Panoramic View of the Entrance to the State Fair of Texas — 1908
by Paula Bosse
“Texas State Fair, Main Entrance” by Clogenson, 1908 (click for larger image)
by Paula Bosse
Today is opening day of the State Fair of Texas. Always an anticipated annual event, this is what the crowded entrance to Fair Park looked like over a century ago — still pretty recognizable, especially the firehouse at the top left. Below is a detail of the first third or so of this amazing panoramic photo. For a gigantic image of the top photo, click here (and then keep clicking until it’s gotten as big as it’s going to get — and don’t forget to use that horizontal scroll bar!).
Below is the detail I’ve cropped from the larger photo, showing the Parry Avenue portion, with the still-standing firehouse at the top left.
Have fun at the fair, y’all!
Detail showing Parry Avenue, looking north (click for larger image)
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Sources & Notes
Original image titled “Texas State Fair, Main Entrance” by Clogenson, 1908, from the Library of Congress. Photo and details can be viewed at the LOC website here.
In case you missed the link above — and because it’s so fantastic and filled with such incredible detail — you really must see the really big image of that really big panoramic photo, HERE.
For other Flashback Dallas posts on the State Fair of Texas, click here.
For Flashback Dallas posts on the Texas Centennial, click here.
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Copyright © 2014 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
It’s interesting that most of the people in the photograph are leaving the grounds. (No lines at the ticket booths, but lines to board the trolleys.) It’s still daylight; it doesn’t appear to be closing time. Wonder why…
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It looks like there are people both coming and going. If you look at the utility pole to the left of the center of the photo you’ll see several men walking toward the entrance.
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By looking at the long shadows, it was probably late afternoon. Could the Fair have closed before it got dark?
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I looked into it, Rita, and the fair was open until 10:30 PM in 1908.
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[…] Today, for instance is the first day of the 2015 State Fair of Texas. Last year I posted a very, very cool panoramic photograph (taken by the always dependable Henry Clogenson) showing the crowded entrance to the 1908 fair. To read the post and to view a very large image of the above photo, check out last year’s very popular post here. […]
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[…] recently reposted the wonderful 1908 panoramic photo of a crowd-filled entrance to Fair Park (seen here), I thought I’d look to see what kinds of attractions that particular fair had to […]
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