| Harry Mellon Rhoads (who called himself
the "fat photographer") was born in Unionville, Berks County, Pennsylvania,
on August 28, 1881. He attended East and West High Schools in Denver,
and after graduation began his career as a newspaper photographer
with the Denver Republican. Until his retirement from the Rocky
Mountain News in 1969, Harry continued to work as a newspaper
photographer. Harry was a family man. He married twice and was the
proud father of two daughters -- Mary Elizabeth and Harriet. The Rhoads
collection contains numerous family photographs.
Harry photographed many political leaders, including every president
from Teddy Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower. He took pictures of the
leading celebrities and socialites of his day, criminals and crime
scenes, tragedies such as fires and automobile crashes, his extended
family including the Charles C. Gates family and his favorite subject
-- women. Many of Rhoads' photographs reflect his great sense of humor
and his zany personality.
The Denver Public Library acquired this collection in 1983. Approximately
2,500 images from the Library's 5,800 glass plates and film negatives
have been digitized. For more information about this collection,
please contact the Denver Public Library.
An exhibit of some 200 of Harry's photos were displayed on Level
5 of the Denver Public Library for the months of August, September,
and October 2003. There will be online documentation of the show
posted here in the coming weeks.
|
Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt (parade), William H. Taft and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Robberies, prohibition raids and murder.
