Historic Photographs of Round Top Featured at Courthouse Exhibit
The upcoming exhibition, “An Earlier Time - Images of Round Top, Texas, an exhibition of the Photography of Friederike Recknagel,” will run from June 13-July 13 in the Round Top Courthouse from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily. The exhibition is co-curated by Rox Ann Johnson and Sally Reynolds. The exhibition is supported by the Town of Round Top and is underwritten by the Faith P. & Charles L. Bybee Foundation. The town will be hosting a reception on June 16 from 4-6 p.m.
Friederike Recknagel was born not far from Round Top on the Nassau Farm on Feb. 29, 1860. She was the first of two daughters and three sons born to Theodor Wilhelm and Hedwig Groos Michaelis, both of whom who had immigrated to the United States from Germany. She was educated at home and at the small school in the Nassau Farm community. On June 1, 1886 she married Edward Recknagel and on Aug. 29, 1887, she gave birth to their daughter, Louise.
It appears there are no records of her early interest and training in the art of photography. Gustav Froelich, a former Mayor of Round Top and a photographer, must have held several conversations with Recknagel regarding their shared interest in photography. Unfortunately, there is no record of the type of camera she used. Recknagel used glass negatives which were ultimately collected by Faith Bybee. Later these negatives were donated to the Round Top Area Historical Society, Inc. which had the images transferred into a digital format. These digital images have been reproduced for this exhibition.
Friederike Recknagel was a talented woman of focus and determination. Generally, she creatively directed and composed her subject matter, precisely placing those she photographed as if creating a still life painting. In addition to capturing the people of Round Top in her photographs, she documented the buildings of the town, special events and seasonal changes.
The photography of Friederike Recknagel serves as an authentic and visual record of the early days of Round Top. Those who are familiar with her work are informed and enriched by her images of this small town at the turn of the century and those who called this place home. As we embrace the imagery of the photography of Friederike Recknagel, we find ourselves transported to an earlier time.