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Clairz or anyone know of the studio or the man ? Are any of his photographs displayed anywhere. His studio was on north side of west 7th fifty years ago and he was a fireman at Cannon fire dept. Bobby
I checked with the local newspaper editor who put me in touch with Don McAlavy, Curry County's unofficial historian. Don is retired and lives down in Florida now. Here is what he has told me so far.
Al Sass was a good friend of mine. He died Nov. 30, 1993 in Clovis. The
High Plains Historical Society [which] I started in 1972 has a lot of photos
stored in the Clovis-Carver Public Library, in what some of the librarians
call "Don's Room" which is always locked... There must be 20 to
25 boxes of photos and one box should have Al Sass's photos. The photos
are priceless.
Don has given me a letter to show to the head librarian, giving me permission to view the photos and to make copies. Are there any in particular that you are interested in?
I feel so honored to be a part of this search. I would love to check out the photographs, write an article on my blog, and post copies of pictures there (with permission).
Clairz I worked with Al Sass at Cannon Fire Dept. in 58-59, I was an amateur photographer at the time and enjoyed conversations with him about photography. He impressed me with his calmness and gentle attitude about everything. I saw some of his work back then but was wondering if it had been put on display somewhere. Hope to be able to see it someday when I can return to Clovis. Bobby
Clairz I worked with Al Sass at Cannon Fire Dept. in 58-59, I was an amateur photographer at the time and enjoyed conversations with him about photography. He impressed me with his calmness and gentle attitude about everything. I saw some of his work back then but was wondering if it had been put on display somewhere. Hope to be able to see it someday when I can return to Clovis. Bobby
Bobby, I'm just back from visiting with the head librarian at the Clovis Carver Public Library. She is very willing to allow me to spend as much time as I want looking at the Al Sass photos that are stored there. She told me that there have been displays of his photos at the Clovis Community College.
Now you have me interested! I am working on permission to get some digital copies of the photos so that I can put some online to share with you and others. We'll see if that works out.
I checked with the local newspaper editor who put me in touch with Don McAlavy, Curry County's unofficial historian. Don is retired and lives down in Florida now. Here is what he has told me so far.
Clairz,
Your reply here reminded me that I have a copy of Don McAlavy's history of Currry County called "Curry County, New Mexico". Unfortunately, I am at my west Texas home and the book is in my book case at Albuquerque. This may be the reason the All Sass name seemed familiar to me. If you get over to the library, this is one book you should check out. Good luck.
Bobby, I've got all my permissions lined up and am ready to spend some time down at the Clovis Library going through old photos and taking some digital shots of them that I can share the pictures online via my blog and possibly as an album on City-Data.
My latest communication from the "Curry County Historian," Don McAlavy, indicates that the man's name is Al Sasser, rather than Sass. Don just published a column in the Clovis News Journal titled "Retiree Gives Picturesque Look of Past". He must have been inspired by your questions that I was passing on. He says in the column:
Quote:
An exhibition of 123 vintage photographs taken by retired Clovis business man Duffy Sasser drew a large number of visitors to the Eula Mae Edwards Memorial Museum and Gallery in 1997.
...“A Photographic Journey Down Memory Lane” was the way CNJ writer Gary Mitchell described Sasser’s exhibition of black and white photographs of the Clovis area taken in the 1930s and 1940s.
He tells me that Duffy Sasser is Al Sasser's nephew.
So, any requests? Are there particular photos you want me to digitize? My sister has offered to come along and help me go through the collection, so it should be lots of fun!
Someone was asking about names and slogans for a photo business and it reminded me of Al so I did a search and found your post. Al's friends used to say, "If you want to see great photos look up Al Sass".
Sass and Sasser are two different people. I knew Al Sass and have photos of him. I'll bet you can find out more about Al from the Masonic Lodge in Clovis 763-3612. He was a good man.
Just speculating here, Duffy Sasser owned Duffy's Camera on Prince St. in downtown Clovis. It looks like the shop is gone now.
Check with local Clovis photographers Nathan McCreary and Bob Morgan for info, both knowledgeable guys.
Actually it was, "For the picture of your life, look up Al Sass".
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History of Curry County by Don McAlavy
