Rye Through the Lens: Author Interview, Book Signing & Contemporary Photo Exhibition
Author Interview
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Rye Public Library
Join the Rye Historical Society for a special celebration of Rye’s history through photography, featuring an interview and book signing with Lew Karabatsos, compiler and editor of the new book Rye Through the Lens.
Drawing on more than 160 photographs from the Rye Historical Society’s archives, Rye Through the Lens offers a fascinating look at Rye and its people from 1880 to 1985. During the program, Lew will discuss the process of discovering, selecting, and preserving these remarkable images, as well as the stories they reveal about everyday life in Rye, its families, its working waterfront, and its enduring connection to the sea.
Following the interview, Lew will sign copies of Rye Through the Lens, which will be available for purchase. All book sales benefit the Rye Historical Society.
Contemporary Rye Through the Lens
The program will also feature an exhibition of contemporary photographs of Rye by local photographers, offering a chance to see how our community and landscape look through today's lenses.
The exhibition will complement the historical photographs in the book and create a visual conversation between Rye's past and present. The exhibit runs from 10/24/26-11/28/26.
Are you a local photographer interested in having your work considered for the exhibition? Contact the Rye Historical Society at info@ryenhhistoricalsociety.org to learn more about participating.
This special event is part of a memorable year for Rye as we celebrate 300 years as a parish, the 50th anniversary of the Rye Historical Society, and America’s 250th birthday.
We hope you'll join us for this celebration of Rye — past and present — through the lens of photography.
About Lew Karabatsos
Lew Karabatsos is a longtime Rye resident and history enthusiast with a particular passion for preserving and sharing the stories of the Seacoast. He serves as chair of the Rye Historical Society’s Collections Committee and has been an active member of the Society’s board and programs for many years.
Lew is an avid collector of Rye and Seacoast historical materials, including photographs, postcards, and other ephemera. His earlier book, Rye and Rye Beach Postcards, drew on his extensive collection of early postcards and was compiled with members of the Rye Historical Society.
His professional career has included leadership roles in corporate philanthropy and communications, including work with Hewlett-Packard and Monster Worldwide, as well as consulting and teaching in nonprofit fundraising and communications. He holds an M.S. in Communications from Boston University and a B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Massachusetts.
In Rye Through the Lens, Lew brings together more than a century of photographs from the Rye Historical Society’s collections, offering a visual journey through the people, places, and everyday life of Rye from 1880 to 1985.
