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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River Des Peres
Photograph of river at low level running through a neighborhood. People are in the riverbed and a shack that has fallen off its foundation is also visible along the bank.
River Des Peres Construction
Photograph of the River des Peres being enclosed in a concrete tunnel in Forest Park. The Missouri History Museum is in the background.
Roads Have Problems
Photograph of unpaved road that is muddy, many ruts from carriage wheels are visible. A carriage is visible parked on the left side of the road. The title is taken from the remains of a caption on the front of the photograph., Notice the open drainage ditch on the right side of the road. There are also two men standing outside the doorway of the building on the left looking at the camera. There is also a horseshoe over the open door the men are standing in front of, horseshoes attached to the front of buildings appear in several of the photographs in this collection.
Saint Louis Art Museum
Photograph of the Saint Louis Art Museum building. People are walking in front of the building and into and out of it. A horse-drawn carriage is parked in front of the building., It does not appear that the Apotheosis of St. Louis (statue of King Louis IX) has been installed in front of the museum yet. The museum relocated to this building, which was built as the Palace of Fine Arts for the Worlds' Fair, after the fair ended in 1904. The Apotheosis was installed in 1906.
Saint Louis Mercantile Library Building
Photograph of part of the Saint Louis Mercantile Library building in downtown St. Louis at Broadway and Locust Streets. Many pedestrians are visible on the sidewalks.
Saint Louis Star and Hotel Jefferson
Photograph of the St. Louis Star newspaper building and Hotel Jefferson along North Tucker Boulevard. Horse-drawn wagons, automobiles and pedestrians are visible on Tucker Boulevard., The St. Louis Star building was at the Northwest corner of the intersection of Olive Boulevard and North Tucker Boulevard.
Second Street Intersection
Photograph of the intersection of Second Street with another street with men working in the middle of the intersection. The workers are putting a ladder down a manhole. A man is visible in the background with his foot on an automobile and appears to be lighting a cigarette. Other people are visible in the background and midground watching the workers and the photographer., Notice the woman looking out of the second story window of the Saloon building in the background.
Seventh Street
Photograph of North 7th Street showing people at work and walking along street., This appears to be a view north along North 7th Street, the Globe Shoe and Clothing Company building at the corner of Franklin Avenue and 7th Street is visible in the background (when Franklin extended to 7th Street). It appears the storefront businesses are just opening for the day as the awnings are being lowered.
Seventh Street
Photograph of Seventh Street in St. Louis near Locust Street.
Seventh Street and Washington Avenue
Photograph of Washington Avenue looking East from Seventh Street, the old Grand Leader department store at 601 Washington Avenue is visible on the left. There is much bunting visible on the front of the store and American flags flying along the street. There are many pedestrians on the sidewalks and cars and horse-drawn wagons visible in the street., It appears that the old May Company Department store has already vacated 509-523 Washington Avenue just east of the Grand Leader store, May Company moved from this location to the Railway Exchange building in 1913.
Seventh Street and Washington Avenue in the Rain
This photograph shows the corner of Seventh Street and Washington Avenue in the rain. Several pedestrians, including businessmen, are walking down the sidewalk. One woman looking into a store window is taking shelter under an umbrella. There are streetcars, motor cars, and and horse-drawn carriages in the street. Streetcar and telephone wires crisscross overhead. Each of the the buildings are several stories tall and are adorned with advertisements and electric marquees.
Sewer Workers
Men inserting ladder into a manhole in a cobblestone street, St. Louis.
Sidewalk and Wooden Fence
Photograph of city sidewalk with wooden fence with posters plastered on it. A boot repair business is visible on the left. The posters advertise David Belasco presents David Warfield in a Grand Army Man and a congressional candidate., A horse-drawn wagon is visible in the background in the street.
Sidewalk, Street And Lot
Photograph looking along city sidewalk with major street on one side and vacant lot on the other. Horse-drawn carriages and electric streetcars are visible in the street. A surveyor is working in the vacant lot and a couple of men on the sidewalk are looking towards the camera., There is a building in the background with "W. J. Lemp Brewing Co." on the front.
Signs On Tree
Photograph of tree along South 11th Street with signs attached to it. The tree is in front of Lami Pharmacy, which was at the intersection of South 11th Street and Lami Street.
Sixth Street
Sixth Street looking north from Olive. Pedestrians in roadway and on sidewalks. Streetcar visible.
Smokestack Repair
Photograph of a pair of smokestacks, one of which is being worked on by a group of men near the top of the stack. The upper stories and roofs of 901 and 911 Washington Avenue are visible in the background., 901 Washington Avenue is the Bankers Lofts building. 911 Washington is the Lammert Building. Note the eagle sculptures, which have been removed, along the top of the cornice.
Snow Removal, Chouteau Avenue
Photograph of snow removal outside Imperial Laundry, ca. 1901. Men with shovels and horse-drawn cart in the foreground.
South Taylor And Manchester Avenue
Photograph of the intersection of South Taylor Avenue and Manchester Avenue. A bar is visible at the corner. Two men are in a discussion in the street. An automobile is partially visible on the right.
St. Louis Lunch Room
St. Louis Municipal Dock
Illustration of St. Louis levee along North Market Street. Steamboats docked in foreground. Warehouses visible behind steamboats. Manufacturing and office buildings visible in background.
Storefront and Streetcar Tracks
A man walks towards the camera across streetcar tracks while four other men talk outside a storefront. Freund's Bread box and sign for Peerless Laundry out front of store.
Street Lamps
Photograph of rainy city street with street lamps visible in the foreground. Street trolleys are visible in the background.
Street Scene, Saint Louis
Downtown St. Louis street scene. Pedestrians out walking the sidewalks. Ice cream shop in the foreground.
Streetcar Street Repair
Photograph of streetcars on street under repair, a modified streetcar with the cab removed is in the foreground. Men are visible in the background on the sidewalk in front of the businesses.
Stroll Down City Sidewalk
Photograph of city sidewalk with woman and child walking away from the camera. A man leans against a pole. Two horses are emerging from a cross street. A leaflet for Michael J. Gill for Congress is visible in the foreground on one of the poles., Gill was elected to the 63rd Congress representing the old Missouri 12 congressional district and served from 1914 through 1915.
The Ideal Building on Newstead Avenue
Streetview of trolley track construction on Newstead Avenue in front of the Ideal Building. Horse-drawn carriages stand on the cobblestone street while the foreground is dug up for the laying of new streetcar rails. Workers discuss the project beside a large stack of cobblestones. Businesses represented include a wagon for the D. B. Rolstin ice company, a painted advertisement for Hyde Park Bottled Beer, and the storefronts of the Forage & Supply Co. and the Home Laundry Co.
These 14 Cars Sold To The City Of St. Louis
Photograph of fleet of Ford Model T automobiles in front of St. Louis city hall. Drivers are in each car, several men are standing in front of the cars holding a banner that reads "These 14 cars sold to the city of St. Louis, watch the Fords go by."

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Barriger Special Collections Directory

Pott Library Collections Directory

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