Name/Title
Stereograph of the Columbia City Hall (no.18) - "Popular Series of Southern Views"Entry/Object ID
2015.15.1Description
Stereograph of Columbia City Hall. The obverse has two images side by side of City Hall and the reverse has a label entitled "Popular Series of Southern Views, Published by W.A. Reckling Columbia, S.C." with a list of 78 images of buildings, structures, or daily scenes in the Columbia area. Handwritten at the top is "Monday Jan. 31/81," and the title of this work is underlined by hand.Photograph Details
Type of Photograph
StereographContext
After the original City Hall and Market located on the northwest corner of Richardson (Main) and Washington streets burned during the Union Army's occupation in February 1865, the building featured in this stereograph by William A. Reckling (1849-1913) was erected at the same location as a replacement. A looming Italianate style landmark that dwarfed neighboring structures, this second city hall, completed in 1872, also featured an opera hall and commercial spaces on its ground floor. For some, the sprawling building embodied political corruption during the Reconstruction period. For others, the property was a destination for entertainment of all sorts. In March 1899, a tremendous fire destroyed the iconic building. Consumed in the flames were the city’s electric fire alarm, police headquarters, an armory, lodge rooms for various fraternal orders, the public library, and several businesses.
Austrian immigrant William A. Reckling began his photography career as an apprentice with local Columbia photographers William Preston Hix (c.1836-1911) and Richard Wearn (1826-1874). In the early 1870s, he moved to Rome, Georgia, to establish his own photography gallery and business. After several successful years in Georgia, Reckling returned to Columbia in 1874. Opening a gallery at 110 1/2 Richardson Street (1435 Main Street), he became known as one of the South's preeminent photographers. Reckling's most well-known works are a part of his "Popular Series of Southern Views," which capture various views of Columbia. He would continue to operate his photography gallery until his death in 1913.Made/Created
Artist
William A. RecklingDate made
1880 - 1889Dimensions
Width
3-13/16 inLength
7 in
