The party took place on Sat., Sept. 10th, at Story Sloane's Gallery, 1570 S. Dairy Ashford in Houston.
Saturday was a fun afternoon at Story Sloane’s Gallery on Dairy Ashford near the Bria Forest intersection. Classic photographer and local historian Story Sloane turned his place into a birthday celebration for the City of Houston in honor of the 175th anniversary of our town’s establishment on the banks of the Buffalo Bayou by the Allen Brothers of New York back in 1836.
It was a natural fit. The Sloane Gallery already specializes in classic photographs of the Houston area that date back to the 19th century, but owner Story Sloane took it further on Saturday. He ran a motion picture that he had put together from clips of local events that dated back to the early decades of the 20th century – and then he wound himself into an impromptu historical narrative of what we were watching, even extending his interpretations and historical lacings to the still photographs that hang all around you normally in 360 degree fashion at the gallery.
The mural photo of Main Street, looking south from the Franklin intersection, was taken in 1928 by Calvin Wheat, the official photographer of the Democratic National Convention.
Story Sloane comes naturally to his passion by genetics and historical background. His father before him was a photographer of great local and national repute, leading Story in so many ways, however that works its wonder, to pursue the same general goals beyond his graduation from college at Texas A&M Commerce. Since that time, Story has devoted his life to the aim of assisting, augmenting, and leading the local search for historical research, publication, and preservation. He has been involved in numerous publications on the history of Houston, most recently publishing a fine visual and informative work for Arcadia Publishing as Story Jones Sloane III as “Houston in the 1920s and 1930s.” Copies of that book are still available through Barnes & Noble or the Sloane Gallery.
Story Jones Sloane III of Houston.
Those of us now working on the SABR project, “Houston Baseball, The Early Years, 1861-1961,” are fortunate to have Story Sloane on our research, writing, and production team as our photograph and graphic art specialist. The telling of Houston’s long and somewhat unknown history as a bastion of baseball passion that far precedes the city’s newer loyalties to football is only enhanced by the photos of that vitality we have obtained from the Sloan collection, the Houston Public Library, and other private sources.
sepia tones and simpler times ...
Sepia tones and simpler times seem to fit hand in glove, even if those basic ascriptions to the past are more illusional than real. Nevertheless, the photography of the past collected by people like Story Sloane is essential to our search for a a more complete picture of what life was like “back in the day,” whenever that day might have been. Story Sloane has dedicated his life to a business line that is there to help preserve and illuminate history. In fact, Story will tell you that truth in this simple statement: “We sell Houston’s history to preserve it.”
In other words, when you buy a photograph from the Sloane Gallery, a large part of the profit beyond Story’s living expenses is going back into the maintenance of his business and the acquisition of “new” old photos. Maybe it’s just the kind of person I am, but I like doing business with people who care about their local histories, and especially with those who care about leaving a legacy of truth about things to the generations that will come after us. I like doing business with a fellow named Story Sloane because he embodies both of those values – and because he specifically cares about how we write the history of Houston.
Next time you want to break the doldrums of whatever leisure time rut you may be in, consider dropping by the Story Sloane Gallery for a look-see at Houston history. Located at 1570 S. Dairy Ashford, the gallery is located in a strip mall on the west side of the street, about two blocks south of the Briar Forest Drive intersection.
Store hours are 12 noon to 6 pm, Tuesday through Friday; 12 noon to 4 PM, Saturday; and closed on Sunday and Monday. For further information, call 282.496.2212 during business hours.
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 12, 2011 at 10:05 pm |
Sorry I had to miss it.
September 16, 2011 at 1:28 am |
It was good to see you there and to hear Story’s narration with his rare films. Wish I could have stayed longer.