This week in History’s Attic – Photography studios on the Rosebud

Employing street Photography at its best. It seems photographers followed the town builders into each little town as they started their buildup of buildings. Some of the early ones in Gregory were Green studios, and you will find that etched into many of the early photos of the town. Later Rosebud Photo gained a foothold in the town. Burke I would guess had studios too, as well as Winner and Herrick.

The definition of Street Photography is a genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place. The very public-ness of the setting enables the photographer to take candid photos of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street photographers do not necessarily have a social purpose in mind, but they prefer to isolate and capture moments that might go unnoticed. The starting of these frontier towns necessitated post cards so that settlers could easily communicate with their relatives back home. And a nice idyllic photo on the front showing the great life they were living out here makes it all the better. Many times, you will see a church photo, and, on the back, it will say “we go to church here.” I think that in a small way it probably reassured their family back home that all was well.

Or the photo of Fred Dykast from Burke showing off his new car to family back home (see photo above) or the quaint buggy scene from Herrick showing off the large Zorba mall they shop at (see photo below) and even the corner of the photo studio is caught in the picture.

This street photography was done even into the late 1940s showing how the boys can ride their bikes all over in Pickstown (see second photo below). Just all but saying you would like living here too. The postcards added additional revenue in what I guess would have been a rather sparse living in a studio shop. The postcards provide a visual experience in our area’s history that would have been lost forever. and for a few dollars off eBay, you can easily start your own history collection

Author Richard Papousek, November 2023