The adventures and various works of a photographer, road tripper, former patron of the local arts, aspiring app developer, and late night coffee drinker and conversationalist.
If you've spent any length of time scouring this blog, you'll know I'm always interested in collecting old photos of places I've been, especially places I've visited during my various road trips across the United States and Canada. But it's an especial treat to get my hands on antique, previously unknown photographs of my own hometown. And this time, I've managed to acquire a couple of really unique ones. These two glass negatives date to the late nineteenth century, and as of this writing are the oldest physical photos I've acquired of the city of Dallas. Original photos of this vintage depicting Dallas are pretty rare, especially previously unpublished ones.
Here is another selection of rare and mostly one-of-a-kind photos of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, drawn from my personal collection of prints, slides, and film negatives.
C.H. Edwards' Music House, 1890s
Charles Hodge Edwards moved to Dallas in the 1870s and opened a piano store at 407 Main Street. He set up shop in at least three locations before settling by 1884 at 733-735 Main. This cabinet card photo, most likely from the 1890s, captures that final location, the address having been changed in 1891 to 265-267 Main Street as part of a citywide address renumbering initiative. C.H. Edwards' younger brother, James H. Edwards, is identified at the bottom of the photo as the third from left of the six people pictured. Today, the old site of the music house is occupied by the Westin Hotel/One Main Place.
C.H. Edwards Music House at 265-267 Main Street, 1890s
Continue reading "DFW in vintage photos, take II"
Here is a collection of rare and mostly one-of-a-kind photos from the Dallas area, most of them from my personal collection. These recall a bygone era in Dallas public transportation, with a focus on showcasing still identifiable areas of the city that have changed significantly since the original images were taken. Vintage streetcar photos can be some of the best representations of what once existed downtown, offering unique glimpses of long-gone city blocks, buildings, and intersections.
View facing east on Elm Street near Stone Place, circa 1943
This medium format film negative captures a very different view from what is seen today. The Rhealee Milliner on the right side of the picture is now the City Tavern, and the shorter building on the left that housing Paul's Shoes is completely gone, its place now occupied by a parking lot. Today the Giant Eyeball resides in the space next to that parking lot, looking out toward Main Street one block south and marking the farther end of the lot where the old Praetorian building, Dallas' first skyscraper, stood before being demolished in 2013.
Elm Street at Stone, facing east, circa 1943 (Author's collection)Continue reading "Dallas’s interurban streetcars in vintage photographs"
New York-born photographer Arthur Rothstein made a name for himself with his many series of photos documenting America. His long career earned him recognition for his work as a photojournalist, author, and teacher, but it is perhaps his Great Depression era work, undertaken at the behest of the U.S. Farm Security Administration, for which he is best remembered today. In 1942, this assignment brought him to North Texas and to the old Fort Worth-Dallas Highway, where his photographer's eye led him to capture a string of period businesses and landmarks along the way. These images would become important historical records of their period in history, all of them eventually seeing reproduction on prints, postcards, and historical publications and websites time and time again in the decades since.
Emma Lucore's first Fort Worth studios were at 109 E 3rd Street, next door to the original Fort Worth Opera House, and at 808 Main Street, one block north of husband Bassett's wood and coal yard. Both these original studio locations are still in use today by active businesses. I paid a few visits to the area to get a look at the sites as they stand in the 21st century. On one of my visits, I was accompanied by a friend.
Detail of 1889 Sanborn insurance map, recording the Fort Worth Opera House and photo studio next door
Continue reading "Emma Lucore follow up: Visiting the old locations in 2025"
