Photo of Novelty Furniture Co. E. 11th Ave., Manufacturers, low brick building with double doors open onto small wooden platform, windows spaced regularly across front and down side, stamped in oval on back: H. Lee Waters/ Studio/ Lexington N.C.
Metadata provided by Davidson County Historical Museum.
Herbert Lee Waters (1902-1997) was a dedicated photographer who operated the H. Lee Waters Studio in Lexington, NC, for over half a century. He purchased the studio at 118 ½ S. Main St. from J. J. Hitchcock in February 1926. Waters specialized in studio and commercial photography, capturing a wide range of subjects, including city scenes, local businesses, churches, community events, and everyday life. His work highlighted the lives of everyday people across different races and classes, with notable content that includes photos of WWII draftees and African American communities. He is also recognized for producing over 200 short films titled "Movies of Local People," which documented life in more than 100 towns across North Carolina and neighboring states from 1936 to 1942. After the birth of his daughter Mary, Waters returned to Lexington, focusing on still photography for the remainder of his career and creating a remarkable visual narrative of his time.
Davidson County Historical Museum | 2 S Main Street Lexington, NC 27292 | dch.museum@davidsoncountync.gov | (336) 242-2035 | https://www.davidsoncountyhistoricalmuseum.com/
Digital Collection
Images of North Carolina
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Archival Content: this is a digital surrogate of an item that was created before April 26, 2027. It is presented here for research, reference or recordkeeping. For help accessing this material, please visit https://www.digitalnc.org/about/policies/accessibility/
