The story of Warmpixelpie dates back to the late 1800s and begins with an apple farmer named William Percival Pyle.
William had a deep passion for photography. He enjoyed capturing the beauty of his orchard in different seasons and took pride in preserving those moments by capturing images on metal plates, known as Tintypes.
Being a crafty fellow, William made his own plates using egg whites as a photographic emulsion. This was done by suspending a silver halide solution in the gelatin, which he spread over the metal plates. The plates were then loaded into his camera and exposed. Afterwards, he processed them using citric acid from his apples. Then, dried milk powder and baking soda were used to ‘fix’ the images on the plates.
This process was all done inside a makeshift darkroom that he built inside his barn, a place he spent countless hours in the evening developing his images. To maintain the right temperature for the development process, especially during the cold winters, William came up with a clever solution. He kept a wood cookstove burning in his studio to keep himself warm and ensure that the development process remained at a specific temperature.
The warmth from the stove created the perfect environment to support his photographic work. As William processed his plates, he would also bake delicious apple pies. The aroma of freshly baked pies and his darkroom’s unique chemical scent created an inviting atmosphere.
William decided to sell his pies from the barn, adorning each pie box with his metal tintype photos, what he called “picselles.” Charmed by this unique blend of photography and baking, the local community affectionately devised various nicknames for William and his barn/bakery/studio. The nicknames ranged from “William’s Picselle’s & Pies” to “Will’s Warm Pix & Pies,” and eventually settled on the endearing shorthand “Warmpixelpie.”
As the news of the delightful combination of warm pies and photography spread, William’s barn studio became a popular spot for locals and tourists, earning a reputation for being the go-to place for art, warmth, and delicious treats.
However, while engrossed in his work one fateful winter night, the stove accidentally ignited a small fire in the barn. In a frantic attempt to save his studio and photographic equipment, he got trapped inside, and the fire spread rapidly. In a desperate bid to escape the flames, he sought refuge in the freezer where he stored his prized apple pies. Tragically, the fire engulfed the entire barn, and the inferno claimed William’s life.
The barn, the studio, and his photographic work were lost in the blaze. The community mourned the loss of an innovative apple farmer and a talented photographer, leaving behind memories of his apple pies and the captivating moments he had immortalized through his photography.
It’s a sad tale, but William was never forgotten. His patrons would often frame and hang his tintype photos, which came on each pie box he sold.
William P. Pyle
1852 – 1911