Upcoming Exhibit at the Jeffcoat Museum to Focus on the Studio's History

The Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum in Abilene, Kansas is proud to announce a new exhibition highlighting the history of three generations of photographers in the Jeffcoat Studio family business.

Before the turn of the twentieth century, Lucy Fritz Jeffcoat trained herself in camera operation and retouching photographs.  She quickly found work for several photographers in the Abilene area.  Lucy was also the mother of four children, so she did most of her photographic work from her home.  Her son, Paul, became interested in the photographic process at a young age.  He began delivering his mother’s retouched photographs and was fascinated with the developing process.

Paul went into business as the Jeffcoat Photography Studio in 1921.  At the time, the studio was located in a small second story room in downtown Abilene.  The business soon outgrew this space, and Paul built a new building for the business in 1925.  This building still stands today, and is the current home of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.

Paul saw his business through the Great Depression, and was able to supplement his income by partitioning his building and renting half of his property to other area businesses.  Over the years, the north side of the building would be occupied by an optometrist, an insurance agency, and a shoe repairman.  The sound of pounding hammers repairing shoes could be a bit distracting during portrait sessions, but having these businesses next door helped the Jeffcoat Studio immensely. 

Paul passed the trade of photography down to his son, Bill.  Throughout his life, Bill was interested in documenting life and events in his hometown of Abilene.  Bill photographed several parades, visits from President Eisenhower, and of course, family portraits.  He enjoyed photography outside of his professional work, walking around Abilene and snapping pictures of anything that caught his eye.  His father, Paul, saw this differently.  He once told his son not to take photographs unless he could make an income from the image.  Bill would continue taking snapshots, choosing to develop his film at night to keep it a secret from his father.

Though the Jeffcoat Studio was primarily a portrait studio, the Jeffcoats were able to document the history of the Abilene area, creating images that will last several years to come.  The Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum’s newest exhibit, The Family Behind the Lens: A Retrospective of the Jeffcoat Studio, begins on September 1 and runs through November 20.

You can learn more about the history of the Jeffcoat Studio and the history of Abilene by visiting the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum at 321 N. Broadway Street in Abilene.  For hours of operation or to schedule a private viewing, contact the museum at (785) 263-9882 or jeffcoatstudio@att.net.  Be sure to visit the museum’s website at jeffcoatstudio.com and their Facebook page at facebook.com/jeffcoatstudio.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Lilly Mae Helm

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life. Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Lilly Mae Helm:

She was raised in Salina, Kansas. With her husband and some employees, they made a living hauling trash. Their two children were Dorothy and Dick.

This was a happy family; Lilly would do the bill collecting (for their trash service) each month and knew everybody in town.

She would be the first black lady in Abilene to be elected to the Abilene City Commission. She did her job as best as she could, but resigned and did not become Mayor. She was a member of the Catholic faith.

She loved her children and grandchildren, detested being pushed around, and was a fighter to protect what she felt was her right to do what she pleased. I think it is fair to say that she was a remarkable, strong willed lady.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Deane E. Ackers

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life. Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Deane E. Ackers (1893-1966):

Hiram Ackers lived on Buckeye and 10th Street and was a very successful real estate broker. He and his wife raised two sons (one of them, Deane). Deane started in with C.L. Brown as an engineer with the United Power and Light Co. With its demise, he was instrumental in putting together a collection of power companies, forming the Kansas Power and Light Co. He was President and C.E.O. of that firm. Deane and his wife had no children and are buried in Topeka, Kansas. In high school, he was on the football team with Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: R.J. Long

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life. Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about R.J. Long (1880-1939):

R.J. Long came to Abilene from Miltonvale, Kansas, where he had been a druggist and worked for C.L. Brown in the utility business in the stock department. Somewhere along the line, he saw the handwriting on the wall that things were not going well (with the business), told Brown so, and handed in his resignation. Brown begged him to stay but to no avail.

R.J. then started his own investment business on Broadway; remodeled the building with his office upstairs and retail firms on the ground floor. Long Investments had the back part of the second floor.

With the Wall Street crash of 1929, and following the bankruptcy and death of C.L. Brown, investments were not easy to sell in a little town like Abilene.

R.J. married Mary Forney, daughter of J.K. Forney of the Belle Springs Creamery, and they had one son, Loraine.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Howard Marshall

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life. Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Howard Marshall:

Howard Marshall, born in Abilene, Kansas, but not with a silver spoon in his mouth! Yet, this did not deter him from being aggressive. His business seemed to thrive in insurance, small loans, and real estate.

In real estate, he developed the area now known as Charles Road, which he named after his son. Cement blocks were coming (into style) and many of these are built this way.

Howard’s office first started in the basement of the Commercial State Bank, run by Andy Blair. Later, he moved to where the VFW post is now located.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Vic Viola

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life. Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Vic Viola and his father, R.H. Viola:

Vic Viola

R.H. Viola conceived many businesses and one of these was a hardware store. This was during the 1930s and many in town felt it would not go, as two well established hardware stores were going, Shockey and Landis, and Minick and Taylor.

Viola ran a contest to name the store, offering $100 for the winner. The name selected: RHV Hardware, standing for Real, Honest, Vision.

His son Vic was put in charge and he had a knack for it. As you can see by this photo, he was a man whose expression is showing that he was good with customers. True to Viola tradition, he would cut a price and make the customer happy, creating a repeat customer. If one was not satisfied with a clerk, you could go directly to Vic to make a deal. The store did a wonderful volume of business. As were all the Viola sons, they were great contributors to the town’s civic things.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Henry B. Jameson

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents. These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. Even if you are not from Abilene or do not know these people, these stories are invaluable since they paint a portrait of small town life.  Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum. The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Henry B. Jameson (1912-1986):

Henry did not graduate from high school, but he made the grade anyhow. Born and raised in Abilene, he was in the Press Corp, working for the Associated Press in Europe during WWII. He returned to his home town and teamed up with the Reflector-Chronicle, first as advertising manager, and then as his boss, Mr. Harger grew older, Henry became owner.

He was very popular in town, and he could do good writing. He ran a front page column of happenings of the day in town called “Ramblings,” and this was the first thing people read when they received their evening paper.

As the Eisenhower popularity grew, so did the newspaper and Henry. When out of town media arrived, the first thing they sought out was the editor of the paper. The paper and Henry became the connection for all important events concerning Ike and Abilene. Henry was “it” during the Eisenhower era, and he basked in the limelight and met a lot of very high up people in the media and from the White House. He wrote some books on Ike and on early Abilene days. Henry was a great contributor due to his outlook on the town and for the development of the Eisenhower Center.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: John H. Lehman

Views of the Past is currently featuring brief biographies of former Abilene residents.  These photographs and biographies were recently featured in an exhibit at the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.  Both the photograph and text of this post are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.  The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about John H. Lehman:

He worked himself up off a farm south of Abilene, to become a leading attorney in town and was on the board of the Eisenhower Foundation. John was in on everything in town. When asked why he wanted to go into law, he replied, “As a young man, I drove around and saw that all the big homes were owned by either doctors or lawyers, and knowing I could not become a doctor, I thought I could make it in the practice of law.” He was a very imposing looking man, very tall, and always well dressed. He did much to help draft papers for the Eisenhower Center when it was being built, to buy the homes and property around this, so that nothing shabby would be around it. He knew all the important people in town and made the most of these contacts with large estate work. He loved Abilene history and on the second floor of his office in the old Sterl Building, he kept a regular museum of historic memorabilia which he adored showing off. Out of law school, he obtained his ground work as a partner of Matt Guilfoyle, another well known lawyer who did much for the town and was active in civic projects. I think we can be sure that Ike appreciated all the work that went on here, from all his friends in Abilene. Had it not been for these friends, the Eisenhower Center would not have grown to the size that it is.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Henry Giles

The following is a brief bio on Henry Giles written by Bill Jeffcoat.  Both the text and photograph are courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.

Henry’s father was an early day Abilene business person who made money in the grain business and also was a charter member and organizer of the Citizens Bank, along with the Malott and Johntz families.

Here is Henry all dressed up fit to kill, so to speak. The reason is that he was active in the Masonic Lodge and each worshipful Master had their photo taken to hang in the Hall. He married Bea Young who clerked in the People’s Store, a department store like Cases and Pendergasts, and they had two girls.

Henry was a big hunter and fisherman. The old Giles family home is on West Fourth Street, where Henry’s sister, Ethel, lived until her death.

Spotlight on Abilene Residents: The Smiths

The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Mr. and Mrs. Sam Smith and their daughter, Mary.  Jeffcoat also goes into detail about the photographic process at the time this photograph was taken.  It is a rather interesting image considering the work that was required to capture it.  The caption and image are both courtesy of the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum:

A home portrait by P.H. Jeffcoat, 1920s.

An attorney, this couple had one daughter, Mary, who graduated from KU in journalism. She got a job in Boston with the Christian Science Monitor newspaper. Some years later moving to New York City, she started her own magazine on hand weaving which was very successful. She never married and she is buried along with her parents in the Abilene cemetery.

For this view, flash powder was used for lighting. Flash globes or strobe lights were not around then. Flash powder was tricky to use as it had to be ignited at the same time the shutter on the camera opened and closed. In the 1920s, not too many couples could afford to have home portraits taken. The Smiths were able to afford it.

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Roy Baker

The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Roy Baker and the Baker Hatchery:

This is Roy Baker, hatchery man, chicken fancier, with a hatchery building in the back end of his house in the 300 block of NE 6th Street. His wife Bertha was the daughter of J.L. Kruger, a prominent builder of Abilene buildings.

In depression days, even town people raised chickens in town for eggs and eating. If you bought a bag of baby chick mash, Roy would give you twenty-five baby chicks free.

This photo of Roy, which is not really the normal way he dressed, is the way he desired this photo. With Abilene’s Wild West Days and the Fair parade, all businessmen were supposed to do this.

From the 1940s this ad is from the paper. Whoever dreamed this up was very clever; the baby chick with a head piece and then the slogan: “Let me help make dough for you.”

Spotlight on an Abilene Resident: Lester Green

In addition to taking photographs, Bill Jeffcoat liked to write about the history and people of Abilene.  Many of his writings were featured in the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle newspaper as Letters to the Editor.  The following was written by Bill Jeffcoat about Lester Green:

He grew up in Abilene and worked for Red Wheeler at the Chronicle newspaper in the front office.  When this paper merged with the Reflector, Lester moved along with Red and worked in the front office there and along the road, he was in charge of circulation.  With Charles Harger being head man, after Red died in about 1941, he asked Lester to get interested in taking photos for the paper, and Les entered into this with lots of interest.  He bought a camera and his supplies from Jeffcoat’s Photo Store, and this is how, I got to know him.

When stores stayed open on Saturday nights, Les would come in and we would discuss film and paper, and the nic nacs of taking a photo.  He was high strung and got nervous on assignment, and one time, he felt he had under exposed some negatives, and asked us to force develop his film, which we did.  Being very religious, when Harger asked him to take photos of greyhound racing, he refused. 

Les got married late in life, and with his wife, Wilma, they both were so very happy. When I asked him to autograph this photo, he was so pleased. To know Lester Green, and his life, was an experience and a delight.

Photography as a Family Business: The Jeffcoats

A staple of Abilene throughout most of the twentieth century was the Jeffcoat Photography Studio and Camera Shop.  Paul H. Jeffcoat, known as “Bud” to many locals, started a photography business in 1921 in a small second story room in downtown Abilene.  In 1925, he built a small studio on Broadway Street and opened business at that location.

The Jeffcoat Photo Studio.  Today, it is the Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum.

Paul got his start in photography due to his mother, Lucy Fritz Jeffcoat.  Lucy had taken some training classes in developing and retouching film.  She assisted area photographers with retouching and hand painting portraits for a number of years as supplementary income for her family.  Paul became interested in the photographic process at a young age, and learned all that he could about the art of photography.

After a few years had passed since Paul opened his new studio in 1925, the Great Depression was in full swing.  During those years, the Jeffcoat Studio began to sell Abilene postcards for five cents.  Small postcard stands bearing the title “Abilene Views” could be found in some area businesses.  This was not a lucrative money maker though, Paul only made about one cent per card.  He began to rent out half of his business’ building for additional income.

Over the years, the Jeffcoat Studio shared its space with several different businesses including a shoe store.  Paul’s son would muse that it was not ideal to have the hammering sounds of shoe repair next door to a portrait studio.

In the studio, a 1925 Century No. 7 studio camera is still on display.

The same year that the Jeffcoat Studio opened on Broadway Street, Paul’s wife Regina gave birth to a son.  The couple named him Paul William Jeffcoat.  To most, he became known as Bill.  Bill was also interested in the family business, but initially wanted to aspire to other things.  He attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio and later moved to New York City in search of work.  After World War II, he heard a lot about General Dwight D. Eisenhower, also from Abilene.  Bill decided to move back home to see if he could document the goings on in Eisenhower’s hometown.  He began working for his father in the studio, and found some business selling pictures of Abilene to United Press.  Bill continued to do this for a number of years, documenting every visit that Eisenhower made to Abilene, including Eisenhower’s presidential campaign and later, funeral.  

Bill eventually took over the family business; however before doing so, he was told by his father that he would have to buy the building.  After gathering enough money to do so, Bill did just that.  He continued to run the studio and camera shop long after his father’s death, and was well known as a portrait photographer in Abilene.  

Several cameras are still on display, as well as photography exhibits showing many of the pictures taken by Paul and Bill Jeffcoat.

Bill always had great interest in local history, so near the end of his life, he decided to turn his studio into a museum.  Bill died in 2007 before he could see his dream fully realized.  The Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum opened in May 2008.  The museum is managed by the Dickinson County Historical Society and the Jeffcoat Memorial Foundation, and is open on a part-time and by-appointment basis.  For more information, visit here.