Brought to Light: A Great Depression Era Photographer’s Study of Albuquerque Business

An exhibition at The Albuquerque Museum from July 2007 to August 2008.

Just one year into the Great Depression an itinerant photographer steps down from one of the Santa Fe Steam Chief’s coaches. The photographer is in walking distance of modest hotels and restaurants, if the Alvarado Hotel is a little too expensive. Albuquerque is a good choice of cities for a photographer to stay awhile and offer to take pictures of people’s businesses. With enough small business owners willing to pay five to ten dollars for a photograph, it is a worthy endeavor for a traveling photographer.

The unidentified photographer owned a medium size view camera that recorded images on 5x7 inch glass plates. During this time glass plate dry negatives were fairly easy to find and could be developed and printed by local photography studios. In 1930 there were several successful studios including Milner, Brooks, Cobb, and Hanna and Hanna. With the photographs finished and sold, it was time to move on to other cities easily accessed by train. The glass plate negatives which were heavy and fragile were left behind. They had served their purpose.

The Albuquerque community was not affected by the Great Depression to the extreme degree as many other American cities. The larger industrial cities were hardest hit. Albuquerque’s economy was maintained by many public works projects. The Santa Fe Railway was moderately affected and there were layoffs. Albuquerque was fortunate in having one of the

largest of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway’s maintenance facilities, which helped the local economy. The dynamic of Route 66 and the depression fueled migration west from New Mexico’s eastern neighbors and brought constant, although modest income, to the small businesses of Albuquerque.

The photographs are a reflection of these times for the owners, employees, and the patrons of  Albuquerque’s small establishments. The environments where the people worked, shopped, and just spent time are photographed with attention to great detail. There is a good amount of skill in the photographer’s technique, especially in the lighting and deep focus. The unassuming people are not severely posed, but are captured in the moment.

The photographs shown here are a few of the 127 5x7 inch glass plate negatives that were a gift from Ray Bandel and his son Daniel. The photographer was unknown to them. The negatives were obtained by Ray Bandel in 1933 from George McGovern as security for installed shelving. The Albuquerque Museum received the gift in 1977. Many of the people and the small businesses in the photographs are unknown to us. Anyone viewing this exhibit that can add information is urged to contact the museum Photoarchivist.