Tag Archive | vintage photo
August 9, 2012  

A Tale of Two Employees

Francis O. Day, Salesman (I Lost) paying off a local election bet to Guy Murray, Shop Foreman (I Won) in downtown Rockville circa 1940

One of the things I enjoy doing is looking through all of the old photographs in my grandfather’s albums and trying to figure out who and what they are. Some of the photos are more than 100 years old!  Anyway, I can easily identify most of the Reed family, but who in the world are some of these other people? It’s like some reverse version of “Where’s Waldo”.

This time it was my mom (Lewis Reed’s daughter) who wanted to show me this old photo and tell me the story behind it. So here it is…

The story of two Reed Brothers employees (Francis O. Day, Salesman and Guy Murray, Shop Foreman) who made a bet on who would win a local election. It’s pretty obvious that Guy Murray won the bet, because he is being pulled by Francis Day through downtown Rockville in a horse cart. I thought only horses could pull those things, but I see grown men can, too!

July 4, 2012  

Montgomery County Police Department Marks 90-Year Anniversary Today

This blog entry was posted today to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Montgomery County Police Department. It was 90 years ago today that the MCPD was first established. Posing in front of Reed Brothers Dodge on July 4, 1922 Chief Charles Cooley, center, and his men of the first mounted unit of the Montgomery County Police Force, were on their first day of duty.

The Montgomery County Police Department was established on July 4, 1922, consisting of five officers and a Chief. Each of the officers was issued a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a .38 Smith & Wesson handgun, a black jack, law book and was allotted $300.00 a year for the upkeep of their motorcycle.

The Montgomery County Police Department has produced a commemorative book as they celebrate 90 years of service. This exciting new book will contain the history of MCP from 1922-2012, exciting historic accounts and stories, full-color portrait photos of current officers, personnel and retirees, division and unit awards, an In Memoriam Tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and more, with hundreds of historic and full-color photographs.

You can order the “Montgomery County Police Department 90th Anniversary Commemorative Book” on the Acclaim Press website.

May 18, 2012  

Historic Photo

The following photograph taken by Lewis Reed is from the “Wheelmen (and associates), 1890s-1910s” blog post by the Montgomery County Historical Society’s official blog, “A Fine Collection”.

A bicycle race at the Rockville fairgrounds, circa 1915. Photo by Lewis Reed; glass negatives donated by the Reed and Gartner families.

With photography for a hobby, one that began even before automobiles were around Montgomery County, Lewis Reed had amassed a large library of photographs of buildings, farm carts drawn by oxen, and other historic spots in Montgomery County. Lewis Reed’s daughter, Mary Jane Gartner, recently donated her father’s photograph collection of 280 glass plate negatives to the Montgomery County Historical Society. The glass plate negatives from Lewis Reed’s Collection are a great example of early photographic techniques which were in common use between the 1880s and the late 1920s.

May 10, 2012  

Glass Plate Negatives Donation

Print made from a Lewis Reed glass negative, showing the Reed Brothers dealership in 1922.

The following is an excerpt taken from the Summer 2011 edition of the Montgomery County Historical Society Newsletter.

“The Sween Library was recently given a collection of 280 glass plate negatives, showing Montgomery County in the early 20th century. Lewis Reed was a well-known photographer in the county as well as owner (along with his brother Edgar) of Reed Brothers, the Rockville automobile dealership. The collection was donated to the Society by Mr. Reed’s daughter, Mary Jane Reed Gartner.

There are scenes of different areas of the county, buildings, events such as the county fair, and local people. These are a welcomed addition to our growing graphics collection.”

Newer Posts »