Flashlight Scene at Camp Yocum, James River, Galena, Mo.
Real Photo postcard. #626 Hall Photo Co.
(Note – by ‘flashlight,’ Hall means he used a flash bulb)
George Hall was among the most talented producers of real photo postcards in American history. His images are not only well composed and well exposed but beautifully developed and printed. Where he acquired his technical proficiency, we don’t know. He was just a natural as far as understanding lighting and how to frame landscapes, architecture and – as in this shot – people. Since there’s a gun in the scene, we’re guessing they may have been out frogging. This was probably taken in the early 1920s.
Tom Yocum ran a fishing camp a couple of miles above Galena on the James River in the early 1900s. He was a renowned float trip guide. Clear into the 1950s, Yocum guided for Jim Owen. He was in a LIFE magazine feature in the 1940s.
Our next book, James Fork of the White: Transformation of an Ozark Watershed, has taken us down some intriguing research paths. One whole chapter is devoted to the legendary Galena-to-Branson float, a highly successful commercial endeavor of the early decades of the 1900s. You can see sample pages of the book at our website: http://www.beautifulozarks.com
Got a copy of “James Fork of the White” for xmas last year (2023) and it is a treasure. As a kid I spent every summer at Camp Yocum on the James. I got pretty sick of it at the time, but I still regularly dream about going back. I now live in northern Minnesota, where there is no shortage of beautiful country to explore. The last time I was down at the James a lot of things were awfully modern looking, which in a way breaks my heart.
We agree development doesn’t improve the appeal of our rivers but the James has retained much of its charm in spite of the growth of population along its banks. We’re glad you like our book.