John W. Gardner, Harlingen's Forgotten Photographer
Norman Rozeff, October 2008

{Click for a sample of Gardner photographs.)

John W. Gardner is largely unrecognized at this time and little is known of his background to boot. Yet, he left an important legacy of and for the Valley and especially for Harlingen. We do know that by 1926 he had established photographic studios in both Pharr and Harlingen. By 1930 his studio in the latter city was at 1005 W. Harrison. He and his wife Lillie in this year resided at 901 W. Hanson. In the 1931-32 directory the listing is for Gardner's Studio, and it is both the location for the studio and their residence.

By 1935 the listing is for J. W. Gardner, portrait and commercial photography, 118 South First Street.

Having commenced his Valley work in the 1920s he was a successor to P. C. Shockey, the Harlingen photographer who visually documented the decade 1910-1920. Shockey's photos, many placed on postcards, presented a rather rustic and undeveloped quality for Harlingen and its environs. When Gardner by the mid-1920s started to photograph the Valley, clear progress and growth was evident in the community and in his photos. For a little over a decade Gardner was to become a prominent commercial photographer headquartered in Harlingen.

The scope of Gardner's work had a wide range. He appeared to take pictures of every aspect of Valley life, but always with an eye to gain some commercial benefits for himself. Like Shockey he transferred numerous of his photos to postcards. His postcards, featuring attractions to be found here, both publicized the area and earned him money. His post cards sometimes had Photo by Gardner written in somewhat crude white lettering on their bottom front side. His larger photos had Gardner Studios or Gardner Photography stamped on their backsides.

Among the subjects of his focus were the society of Harlingen, schools, hotels, buildings, upscale residences in Harlingen and Stuart Place, commercial operations, scenery, hunting/fishing, and golfing. For the latter Gardner documented both the amateur and professional tournaments that took place at the new Harlingen Municipal Golf Course. At the time numerous famous competitive pros participated here for purses.

In the 1930s Gardner was contracted by real estate promoters to put together a photographic booklet showing the many diversified crops possible in the Valley. He did so and in doing so provided a lasting record of the many agricultural crops being grown here at the time. One such booklet was discovered in 2006 in the mid-west, where, decades ago, it was sent as a sales tool. It was put up for auction in 2007 and the 100-picture 8x10" photo album fetched $1,200 at an auction. Some Gardner's photos are archived at the Harlingen Library and at the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum.

In the 1937-38 Harlingen telephone directory the listing has Gardner Studio, Lillie R. Gardner, photographer. This likely indicates that Mr. Gardner had died or was no longer active. In the 1939 directory there is no listing for either Gardner.

There is no question but that Gardner's work represents an important link in documenting the area's past history. Without it there would be a gaping hole, especially regarding representations of crops no longer grown in the Valley.

{Click for a sample of Gardner photographs.)

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