Augustus “Gus” Phillips was a Maine cartographer and photographer whose work captured the beauty, character, and community of mid-20th century Maine. Along with his brother Luther, Gus created detailed pictorial and recreational maps of Maine — including the beloved Moosehead Lake maps many locals will recognize. From the 1940s through the 1970s, the Phillips brothers’ map and postcard business documented a Maine that was both timeless and changing, preserving scenes of villages, harbors, lakes, and landmarks for future generations.

Postcards from Gus is a digital project that retraces Gus Phillips’s footsteps, revisiting the locations featured in his postcards to explore how these places have evolved — and what remains unchanged. Through photography, interviews, and storytelling, the project celebrates Maine’s history and culture, both past and present. The Moosehead Lake region, featured in the project’s eighth entry, held a special place in Gus’s heart, and his maps of the area remain treasured artifacts of local history.

Join us as Catherine Jewitt — Gus Phillips’s granddaughter — and photographer John Meader share the story behind Postcards from Gus. Through a visual presentation featuring Gus’s original maps and postcards alongside contemporary photography, they’ll introduce you to Gus as both an artist and an ordinary Mainer who turned his passion for capturing place into a remarkable body of work.

The presentation will include enlarged Phillips maps on display, offering a closer look at the detail and artistry that defined his cartographic style. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and explore connections between Gus’s work and the Moosehead region’s rich visual history.

About the Presenters:

Catherine Jewitt grew up in Presque Isle, Maine, and is the granddaughter of Augustus Phillips. She collaborates on Postcards from Gus to honor her grandfather’s legacy and share Maine’s cultural heritage with new audiences.

John Meader is a photographer from Fairfield, Maine, and the owner/director of Northern Stars Planetarium, a portable planetarium business that has served Maine schools for 35 years. His photography for Postcards from Gus brings contemporary perspective to the places Gus Phillips documented decades ago.

Learn more about Postcards from Gus!

This presentation is part of our History by the Lake summer speaking series.

Thursday, July 30, 2026 | 4:00 PM Center for Moosehead History, Greenville, Maine Free and open to all