A stunning improvement to an historic Kerrville photograph

Over the years hundreds (if not thousands) of historic photographs of Kerrville have come into our offices at the print shop.  One I found particularly interesting -- a shot of the 800 block of Water Street, taken around 1900.

Click on either image to enlarge

800 Block of Water Street, Kerrville, looking toward Earl Garrett Street from
Washington Street, around 1900.

I included the image above in my first book because it showed both the Weston Building (where Francisco's Restaurant is today), and the Schreiner Building.  The streets were still dirt, and I believed it really told an interesting story of part of our community.
Imagine my surprise when the photograph below came across my desk this week:

800 Block of Water Street, Kerrville, looking toward Earl Garrett from
Washington Street, around 1900.  This is the exact same photograph.

They're both the same photograph.  However, the one I published in my book is a copy of the original, or perhaps even a copy of a copy.  It is not very detailed and rather poor quality in comparison.

But at the time of my first book's publication, the photograph above was the best available.  No one knew of the existence of the second, more original photograph.

In the second, better photograph, you can see pedestrians, some folks on a porch, the sign for a shoe- and bootmaker, and fine details on the buildings.

I was very happy to receive the second, better photograph.  I hope you enjoy exploring the two photographs.  I'm particularly thankful to the friends who loaned me the better photograph so I could add it to my files.