Rex Tracy, Local Photographer
By John Marks, Curator
If you grew up with color slides of family trips and events, this blog article is for you. In 1935 Kodachrome, a three-color positive film, was invented by Eastman Kodak for motion pictures. It was released for still photography the next year. After almost 100 years of black and white photography, color images were available to any photographer.
We have a large collection of slides, but the Rex Tracy collection may be my favorite. Rex Devillo Tracy (1903–1987) was born in Smyrna in Chenango County, New York. After graduating from Sherburne High School, he attended Cornell University, class of 1925. The November 1957 Cornell Alumni News shared an update on Tracy:
“Rex D. Tracy, 110 Cherry Street, Geneva, is still with American Can Co. in Geneva after twelve years. His work is production control. From the list of hobbies he reports, his spare time is well occupied even though he is single.”
The city directory confirms that Tracy arrived in Geneva around 1943. Otherwise, I found little information about him and no obituary. He was buried in Sherburne, New York.
In the early 1950s Tracy advertised as a photographer in the Geneva Daily Times. “Photographs taken at your home. Color or black and white. Saturdays by appointment.” We do have portrait photos in his collection, but his images around town interest me the most.
Seneca Street, 1954
Kodachrome does justice to this Seneca Street scene from May 18, 1954. It’s a rare photo of the city bus, at the corner of Seneca and Linden Streets. It shows the numerous businesses and their neon signs between Linden and Exchange Streets. Also, clothing in its real colors rather than colorized by a computer program.
South Main Street bridge over Hamilton Street being built, September 1954.
The construction of Routes 5 & 20 arterial was big news in the early 1950s. Like many local photographers, Tracy documented the building of the 5&20 arterial on a weekly basis. In September 4, 1954 the South Main Street bridge over Hamilton Street was still being built.
North Street School, 1965
Tracy took many slides of the local schools. It’s unclear if he was taking them for the school system or on his own. There were few, if any, rules about people coming into schools to take photos. He documented schools that are no longer active, like Prospect Avenue and High Street elementary schools. This 1965 classroom was in the original North Street School which was torn down for hospital expansion.
Corner of Linden and Seneca Streets , August 1967
The single-story building at the corner of Linden and Seneca Streets has had numerous businesses. This August 1967 photo may be the earliest image, when the eastern side of the building was unfinished.
We’re still in the process of digitizing Tracy’s slides, and others in the collection. We’ll continue to share them on Facebook (Historic Geneva NY) as we get to them.