One of the many photography studios in Brooklyn

North side of DeKalb Avenue between Carlton Avenue and Adelphi Street, 1958, v1974.4.53; John D. Morrell photographs, ARC.005; Brooklyn Historical Society.

While we have highlighted the photographs of John D. Morrell more than a couple times on this blog, I can’t help but do it once more.  Near and dear to my heart is the evidence of the photography industry and its professionals and amateurs throughout Brooklyn.

Many may be aware that there were studios galore on Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn during the early years of commercial photography.  One could imagine strolling along the major shopping area under the elevated train and seeing many stylistic options from the photographers offering beautifully posed and printed cabinet cards.  Brooklyn Historical Society holds many of these simply because they document the beautiful logos from each studio even when the person photographed is unidentified.

This is another example of a photography studio, but instead of the turn of the 20th century, it was taken on April 17, 1958.  Instead of Fulton Street, it is in the heart of Ft. Greene and appears to be the building next to the Pratt Area Community Council.  This block of Dekalb remains a mix of residential and commercial and now has a beautiful park on the southern side of the street.

Interested in seeing more photographs from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery which includes a selection of our images.  To search our entire collection of images, visit BHS Othmer Library Wed-Fri 1:00-5:00 p.m.  If you want to see how the photography industry changed over time and affected portraiture, stop by our Say Cheese! Portraits to Pics exhibit.