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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Train In Front Of Warehouses
Photograph of Terminal Railroad Association train engine with tender stopped in rail yard, warehouses in the Cupples station block are visible in the background. The Simmons hardware company occupied many of the buildings.
Two Men on Sidewalk
Photograph of two men standing on the sidewalk of a major street. One man appears to work at the grocery they are standing in front of. Horse-drawn carriages are visible in the street in the background of the photograph.
Two Young Girls at a Construction Site on Sherry Avenue
This photograph shows two young girls walking up to a construction site on the corner of Sherry Avenue. The neighborhood appears to be residential. In the foreground a mature tree branch hangs into the frame. Beyond the girls and the construction site there is a man clearing a pile of cut wood, a line of bushes and a small house.
Two-Hitch Wagons
Photograph of a couple of two-hitch horse wagons. The contents of one wagon is being poured into the wagon under the bridge.
Uncle Sam's Pickling Jars
Two children examine jars of pickled vegetables on display beneath an image of Uncle Sam and a sign that reads, "This is what GOD gives us. What are you giving so that others may life? Eat less WHEAT MEATS FATS SUGAR Send more to Europe or they will Starve." Several jars bear the 4-H logo.
Urban Horse Herd
Photograph of herd of horses in urban neighborhood. Two men appear to be trying to corral the horses.
Urban Horse Herd Closeup
Photograph of herd of horses in urban neighborhood. Two men can be clearly seen corralling the horses. This is a close-up from another photograph in the collection.
View of Intersection at Miami Street and South Broadway
View to the northeast of the intersection at Miami Street and South Broadway. Across the street, two men appear in front of a barber shop. A horse-drawn carriage advances down the street, alongside a trolley.
Warehouse Crowd
Photograph of crowd of people in front of a warehouse. They are watching men on ladders who appear to be installing glass. Horse-drawn wagons are parked in front of the warehouse.
Washington Avenue
A photograph of Washington Avenue looking west. Automobiles, pedestrians, electric streetcars and horse-drawn wagons are visible., This is a wider view of another photograph in the collection.
Washington Avenue
Photograph looking east along Washington Avenue from approximately North Tucker Boulevard. The street is very busy with automobiles, pedestrians and street cars. The present-day Merchandise Mart building is visible on the right side of the street in the middle ground of the photo.
Washington Avenue
Washington and Broadway, looking west.
Water Pit
Photograph of large pit in the middle of an urban area that is filled with water. Men are talking to each other and looking into the pit. A horse-drawn wagon is partially visible in the left of the photograph.
Water Wagon
Photograph of water wagon on major St. Louis street near the intersection with Carr Street. It appears the wagon driver is filling the wagon from a water line in the sidewalk., There appears to be a small watering trough on the sidewalk next to the wagon.
Welcome To St. Louis
This photograph shows of a truck driving in the snow across the Free Bridge (now the MacArthur Bridge), into the city from Illinois. The exit is now near 6th Street., This is a wider view of another photograph in the collection.
Welcome to St. Louis
Photograph of a truck driving in the snow across the Free Bridge (now the MacArthur Bridge), into the city from Illinois. Exit is about 6th Street.
Western Union Telegraph Office
Street scene in St. Louis featuring electric streetcars, extensive utility wires, and storefronts. Visible storefronts include the Western Union Telegraph Company and the Jewel Billiard Parlor.
Wharf Street
Photograph of Wharf Street with elevated railroad tracks and the Eads Bridge visible in the background.
Wheels of a Horse-Drawn Fire Engine
The back of the image is ripped along the bottom where tape used to be. There is no caption. The image is of a horse-drawn fire engine.
Wine of Cardui
Photograph of drugstore window advertising "Wine of Cardui", a patent medicine in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth centuries.
Workers In Snowy Street
Photograph of team of men working in the middle of a city street during a snowstorm. Two men have lifted the cover off a street opening using long hooks. A man behind them is holding a snow shovel.
Workers Installing Pipe In Street
Photograph of men installing a pipe in a city street. One man is standing in a hole in the middle of the street and is smoking a pipe. A man with a badge is looking at another man in a hole in the street, their hat is just visible behind the pile of dirt. Workers' coat jackets can be seen in the background hanging from the trees along the street.
Wrecked Dorris
Photograph of Dorris automobile that has been in a wreck. An American flag has been tied between the headlamps., The Dorris Motor Car Company was founded and based in St. Louis.

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Mercantile Library Collections Directory

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Barriger Library Collections Directory

Barriger Special Collections Directory

Pott Library Collections Directory

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