M-170: Dick Lemen Collection of St. Louis Photographs

Dick Lemen, river enthusiast and historian, utilized his skills in photography to preserve the fading memory of America’s inland waterways. Both a collector of historic images, and a photographer himself, Mr. Lemen actively worked to document the boats and people of the river. To show the rich detail in images, he often enlarged sections of photographs, emphasizing an intricate ships rail, or a single child playing. His photography work was exhibited at several institutions, including the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the St. Louis Mercantile Library. Richard Lemen, a life long resident of the Moline, IL area, died June 13, 2001 at the Illinois Veterans Home, in Quincy. Originally the images were captured on glass plate negatives by photographer Charles Clements Holt (1866-1925) and his staff in the first two decades of the twentieth century. Negatives of these images were collected in the later part of the century by Dr. William G. Swekosky, as part of his work to document St. Louis’ historic houses facing demolition. In the early 1960s, a friend and fellow photographer, Dick Lemen arraigned with Dr. Swekosky to borrow the glass plates to make prints, later purchasing the negatives. While Dr. Swekosky had obtained the images as documents of structures, Mr. Lemen focused on the residents and details of everyday life of St. Louis, and brought the streets to life. In the 1980s Mr. Lemen donated the images he printed from these negatives to the St. Louis Mercantile Library. Other portions of Mr. Lemen’s personal papers and photograph collections are located to the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, Iowa. www.rivermuseum.com
St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri-St. Louis

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Eads Bridge Trolly Station
Eads Bridge Trolley Station, with through trains to various points in the region, including Edwardsville and Alton. Building also contains a restaurant.
Eads Bridge and Railroad tracks
Elevated and street-level tracks running under Eads Bridge, Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Power plant in background. Two Budweiser trucks in midground.
Early Century Wash Day
Laundry lines strung with clothes out back of a brick home.
Easton Ave, Wellston
Street scene of Easton Avenue in Wellston, Missouri in the early 20th century. The image features a storefront, a family, and various signs for businesses. Easton Avenue was later named Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.
Eighth Street Advertisements
A boy in the foreground is reading an assortment of advertisements plastered to the side of a brick building. The advertisements include information about local events like picnics, theater shows, and wrestling matches. In the background of the photograph is Eighth Street, where there are several storefronts, cars, and pedestrians scattered through the street.
Elevated Railroad
Elevated railroad tracks leading the Free Bridge (now named the MacArthur Bridge). Teamsters parked on the streets below the tracks. A bar or wholesaler named Whiskies can be seen in the background.
Franklin Avenue Restaurant
Restaurant and café on Franklin Avenue.
Front of Two Urban Residences
Photograph of the front of two city houses side by side. Buildings in foreground partially obstructing the house fronts. Young child in alley in foreground.
Fruit And Produce Delivery
Photograph of horse-drawn wagon delivering fruit and produce to a business. Other horse-drawn wagons are visible in the street. Two girls on the sidewalk are watching the delivery., This is probably a view looking south down Broadway near the intersection with Cerre St.
Girder Setting
Men setting a girder for elevated railway. Below, a locomotive is in the process of switching cars.
Girl on Path
Photograph of girl on dirt path. An industrial warehouse is visible in the background.
Hole in Street
Photograph of people standing around a large hole in a city street. Two men in the foreground are looking down the hole. A man in the background is holding a large rope connected to a block and tackle. A crowd of people watching is visible in the background.
Horse And Hole
Photograph of a horse either being lowered into or lifted out of a hole in a city street. A ladder has been lowered into the hole, several men are in the foreground directing the block and tackle. A crowd of observers surrounds the work.
Horse And Hole Two
Photograph of a horse either being lowered into or lifted out of a hole in a city street. A ladder has been lowered into the hole, several men are in the foreground directing the block and tackle. One worker is handling the block and tackle rope. A crowd of observers is visible in the background., There is a sequence of photographs in the collection of work around this hole in the street, either a horse is being lifted out of it or lowered into it.
Hotel Jefferson
Photograph of the Hotel Jefferson looking north along Tucker Boulevard. Automobiles and horse-drawn wagons are visible on Tucker Boulevard. The intersection of Tucker Boulevard and Washington Avenue is visible in the background. The Ferguson McKinney Dry Goods Company is visible beyond the intersection., The Hotel Jefferson is now the vacant Jefferson Arms apartment building. The Ferguson McKinney Dry Goods Company is now the Bogen Lofts.
Ice, Coal and Wood
Photograph of ice, coal and wood stand in downtown St. Louis. The rear of St. Louis City Hall is visible in the background., Note the top of the front facade central spire visible above the roof line, this was removed in 1936.
Industrial Smokestacks
Photograph of smokestacks against an industrial background., The distinctive outline of the Cupples Station complex is in the far background.
J. G. Canepa's Bar
1314 Market, corner of Market and Centre Streets. Photograph taken about 1907-1908. African Americans standing next to shoe-shine chair. Lemp Beer sign above side entrance.
Jaccard Building Bell Tower
This photograph shows a rooftop view of the domed bell tower at the top of the Jaccard Building. The Jaccard Building stood at the corner of Broadway and Locust Street, at 407 N. Broadway. In the distance there are several industrial buildings and smokestacks billowing streams of gray and white smoke.
Jefferson Memorial
Now known as the Missouri History Museum, this photograph shows construction out front of the entrance to the memorial, the first national monument to Jefferson. The construction was likely for the rerouting of the River Des Peres, done in 1929.
Jefferson Memorial Building
Photograph of the Jefferson Memorial Building in Forest Park. The view is looking south from the intersection of Debaliviere Avenue and Forest Park Parkway.
Lillian + Wren
View of a street light and a wooden fence. There appear to be chickens roaming free. The caption on the back reads "LILLIAN + WREN." The same names are written on the street light in the photograph.
Liquor Store on Chouteau
Photograph of store front of liquor store on Chouteau Avenue. An employee is visible sweeping the sidewalk along the cross street., The store is probably at the intersection of Chouteau Avenue and present-date South Tucker Boulevard.
Locomotive and girder
Steam Locomotive in background, steel girder in foreground. Girder made by American Steel Co., Detroit plant.
Locomotive in front of Simmons Hardware
This photograph shows a cobblestone cross-street fitted with a gas powered street light and a series of telephone wires. In the mid-ground there are two horse drawn carriages, one is an enclosed passenger carriage and the other has an open top and is being driven by two workmen. In the left portion of the photograph there is a large pile of cobblestones and a steam locomotive. The locomotive is identified on the photograph as "engine 81 of the Terminal Railroad Association". The background of the image contains a tall smokestack and several large factory buildings. The buildings include a Simmons Hardware Co. Warehouse, a Western Electric Company building, and several industrial sites.
Locomotive in front of Simmons Hardware
Photograph of a cobblestone cross-street fitted with a gas powered street light and a series of telephone wires. In the mid-ground there are two horse drawn carriages, one is an enclosed passenger carriage and the other has an open top and is being driven by two workmen. In the left portion of the photograph there is a large pile of cobblestones and a steam locomotive. The locomotive is identified on the photograph as "engine 81 of the Terminal Railroad Association". The background of the image contains a tall smokestack and several large factory buildings. The buildings include a Simmons Hardware Co. Warehouse, a Western Electric Company building, and several industrial sites., This is photograph is a duplicate, wider view of another photograph in the collection.
Locust Street
This photograph provides a wide view of Locust Street headed downhill toward 18th Street. It includes several storefronts, large buildings, and a tall church steeple in the distance. The street is shared by pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, as well as motorized vehicles. Gas street lamps and telephone wires line the street.
Lucas Gardens Park And Saint Louis Public Library
Photograph of Lucas Gardens Park looking Southeast towards the St. Louis Public Library building. Christ Church Cathedral is visible to the left of the library.

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Mercantile Library Collections Directory

Mercantile Special Collections Directory

Barriger Library Collections Directory

Barriger Special Collections Directory

Pott Library Collections Directory

Pott Special Collections Directory