These fascinating photos capture people posing on the rooftop of the D.B. Loveman & Company department store in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1894. Taken during a time when the store was one of the city’s largest and most important retailers, the images show employees and others gathered informally against the backdrop of the late-19th-century urban skyline.
With their formal attire and relaxed yet posed expressions, the subjects offer a rare and intimate glimpse into everyday life and workplace culture of the era. These rare rooftop portraits preserve a unique moment in Chattanooga’s history more than 130 years ago.
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