Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 9, 1995 TAG: 9511090021
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS HENSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Photographer George Davis captured a lot of that history between 1887 and 1947. An exhibit of some 70 of his historic photos is on display through Nov. 18 at Ewald Art & Frames in Roanoke's Old Country Plaza shopping center.
Photographs of familiar spots like the Hotel Roanoke, Jefferson Street and the Market Building, are familiar looks at old Big Lick. Images of the first automobile in Roanoke and the 1906 wreck of a trolley carrying 100 people to town from Vinton make the exhibit seem more personal. Still other photos of the mill on Mill Mountain and a covered bridge point out how much has changed.
``Here's a photo of a civil war unit get-together taken around the back of the old Hotel Roanoke,'' says Ewald, pointing at a group of a hundred men with long, gray beards. ``I believe that was taken in 1910.''
It's easy to get caught up just in the history of pictures like these. ``But, look at the quality,'' says Ewald, pointing out the sharpness of the image. ``It's really remarkable.''
Ewald's brothers, Frank and Gordon, who own the local chain of Ewald-Clark photo shops, acquired the collection of over 700 George Davis negatives last year. They have plans to sell framed prints of the pictures. Also, they have created a calendar for 1996 and are working on a series of 48 historic postcards.
As John Ewald looks through the photographs, he points out a few of his favorites. ``This was my grandfather's drug store,'' he says. ``He owned it from 1928 to 1946. It's now the site of the 707 building.''
Ewald likes the pictures that bring back memories. ``Of course, I grew up going to Lakeside Park,'' he says. ``I rode all the rides and saw a lot of shows in the old pavilion.''
George Davis lived from 1881 to 1968. ``His first job was with the railroad,'' says Tink Ewald, John's father, ``a clerk of some sort. He started photography very young, and of course in those days it was very expensive and a luxury. Very few people had cameras and very few people had their picture taken more than once or twice in their life.''
Tink Ewald, who opened the first Ewald-Clark in 1949, says it wasn't long before Davis was turning a profit. ``He turned up making portraits and selling 28 billfold sized prints for 25 cents,'' says Ewald. ``With all the 25 cents that he collected he was able to buy a house.''
``I'm expecting an awful lot of people are going to show up with a lot of stories about the people or buildings or pictures he's taken,'' says John Ewald of the exhibit. ``We want to get all the documentation we can. I think this show is going to be a learning process for us.''
Ewald Art & Frames will hold a special reception for the show on Sunday afternoon from 2 to 5. The public is invited.
\ I have an album filled with pictures I've taken of my thumb or a camera strap or my feet. You'd think I'm obsessed with shirts, the way I cut people's heads off with a camera. The fact that focus and I have a very loose relationship doesn't help.
That's why I'm taking a photography class. I figure there's a trick to taking a good picture. Like knowing about lighting, depth of field, f stops and the lens cap.
Besides, in class you get to develop your own prints. This is pretty cool. The chemicals we use smell dangerous. Everything is in black and white, which is a moody medium.
One of the magic aspects of developing your own pictures is watching the developer fluid draw the image out of a blank sheet of paper. You pop it in a tray of the stuff and PRESTO! There it is. The first few times you see this happen are awe-inspiring.
I was printing some really bad photographs a few weeks ago in the school lab. Normally you share the darkroom with about four other people. There's a lot of mutual support. On this particular evening a very nice lady - I'll call her Doreen - was in the stall next to mine.
I was working on a picture of an eerie old barn in Rockbridge County. Somehow I managed to cut the roof off when framing it, but nonetheless, I was pleased with how it was turning out. I tweaked the contrast to get the texture of the old wood to come to life. I exposed a few areas a little longer to cool the bright spots.
Finally, when I was sure I had the print just right, I took it from the enlarger and tossed it into the developer tray. It lay there as the clear fluid washed over the emulsion. Doreen stood next to me. The darkroom was silent.
PRESTO! The barn burned its way onto the surface of the paper. ``Oh, that's beautiful,'' Doreen said with a gasp. ``Just gorgeous!''
``Thank you,'' I said, a smug grin developing on my face.
``Oh! Not YOUR picture,'' she said. ``I was talking about MINE.'' She pointed to a fascinating picture of a dragonfly. She must have taken the photo from 8 inches away. It WAS gorgeous.
I can't say my photography has improved that much. But, when you do your own developing, each picture becomes a labor of love. You see the positive in every negative.
One thing is for sure. Now, when I cut off a head, it looks kinda artsy.
by CNB