J. Lawless And Sons Photographers At 2421 Milam St.

[dbigtex56]

Photo licensed by Artefaq Corporation

Photograph

[musicman]

Circa 1990 a friend took me to an abandoned outbuilding behind 2421 Milam. There had been a photography studio there, and some of the equipment and supplies remained, albeit in poor condition. Scattered on the floor were dozens of old school photographs, which appeared to date from the 1930s and 40s.

Especially interesting to me was an enormous old Kodak studio camera. I'm guessing the negatives would have been at least 16" x 20", and it was mostly of wooden construction. Sadly, it had been vandalized. The thing was ancient! I don't remember exactly, but it had what appeared to be a very low model number on it. We spoke with the owner, a Vietnamese man, who said that he was clearing everything out and if we wanted anything to just take it. Wish I could have taken the camera, but what the hell would I do with it? I mean, it was massive. It still bothers me that it probably ended up in a landfill.

Anyway - does anyone have information about who the photographer was, and how long he had been in business at that location?

i'd always wondered about that place. it's almost the lone artefact of houston's past in that area.

[dbigtex56]

i'd always wondered about that place. it's almost the lone artefact of houston's past in that area.

According to the website linked on my post, it's called the R. C. Duff house. I found the following information about Mr. Duff on the Wiess Family Home Page:

The sixth and last railroad to be built out of Beaumont was the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western, which had R. C. Duff, now president of the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine, as its president. This line was built in 1906 from Beaumont to Sour Lake, which had become a great oil-producing center.

No wonder he could afford such a nice house!

[sevfiv]

according to the old phone book, it was Lawless and Sons Photographers (J. Milton Lawless)

i can't find anything about the business or Mr. Lawless though, at this point

[dbigtex56]

according to the old phone book, it was Lawless and Sons Photographers (J. Milton Lawless)

i can't find anything about the business or Mr. Lawless though, at this point

thanks, sevfiv.

What year does the old phone book date from?

[sevfiv]

thanks, sevfiv.

What year does the old phone book date from?

1955 - my frame of reference for everything houston

[Earlydays]

1955 - my frame of reference for everything houston

The name "Lawless and Sons" was still on the building in the 60's, maybe into the 70's......

[tmariar]

U.T. has a small collection of Milton Lawless photographs - they may have more info. They also have an undated Vernon Lawless photograph of a "Houston building".

[Vertigo58]

Scattered on the floor were dozens of old school photographs, which appeared to date from the 1930s and 40s.

Is there any way at all possible you could somehow SAVE those photos found? I think many people would want to view them. We never know if they could be relatives? Please don't tell me you threw out. Maybe there could be a public viewing some how? or if we could get copies.

[dbigtex56]

Is there any way at all possible you could somehow SAVE those photos found? I think many people would want to view them. We never know if they could be relatives? Please don't tell me you threw out. Maybe there could be a public viewing some how? or if we could get copies.

Unfortunately, this was about 17 years ago; I doubt if any trace of the photo studio remains.

I would have liked to have saved the photos (and that camera!), but again, apartment dwellers have space constraints, and they were never really mine to begin with.

[Vertigo58]

Unfortunately, this was about 17 years ago; I doubt if any trace of the photo studio remains.

I would have liked to have saved the photos (and that camera!), but again, apartment dwellers have space constraints, and they were never really mine to begin with.

Sorry, I was too excited and missed the 1st part where you state it was 1990.

Whats more sad is I think I recognize the building, it was used as a haunted house for several years. They promoted as "Haunted Hotel" but actually only used the attached (next door) ugly plaster building as the set. Linda Blair of Exorcist fame made a promo stop over once that Halloween. Shucks.

[Jduknic]

Milton and his wife Lois were dear friends of my family.  My father and Milton were friends for years even before I was born.  They had a daughter, Kathy?, who died in an accident many years ago.  My father died in 1989 and around that same time Milton did as well (he was quite a bit older than my father).  I do remember being a little kid and running around that beautiful old house which for a long time was just in a sea of parking lot.  Not long after that I believe Lois sold the house and moved out to the Katy area.  The building is still standing, not sure what it is not and other buildings have built up around it.  It was an awesome magical place when I was little!  I still have some of the pictures that Milton took of me as a baby and toddler.