Old Photo Scans

Discover the past through our Photo Scans category, featuring an extensive collection of digital scans from the Civil War era, turn-of-the-century cabinet card photos by renowned St. Louis photographers, and a diverse array of preserved old photos. Each scan offers a unique glimpse into history, capturing moments frozen in time from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Explore our digital archive for a deep dive into the visual history of America’s past, meticulously curated for historians, genealogists, and photography enthusiasts.

Busieks Baseball team and the Central Rowing Team

Pictures of the 1911 Central Rowing Club and the Busiek’s BaseBall team of St. Louis! How fun. I think the picture of the Busieks Baseball team is probably from the early 30s, looking at it closer…

Civil War or Spanish War Veterans Photos

These pictures were labeled “Civil War or Spanish War Veterans”. They’re actually slides from the 1960s, when someone had tried to copy or preserve the originals. Pretty interesting to see the elderly soldiers standing in formation. I wonder what event this was for?

Turn of the century firefighter pictures

Here are pictures of firemen, a hose cart, and the Carondelet Heights Fire Association at the turn of the century.It looks like they’re showing off the new fire hose cart and maybe the fire hose, since the men are posed holding the hose unwound, on ladders against the next door building. The fire fighters are also shown acting like they’re pulling the fire cart, and there are no horses.

Old Sinclair Gas Station Photos

I think that these photos of a Sinclair Gas Station are from the late 1930s. Gas was only 18 cents! There are signs on the shop for “tire vulcanizing”, Sinclair Gasoline, auto storage (cost $1 for a week), and inside I can make out an ad for Ponds skin cream. It appears that there was a car wash behind the building, or maybe that’s a picture of a different building.

A bakery shop in 1917

These pictures of a bakery shop had the note “c. 1917 or 1918” and the names of the husband and wife who owned it.  I think it’s interesting to see how bakery shops were arranged, and there are pictures of the racks and “behind the counter” at this shop.

Cabinet Cards of Young Men, Children, and Couples

Cabinet Cards of Young Men, Children, and Couples

This entry is part 18 of 21 in the series Cabinet Cards

Here are the rest of the 1800s cabinet cards I digitized for the Carondelet Historical Society. I really like the young lady wearing a hat, as shot by Polensky of Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. That photo, of any, gives me some ideas on historical re-creation. The background is so cool, and could probably be made into a photoshop texture or something!

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Civil War Pocket Photos

Civil War Pocket Photos

Here are two Civil War era photos that came in small embossed leather covered wooden cases. They look like the size that could easily fit in your pocket, and one has glass on the cover, to show the woman’s portrait thru it. The interior is velvet and elaborately floral embossed metal. I wonder who these people were?

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Early 1900s drugstore photos

Early 1900s drugstore photos

I have no idea what South St. Louis pharmacy or drugstore is pictured here, but these pictures that I scanned are fascinating! You can see all the glass bottles and vials of medicine neatly on shelves behind the counter, and signs saying: “Frog in your throat? 10 cents – the Greatest Cough ??? on Earth”, Adams Black Jack Gum, Humphrey’s Specifics, Abbey’s ?? Salt… and more.

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Civil War or Spanish War Veterans Photos

Civil War or Spanish War Veterans Photos

These pictures were labeled “Civil War or Spanish War Veterans”. They’re actually slides from the 1960s, when someone had tried to copy or preserve the originals. Pretty interesting to see the elderly soldiers standing in formation. I wonder what event this was for?

read more
Turn of the century firefighter pictures

Turn of the century firefighter pictures

Here are pictures of firemen, a hose cart, and the Carondelet Heights Fire Association at the turn of the century.It looks like they’re showing off the new fire hose cart and maybe the fire hose, since the men are posed holding the hose unwound, on ladders against the next door building. The fire fighters are also shown acting like they’re pulling the fire cart, and there are no horses.

read more
Old Sinclair Gas Station Photos

Old Sinclair Gas Station Photos

I think that these photos of a Sinclair Gas Station are from the late 1930s. Gas was only 18 cents! There are signs on the shop for “tire vulcanizing”, Sinclair Gasoline, auto storage (cost $1 for a week), and inside I can make out an ad for Ponds skin cream. It appears that there was a car wash behind the building, or maybe that’s a picture of a different building.

read more
A bakery shop in 1917

A bakery shop in 1917

These pictures of a bakery shop had the note “c. 1917 or 1918” and the names of the husband and wife who owned it.  I think it’s interesting to see how bakery shops were arranged, and there are pictures of the racks and “behind the counter” at this shop.

read more
Early 1900s St. Louis Photos

Early 1900s St. Louis Photos

These were in a mixed album of early 1900s St. Louis photos that I scanned. One of these shows the civil courts building under construction, with just the steel beams up, which was completed in 1930 (so this picture would have been c. 1929). Another old photo is dated 1910 and appears to be a group photo of men in the Teamsters Union.

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Pictures from the 1927 St. Louis Tornado

Pictures from the 1927 St. Louis Tornado

Here is evidence in pictures of the destruction wrought by the huge tornado that devastated parts of downtown St. Louis on September 29, 1927. These pictures of the tornado damage were taken at approximately 1:15pm, and are the property of the Carondelet Historical Society (who kindly let me scan and post them here).

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Last of the 1930s family photos – children and babies

Last of the 1930s family photos – children and babies

I love these cute pictures of children and babies, from the 1930s! It looks like they turned one of the infants pictures into a post card, and I’ve scanned the front and back of it. I’m finished scanning this album… and not sure if I want to scan another Modern Priscilla issue, or the 1922 St. Louis Fashion Pageant magazine… Thoughts?

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Old Pictures of Nuns

Old Pictures of Nuns

Here are 8 pictures of nuns, from approximately the 1930s, and probably from the Carondelet St. Louis Missouri area. These seem relatively candid- in one picture the nuns are eating bread or...

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