Blair Photo Postcard, 3rd Street, Claremore, Oklahoma, facing west. Corner of 3rd Street (Will Rogers Boulevard) and Cherokee Avenue. Postmarked 1928. Photo Source: Postcard, private collection, used with permission.
J.R. Blair, Claremore Photographer – PART I
Photographer John R. Blair from Iola, Kansas, arrived in Claremore, Oklahoma, in the fall of 1915. An alumnus of the Southern College of Photography, taking pictures was his passion. Already having sixteen years’ experience in the industry, Blair was enthusiastic about establishing a profitable state-of-the-art photography business in Claremore. He rented the old courtrooms over the Haas dry goods store for his studio,[1] then headed to Kansas City, Missouri, intending to purchase “in that city a complete equipment for a first class photography studio.”[2]
His October 1915 newspaper ads stated, “A Modern Portrait Studio, … 3rd and Cherokee….J.R. Blair.”[3] “The new Studio will be open for business Monday, Oct. 18th. Our apparatus has been slow in arriving, but we hope to have all in working order by the above date. Electrical Equipment throughout makes us independent of ‘Old Sol’ and, at the same time, will enable us to complete your order on time, with uniform results. Our Get-Acquainted Offer Until December 1st we will give with each order amounting to $5.00, a large 11×14 Sepia Enlargement. We will enlarge from any negative we make on this offer. Enlargement from photos or other negatives will be charged for at regular rates. Amateurs, Bring Us Your Films. We will make pictures from them – any size you wish. We will also develop and finish for you in the regular way. Remember the place – Rooms 9 to 14 O’Brien building, over the Liggett- Reed grocery, opposite Haas’. Yours for Better Photos, J.R. Blair.”[4] The O’Brian building must have been temporary accommodations for by February 1916 the Blair Studio was finally settled on the second floor of the Columbia building over the Hass’ Store where the business resided until it was moved to the Bridwell Building in the spring of 1921.
By February 1916, J.R. Blair was well established in the photography business and in the Claremore community. For entertainment, he became a substitute in the Thursday Evening Pitch Club, a card-playing club in which four handed pitch (a card game) was played.[5] That June, “J.R. Blair and W.H. Lucas were joint hosts to the members of the Thursday Evening Pitch Club at the Blair Studio, in the Columbia building, over Hass’ Store… The evening was most pleasantly whiled away with cards, after which the entire assemblage adjourned to Ault’s Drug Store where refreshments were served…The occasion was pronounced by all to have been most enjoyable.”[6]
And by March 1916, Mr. Blair was an active members of the Claremore Commercial Club (a group of business people, somewhat like a Chamber of Commerce) who suggested at one of the club’s meetings they should consider a “get-together… creating more harmony by the club occasionally giving a banquet and inviting outsiders to participate and help make it be a successful social as well as business function.”[7] That May, H. Tom Brown and J.R. Blair were called upon to help the Entertainment Committee promote a banquet for the Commercial Club’s regular meeting encouraging all members of the club to attend.
“Commercial Club Banquet – Thursday night, May 4th, at eight o’clock, in the basement of the First Baptist Church, the Commercial Club will serve a banquet to its members and any friends they may invite. At this banquet President Glasgow will name the ten new directors to be elected, making the total number of directors twenty-four, instead of fourteen as hereto for. Tickets to the banquet can be had by phoning to J.R. Blair, phone number 596, Brown’s Meat Market phone 521, and J. Herbert Moore, phone 75 (undertaker) – the committee having this banquet in charge. The banquet will be served by the members of the Y.W.B.M. (Young Women’s Baptist Mission).”[8]
When J.R. Blair came to settle in Claremore and establish a photo studio, he fell in love with and married “one of Claremore’s beautiful and talented young ladies.” [9] A year and a half after moving to Claremore, John and Alice (Allie) Blair were married May 23, 1917.[10] At that time, Mr. and Mrs. John Blair lived in rooms in the Columbia building where Mr. Blair’s studio was located.[11]
About that time, during World War I, John Blair became a 1st Lieutenant in the Home Guard, which was organized under the act of June 14, 1917.[12] Since those young men of draft age enlisted in the federal army and left the vicinity to go to war, the Home Guard was mustered into service locally “to protect property, put down internal strife and do police duty where such is needed.”[13]
Two beautiful little twin girls were born to the Blairs February 27, 1918.[14] On March 1st, the Claremore Messenger announced the births as follows.
“Blair Likes Claremore and Has Decided to Stay. Some three years ago J.R. Blair came to Claremore looking for a photo studio location. Claremore appealed to him and he cast his lot. Later he married one of Claremore’s beautiful and talented young ladies. What we started in to say was that two beautiful little girls (sisters) arrived this week and will make their future home with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Blair. Mother and babes are doing nicely. Dr. A.M. Arnold was the attending physician.”[15]
But a shadow of darkness fell upon the Blair household. J.R. Blair went home one day for lunch and found his dear wife Alice, mother of their twin girls, dead on the floor of their home. The Claremore Progress reports the sad story.
“Mrs. John R. Blair Ends Life at Her Home Here – Three Bullets From Small Caliber Automatic Colts Take Effect Near Heart – Husband Finds Body at Noon – Went Home to Lunch and Found Wife Dead on Bedroom Floor – A Mother of Twins. Alice Blair, 25 years old, wife of John Blair, photographer, and mother of twin baby girls born February 27, 1918, committed suicide shortly prior to noon Wednesday at her home on the corner of Sixth and Chickasaw, by shooting herself three times with a 25-20 Colt’s automatic revolver, of a caliber just a little larger than a 22 and shooting a steel bullet. All of the bullets took effect, one just over the heart, which was fatal no doubt, another 1 1/2 inches to the left of the first wound and the other 1 inch further to the left, this one entering the body and coming out, embedding itself in her left arm just below the shoulder. A fourth bullet was found to have broken the plate-glass mirror of the dressing table in the bedroom where the body was found by Mr. Blair when he went home to lunch. When Blair entered the house he did not at first see his wife. Then on the bedroom floor lying on her back, he saw her. Thinking she had fainted he lifted the form and placed it on the bed. Blood led to the discovery of the wounds. Her hands were cold and he instantly recognized that she was dead and had been when he entered the house. The distracted man raised the alarm by phone and neighbors and friends soon were summoned to the house. The tragedy was shocking but nevertheless a fact. The mother of the two little baby girls, who had been placed in the front room in their little bed by the hand they will never know again, was dead. The spirit that had fought so valiantly only a short time ago that two little babes might be born had flown from a world filled with sorrow and happiness, tears and laughter, blessings and reverses. Investigation revealed the little automatic revolver on the dresser with four chambers discharged. Two empty cartridges were found in the front room and the other two in the bedroom. The theory is that Mrs. Blair sent the first two shots into her body, neither being fatal, while in the front room and that she then went before the mirror of the dresser in the bedroom to correct her aim by the aid of the glass. It is while standing before the mirror that she is believed to have sent the bullet above the heart home. The fourth is thought to have been fired while falling backwards, the bullet going under her arm and into the mirror of the dresser. The revolver must have been tossed to the dresser. It was some distance from the mirror. There was a bloody hand print on the dresser scarf. Mr. Blair, when questioned, said he was perfectly willing that a coroner’s investigation be held if the relatives and friends thought it advisable. However, after an investigation of the premises and the body, by officers, relatives and friends, it was thought the same unnecessary. It seemed to be a clear case of suicide. The dressing gown worn by Mrs. Blair was powder burned and the flesh about the wound over the heart was also powder burned and blackened, indicating that the revolver had been held point- blank when discharged. Failing health, following the birth of the twins, and a depressed mental condition, are thought to have been responsible for the deed. No note was left explaining the act. For some time Mr. and Mrs. Blair had been without help at the house and had been having a difficult time. They were assisted by Mr. Blair’s sister, Mrs. Maude Bunson, of Ft. Smith, Ark., until a short time ago when she went home, believing all to be well with the Blair family. Mr. and Mrs. Blair were married May 23, 1917. She was a sister of Mrs. Earl Briggs, of this city and also has a brother residing in Kansas. The relatives of both were notified, expected here as soon as possible. The tragedy cast a veil of sorrow over Claremore. It is the saddest occurrence having happened here in many a day. The two little ones will be cared for by loving friends until such a time as plans may be made for their permanent care. The body was turned over to the J. Herbert Moore Undertaking Company to be prepared for burial.”[16]
Funeral Services were held at the Christian Church, Claremore, and last respects were paid to the memory of Mrs. John R. Blair that Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock by her many relatives and friends. The church was filled. “Elder Wm. S. Hamilton spoke the words of consolation and good-bye. Internment was made in Woodlawn cemetery.”[17]
John Blair posted in the Claremore Progress, “Words are inadequate to express my deep gratitude and appreciation of the loving deeds and words of sympathy extended to myself and babies by innumerable friends. I am sure you understand. J.R. Blair and Babies.”[18]
Blair’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Blair, of Ft. Smith, Ark., moved to Claremore to “make their future home with their son, John R. Blair, and help him care for the little twin daughters so suddenly bereft of their mother.”[19] Mr. Blair’s desire was to provide a home for his daughters and keep the twins together with him.
The empathy of the city remained with the family. That September, the Blair twins, Alice Vera and Estella Lera, were entered in and won the “prettiest pair of twins,” award at the Pretty Baby Contest at the county fair that year. J.W. Bishop awarded each of the girls a ring as their prize.[20]
Click here to continue reading J.R. BLAIR, CLAREMORE PHOTOGRAPHER – PART II
by Christ Rice, History Explorer
[1] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 30, 1915, Newspaper, September 30, 1915; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181570/ : accessed May 17, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[2] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 30, 1915, Newspaper, September 30, 1915; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181570/ : accessed May 17, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[3] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 7, 1915, Newspaper, October 7, 1915; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181571/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[4] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 14, 1915, Newspaper, October 14, 1915; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181572/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[5] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 53, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 3, 1916, Newspaper, February 3, 1916; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181587/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[6] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 1, 1916, Newspaper, June 1, 1916; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181604/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[7] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 9, 1916, Newspaper, March 9, 1916; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181592/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[8] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress. And Rogers County Democrat (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 1916, Newspaper, May 4, 1916; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181600/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[9] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1917, Newspaper, September 13, 1917; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc182388/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[10] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 21, 1918, Newspaper, March 21, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc182657/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[11] Kates, W. C., editor. The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 21, 1917, Newspaper, June 21, 1917; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc181994/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[12] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 6, 1917, Newspaper, December 6, 1917; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc183168/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[13] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 6, 1917, Newspaper, September 6, 1917; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc183312/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[14] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 21, 1918, Newspaper, March 21, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc182657/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[15] Sanders, J. J., editor. Claremore Messenger (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, March 1, 1918, Newspaper, March 1, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc178784/ : accessed May 17, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[16] Kates, W. C., editor. Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 21, 1918, Newspaper, March 21, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc182657/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[17] Kates, W. C., editor. The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 28, 1918, Newspaper, March 28, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc183489/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Allie Blair (Alice), Birth July 12, 1893, Death March 20, 1918, Burial Woodlawn Cemetery, Claremore, Rogers County, Oklahoma. Plot: CP1-A.-L11-1W. Memorial ID 59804923. “ALLIE, DIED MAR. 20, 1918 AGE 25 YRS. 8 MO. 8 DAYS. She was all a wife should be. WIFE OF J.R. BLAIR – BLAIR.
Abby Normal. “Allie Blair,” Accessed: January 19, 2018. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Blair&GSiman=1&GScid=99839&GRid=59804923&
[18] Kates, W. C., editor. The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 28, 1918, Newspaper, March 28, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc183489/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[19] Kates, W. C., editor. The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 10, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 28, 1918, Newspaper, March 28, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc183489/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
[20] Kates, W. C., editor. The Claremore Progress (Claremore, Okla.), Vol. 26, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 26, 1918, Newspaper, September 26, 1918; (http://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc182169/ : accessed May 19, 2017), Oklahoma Historical Society, The Gateway to Oklahoma History, http://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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