Presthus-Horstman
Description
Negatives and prints from the Presthus and later Horstman Studios. The collection dates from the early 1920s to 1982.
Just after the turn of the century (1900), “Wild West Post Card Company” was located in the Horstman building, which was at 33-35 1st Ave. West. The facilities on the second floor had been built as a photo studio, with a large north skylight to provide the natural light used (along with flash powder) before the advent of modern electric equipment.
The company was later purchased by partners Doubleday and Meyers (1915-1919). Ralph R. Doubleday was a well-known rodeo photographer. Meyers left the partnership in July 1916. Doubleday sold the studio in February 1919 to Ingemar Presthus who had recently been manager of the studio for the previous few years. Presthus was previously a photographer located in Belfield under the firm Presthus & Johnson (per an ad in the 1914-1915 Directory, p. 61) He operated the studio in Dickinson as Presthus Studios, until he moved back to Norway and sold it to one of his employees Olga Hanson on February 1, 1933 . Mrs. Hanson’s two daughters Olive and Harriet learned the photography business from her and also attended photography school. The business kept the name Presthus Studio at that time.
In 1940 Harriet married Norman Horstmann, a photographer from St. Louis and they purchased the studio from her mother but they kept the Presthus name at that time. On January 1, 1947, it was announced that the studio would now operate under the name Horstman Studio. The Horstmanns purchased the building in 1953 and moved their studio to the main floor where it operated until they retired in 1982. Over the years the main floor was previously occupied by the first J.C. Penney store in town, then by City Grocery, next as Bob Gilliam’s Meat Market, and Dakota Public Service. (Summarized from Centennial Roundup, p. 89. 1982.)
Just after the turn of the century (1900), “Wild West Post Card Company” was located in the Horstman building, which was at 33-35 1st Ave. West. The facilities on the second floor had been built as a photo studio, with a large north skylight to provide the natural light used (along with flash powder) before the advent of modern electric equipment.
The company was later purchased by partners Doubleday and Meyers (1915-1919). Ralph R. Doubleday was a well-known rodeo photographer. Meyers left the partnership in July 1916. Doubleday sold the studio in February 1919 to Ingemar Presthus who had recently been manager of the studio for the previous few years. Presthus was previously a photographer located in Belfield under the firm Presthus & Johnson (per an ad in the 1914-1915 Directory, p. 61) He operated the studio in Dickinson as Presthus Studios, until he moved back to Norway and sold it to one of his employees Olga Hanson on February 1, 1933 . Mrs. Hanson’s two daughters Olive and Harriet learned the photography business from her and also attended photography school. The business kept the name Presthus Studio at that time.
In 1940 Harriet married Norman Horstmann, a photographer from St. Louis and they purchased the studio from her mother but they kept the Presthus name at that time. On January 1, 1947, it was announced that the studio would now operate under the name Horstman Studio. The Horstmanns purchased the building in 1953 and moved their studio to the main floor where it operated until they retired in 1982. Over the years the main floor was previously occupied by the first J.C. Penney store in town, then by City Grocery, next as Bob Gilliam’s Meat Market, and Dakota Public Service. (Summarized from Centennial Roundup, p. 89. 1982.)
Contributor(s)
- Ingemar Presthus
- Olga Hanson
- Harriet Horstmann
- Norman Horstmann
- Doubleday and Meyers (Ralph R. Doubleday and E.A. Meyers)
Collection Items
Vivian Wock
Portrait of a young woman. She has blue eyes and light brown hair. The sweater is black. Graduation portrait - Campus High School - 1959. Identified.
Ida Mae Gresser
Portrait of a young woman. She has blue eyes and medium brown hair. Her glasses are brown, natural, and silver. The sweater is aqua. Graduation portrait - Campus High School - 1959. Identified.
Alvin Kudrna
Portrait of a young man. He has hazel eyes and medium brown hair. His suit is a dark brown. The tie is dark brown with rust lines. Graduation portrait - Campus High School - 1959. Identified.
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