In Caldwell: Take a Trip Back in Time with Upcoming Photo Display

Starting this weekend, Caldwell residents, history buffs and photography lovers will have a unique opportunity to go back in time 125 years into the town’s past.

The Caldwell Merchants Association will be hosting “History on the Avenue: The First Outdoor Historical Photo Exhibit in Caldwell,” from Saturday, April 25 to Sunday, May 10.

The public art display will be composed of 72 photos from the past 125 years, which will be on display in Bloomfield Avenue store windows. A self-guided tour brochure will be available at shops along the avenue beginning on April 25.

According to a release, the historical photos – which were taken from the 1890’s through 2000 - show the evolution of the Caldwell business district. Included in the exhibit are photos of large beautiful homes and hotels that reflect an era when Caldwell as known as the “Denver of the East” because of its clean country air and water. The collection also includes photos after the Big Fire of 1897, Memorial Day parades in the early years of the 20th century, and the trolley that ran east to Newark until 1952.

Photo and research assistance was provided by John J. Collins, Richard Gibbs, Ryan Dorchak, Bunny Jenkins, Estate of Eugene Straub, Sam Kent, Tom Gartland, David Cowell, Beverly Crifasi, Janet and Bob Markman, Donna Filkin and the Historical Society of West Caldwell.

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