In honor of Arizona’s approaching 100th birthday, the Tempe History Museum is displaying a photo exhibit titled “Statehood Centennial” to chronicle the cultural development of the East Valley.
With about 60 archival photographs, the exhibit focuses on Tempe and East Valley history, dating from the late 1800s to the present, curator Dick George said.
“The photo exhibit is not focused by decade-to-decade events, but rather the local examples of national trends evident in Tempe,” George said. “These photos focus on the ordinary people that began to take up photography in the late 1880s.”
The exhibit highlights ASU, technological advances, Hispanic influence, influential and everyday people, said Josh Roffler, curator of collections at the Tempe History Museum.
“The pictures tell the story,” he said. “It’s really interesting to see these photos and note how far we’ve developed over the past century.”
Photos in the exhibit highlight Mill Avenue, which was a Hispanic barrio in the late 1800s. The old neighborhood was named after San Pablo, which is also the name of a freshman dormitory on campus, George said.
The historic San Pablo neighborhood was nestled at the base of what is now Hayden Butte, more commonly known as “A” Mountain, north of East University Drive.
The neighborhood was home to Hispanic settlers from 1870 to the mid 1900s.
“Dick’s exhibit includes photos of the people living in the barrio and their culture,” Roffler said. “People get to view into a neighborhood that no longer exists.”
Exhibit coordinator Dan Miller said the Tempe Historical Museum encourages people to see the photos as enthusiasm builds to commemorate the state centennial.
The Tempe History Museum is located on the southeast corner of Southern Avenue and Rural Road. The exhibit will be on display all year, with a break in mid-February through early March.
“Old photographs have a special charm,” George said. “Photographs are the closest thing we have to a time machine.”
Reach the reporter at gqolson@asu.edu
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