From the Archive: It’s a mystery

by Lesley Drayton, Curator, Local History Archive

From an archivist’s standpoint, I can tell you that there is no better feeling than flipping over a beautiful historic photograph and findings names, dates, locations, and other critical details written with a light, gentle pencil in clear, legible handwriting on the back. But all too often, the backs of photos are blank, and the faces, places, and events in these images are lost to time.

The Local History Archive has several folders of such “mystery photos.” Here are a few examples. Can you help identify any of these places?

This photograph is an unidentified town street. Businesses left to right: C.O.D. Store, Paul Perlinsky; Hays & Mathers Groceries; A.P. Holmes, Assayer; Francis & Merrill Grocers & Miners Supplies (Drug Store); Dry Goods/Ladies Bazaar; City Drug Store/Post Office; Flour –

Another unidentified town street. Businesses left to right: Campbell and Co. Hardware Doors Sash & Lumber (Giant – Powder, Furniture and -); S(B?)axton House Restaurant/Saloon.

This photograph is a town, possibly in Wyoming. Businesses in the photo include: Mint Saloon; F. H.? James; Emerald House; W.S. Post; W.W. Sconnell? Blacksmithing and Horseshoeing; and Union Pacific Railroad cars.

Picturing local history: Archive assists with book project

Our Curator of the Local History Archive, Lesley Drayton, recently helped authors Barbara Fleming and Malcolm McNeill with their book project about prolific photographer Mark Miller. The archive holds some 70,000 of Miller’s negatives. Read about the book project in today’s Fort Collins Now, and meet the authors and watch a slide show of images they couldn’t get into the book at 6 p.m. this Friday, May 8, at Readers Cove.