UPK Photographer/Author Honored for Work Chronicling Kentucky Distilleries

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 30, 2017) Earlier this week, the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation (BGT) presented University Press of Kentucky (UPK) author Carol Peachee with the 2017 Clay Lancaster Heritage Education Award for her art photography, particularly of the James E. Pepper Distillery. Her work is featured in “The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries.”

The BGT award honors an individual or group for service in researching and disseminating information about the Central Kentucky region. BGT's Annual Preservation Awards recognize nine outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations to the Blue Grass Trust or to the preservation movement in Kentucky.

In “The Birth of Bourbon,” Peachee takes readers on an unforgettable tour of lost distilleries as well as facilities undergoing renewal, such as the famous Old Taylor and James E. Pepper distilleries in Lexington, Kentucky. The book also includes spaces that well-known brands, including Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses and Buffalo Trace, have preserved as a homage to their rich histories. Using a technique known as high-dynamic-range imaging — a process that produces rich saturation, intensely clarified details and a full spectrum of light — Peachee reveals the vibrant life lingering in artifacts from worn cypress fermenting tubs to extravagant copper stills.

According to its website, The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, created in 1955, serves as the region’s leading advocacy organization for all preservation related matters and “endeavors to promote the public recognition and preservation of buildings, structures, neighborhoods, districts, areas and objects which form the foundation of the Bluegrass Region’s historic fabric.”

Carol Peachee is a fine art photographer and cofounder of the Kentucky Women’s Photography Network. She is the winner of the 2010 Elizabeth Fort Duncan Award in photography from the Pennyroyal Art Guild.

UPK is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, representing a consortium that includes all the state universities, five private colleges, and two historical societies. The press’ editorial program focuses on the humanities and the social sciences. Offices for the administrative, editorial, production and marketing departments of the press are found at University of Kentucky, which provides financial support toward the operating expenses of the publishing operation through the UK Libraries.

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photo of bourbon barrels from "The Birth of Bourbon" by Carol Peachee
photo of boiler pipes from JE Pepper Distillery - "The Birth of Bourbon" by Carol Peachee
photo of cover of "The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries" by Carol Peachee