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George Edward Hall
produced about 1,000 photos of life in the Missouri Ozarks
from 1906 to about 1921-22. In 1906, when Hall was 22 years old, he moved
with his parents and four younger siblings from Illinois to a small log
cabin in Mutton Hollow, west of Branson, Missouri. Hall started taking
pictures immediately, but from the numbers on the cards listed below it
appears he didn't start selling them until after Harold Bell Wright's novel, The Shepherd of the
Hills, was published in 1907. Or at least he didn't start numbering them
until after the novel appeared. The Hall family named their cabin "The Jim
Lane Cabin," after the father of Sammy Lane in Wright's novel, and began selling picture postcards of it to tourists eager
to buy souvenirs from the area. In fact, Hall produced, and his mother
sold, a series of Shepherd of the Hills cards. Almost all are numbered,
and marked "Hall Photo Co."
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A.
George Hall and Vallie Sharp Wedding, 1910. (Not a postcard)
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B. George Hall's Cab Service, c.1916. (Not a postcard)
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C. George Hall in 1906 Automobile. [This card is a real photo postcard,
but may not be of or by Hall. This photo postcard was
from the personal collection of the early 20th century Branson tour guide,
Pearl Spurlock, and has no identification attached to it. But George Hall
collectors/researchers say it is obviously Hall. I believe they are
correct.] |
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D. George Hall sitting in car. The sign on the wall probably says, "James
River Repair." Courtesy Dennis Ragan (Dragan collection). While there is
no identification on the front or back of the card, except for the words
"Photo by George E. Hall, Dennis Ragan says "This came from a lady in
Branson area whose grandfather had a drugstore and carried Hall's
postcards. They were good friends with George Hall and she told me that he
ran a cab after he quit the photography business, and that this is him in
his cab." |
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In 1908, George Hall left his parents' cabin but continued to produce picture
postcards in the county. In 1910 he married Vallie Sharp, and the two of
them moved back in with his parents and siblings. They soon bought a
nearby farm of their own at Notch, next door to "Uncle Ike." In 1915,
their only child, Lillian, was born. In 1916 they moved to Galena,
Missouri, and in 1921 or 1922 they moved back to Illinois, where George
discontinued his photography business.
Most, if not all, of Hall's photos were
produced as Real Photo postcards. This means the postcards are as useful for
reproduction as any other black and white or Sepia-tone photos. (*Photos
below that are marked with an asterisk, are not postcards, though
all the same photos were probably
also printed on cards. Photos in bold type are
also on the page of George Hall photos related
to Harold Bell Wright on this website.)
If you have a Hall Photo not on this list, we would be grateful if you
would send a scan of the card to me at
this email address (click here). Perhaps someday we can complete the list.
Information in red is from Trenton
Boyd, serious Hall postcard collector from Columbia, Missouri.
Click to Enlarge
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1* Jim Lane's Cabin.
(Shepherd of
the Hills published Sept., 1907) (Not a postcard.) |
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2* Dewey Bald Mt. & Bolder Bald from Slick Rock
Mt. (Not a postcard.) |
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3. Sammys Lookout Rock |
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3b. Old Matt & Aunt Molly.
The card pictured here is one of several cards in a postcard folder,
courtesy of Dave Hadsell. It may match the following information
from Trenton Boyd. Clearly there is a Real Photo card from which
this ink on paper reproduction was made. [Compare with 7b, below] 3(b). Old Matt &
Aunt Mollie; This is a reproduction of the Hall card by L. L. Cook
Co. of Milwaukee and is # C-183 in their series.
Has the added caption of “Shepherd of the Hills”, MO.
Dated 3/8/42 |
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4 [a]. Pete in the Cave.
courtesy Larry Allen. Postmarked
Peoria IL 3/9/19 |
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4 [b]. The Signal Tree On Dewey
Bald |
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5
[a]* The Old Trail.
(Not a postcard.) |
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5 [b]. "Old Matt." gc |
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5 [c]. W.E. Sharp's Coon Dogs |
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5 [d]. The Mill Dam, Yocum Ark. |
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6. An Old Barn Build In 1854, Yocum Ark. |
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7 [a]* Fall Creek Mill. (Not
a postcard, but identical to card #334.) |
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7 [b]* Old Matt & Aunt
Mollie.
(Not a postcard.) |
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7(b). Aunt
Mollie |
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7 [c]. Aunt Mollie. gc
Second photo courtesy Larry Allen 7[c] |
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7 [d]. Jim Lane Cabin |
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8 [a]. Dewey Bald Mountain. |
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8 [b].Yocum Ark. |
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8(c). Dewey Bald Mountain.
Same image as 8a except “Near Branson Mo” has been added to
caption, Pub. By M.S. Porter Holden Mo has been added; #8 and Hall
Photo Co. has been deleted and #51126 inserted |
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9. Old Matt's Cabin,
courtesy
Larry Allen |
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9(b). Old Mat’s
Cabin Near
Branson Mo. Same as card #9 except
"Near Branson, MO" has been added to caption, Pub. By M. S. Porter
Holden Mo has been added; Hall Photo Co. has been deleted and
#5117 inserted. Photo courtesy Dave
Hadsell |
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9(c). Old Mat’s
Cabin (cabin has concrete porch steps; enclosed back porch;
rocking chair on left side of front porch |
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10. The Mail Carrier. Pictured
on the left is a postcard, courtesy of Dave Hadsell. On the right is
the same photo, but not as a postcard. On that photo, the #10 is
plainly visible. The number seems to have
been scratched off the negative of the card on the left. |
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10 [b]. The Old Trail |
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10(c). The Old Trail
Hall Photo Co. “Near
Branson Mo” has been added to caption; Pub. By M. S. Porter
Holden Mo has been added.; #10
Hall Photo Co. has been deleted and #5118 has been inserted |
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11. Young Matt Fishing in Fall Creek.
Courtesy Larry
Allen. |
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11 [b]. The Mail Carrier |
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12. Dewey Bald Mt. from Old
Matt’s Place or Dewey Bald Mt. &
Mutton Hollow |
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14. Mining on Dewey Bald Mt. -- Jim Lane's
Cabin in Distance. Courtesy Rick Gunter. [On
the reverse of this card someone has hand-written, "This is Will and
Mr. Hall our neighbor prospecting on Dewey Bald. Will Moody and Mr.
Hall." I suppose "Mr. Hall" could refer to either George or his
father. When magnified, both men in this photo appear to me to be
older than George.]
Reverse |
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15. The Old Fire Place in Jim
Lane's Cabin |
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16. The Old Trail |
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17. Sammy
Lane & Her Friend Mandy Ford. It seems likely these are
George Hall's two sisters. Courtesy Dave Hadsell |
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18. Mutton Hollow |
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19. The Old Trail On Dewey Bald Mountain |
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20.White River Dam (See below for a special collection
of White River Dam cards numbered 1-14 (or 19?) |
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21. White River Dam |
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22. White River Dam |
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22. Dewey Bald Mt. &
Bolder Bald from Slick Rock Mt. |
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23. White River Dam |
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24. White River Dam |
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025. White River Dam, Courtesy Larry Allen
(Built 1911-1913, created
Lake Taneycomo) |
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26. White River Dam |
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28. White River Dam |
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29. White River Dam |
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30. White River Dam |
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31. White River Dam (Postmarked
8/13//14) |
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32. White River Dam |
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33. White River Dam |
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34. White River Dam |
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35. White River Dam, Courtesy Larry Allen |
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36. White River Dam |
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37. White River Dam |
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38. White River Dam |
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#??. White River Dam
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no #. White River Dam |
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00a.White River Dam, Courtesy Larry Allen |
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44. (Tressel Under Construction) |
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45. (Tressel Under Construction) |
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