Episode 16: Lost and Found Dept.: The One-Man Historical Society

In the early 2000s Alan Pflieger, a photographer in Huntington, Indiana (and my dad), acquired a huge archive of negatives from the Rickert Studio, which had been in operation from 1912 to 1986. He saved the negatives from being destroyed. My parents stored these negatives in their house for years until, through a funny series of events, they ended up making their way to the Huntington County Historical Society.

William Rickert’s studio, Huntington, Indiana, circa 1925

Through the years that he had them in the garage, people would call Alan and ask for photographs of their family members who had been photographed at the studio, and he would make prints for them if he could find the negatives in the vast folders in storage.

Studio employee working in the Rickert Studio darkroom, circa 1925

A photographer in his own right, my dad knew the importance of preserving these negatives, not only for the families of the sitters, but also because they told an important story of Huntington County through the years.

William Rickert Studio, Huntington, Indiana, circa 1915

A salesperson in the Rickert Studio store, 1913-39.

The Rickert family, Huntington, Indiana, circa 1925. Left to right: William F. Rickert (1886-1976), Letha Marie, Robert L., Glenn Edward, and Ella (Henline) Rickert (1886-1969).

Colleen Pflieger (my mom), circa 1950, photograph by the Rickert Studio.

Colleen and Alan Pflieger on their wedding day, 1970. Photograph by Rickert (taken at Trinity United Methodist Church, Huntington, Indiana)

The Abbott Family, photograph by the Rickert Studio

At the same time that the Rickert Studio was in operation, a photographer named Mike Disfarmer was working many miles south in Heber Springs, Arkansas. He was active in the 1940s and 50s, and would not gain any notoriety until years after his death, when photographs by Disfarmer began to be appreciated.

Mike Disfarmer left no will when he died and had no friends or family to take the contents of his studio. Thankfully these photographs were preserved for us to appreciate. They are truly revealing about American culture at a very specific time. Disfarmer’s unique style captured the eye of a few savvy people, leading to a race to locate them. They have found their way into collections worldwide.

Mike Disfarmer, 1884-1959

Finally, here are some images by Alan Pflieger, who saved the Rickert Studio negatives. He has been practicing photography his entire life. For many years he ran a photographic studio, documenting hundreds of weddings, engagements, anniversaries, board meetings, and more in northeastern Indiana. His best work, however, has been done while traveling the country with Colleen, toying with different types of cameras and experimenting with both digital and darkroom-based manipulation.