Welcome to the R. G. Potter Collection

Collection : R. G. Potter (1901-1987) collection
Date/Extent : ca. 1880-1970, ca. 13,700 photographs
Description : Richard Gilbert Potter was a salesman and sometime photographer who collected local history photographs from the period 1880 to 1930. Potter then copied and he peddled the images for use as decoration in many Louisville businesses, hotels, and restaurants. In addition to thousands of photographs made or collected by Potter, the collection also contains large-format black and white negatives made by the Walter Fischer Studio (active from 1927 to 1945) which Potter purchased in 1945 and operated until 1950. The photographs document Louisville street scenes, historic buildings, Louisville mayors, the Potter family, Louisville celebrities, sporting events, including horse racing at Churchill Downs, and local professional and amateur baseball. In addition over two hundred 7x20 negatives in the unusual banquet camera format are included in the collection.
Repository : Photographic Archives