of black-and-white photography. Featured are the local grapes and wineries, the steamboats, the commercial activities on and around the lake, and the lake itself. Today, the boats are no longer steam powered and the wineries are more plentiful, but other aspects of life have not changed. The residents are hospitable; the pace is slow; the lake is resplendent and inviting.
Photographer Charles R. Mitchell has written two previous Arcadia books focusing on the lakefront communities of Penn Yan and Hammondsport. For Keuka Lake he has selected images from the archives of the Oliver House Museum in Penn Yan, private sources, and his own collection.