Fred Lynch retired in 2018 after capturing images for the Southeast Missourian since 1975, in that time moving from black-and-white to color, from film to digital and to video. The blog title is a nod to an earlier era of news photography and the 4x5 Speed Graphic: It's more important to be there for the shot than to worry about technical details.

Batjer sundial

Posted Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at 7:30 AM

These women standing at the Batjer sundial in Common Pleas Courthouse Park in Cape Girardeau are unidentified. G.D. Fronabarger took the picture and the date is unknown.

The memorial is inscribed:

"In memory of W.F.D. Batjer and in grateful recognition of his faithful service and happy inspiring leadership, the people of Cape Girardeau dedicate this sundial May 22, 1938."

Mr. Batjer came to southeast Missouri as director of the Southeast Missouri Agricultural Bureau, and later was farm director and then secretary of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Southeast Missourian, April 2, 1938:

Batjer Sun Dial Memorial Plans Made

A granite base on which the W.F.D. Batjer memorial sun dial will be placed, is to be set on a concrete foundation that has been built in front of the Public Library in Courthouse Park Saturday or Monday, Clinton Kimball, committee chairman, said today.

The shaft of Missouri red granite will be 28 inches high, and will be securely cemented on the base, with the dial to be placed there before May 22, when it is planned to have the dedication service. A fund to provide the memorial has been subscribed by Girardeans and others who were friends of Mr. Batjer, for a number of years secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. The Cape Girardeau Memorial Works is to build the dial shaft.

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I photographed Bill East and Russell Doughty, Central High School Class of 1966 Outstanding Seniors, at the sundial.

It was a nicely composed vertical photo. When it ran in the yearbook, it was cropped into a square.

You can see why here (and with several other instances of Why Photos Don't Run).

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/people/why-pictures-dont-run/

Warning: mildly offensive content.

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Wed, Apr 21, 2010, at 7:42 AM
Those were the days when my Grandmother would say no proper lady would be seen in public without hat, hose, and gloves. Looks about like 1939-40 to me.

-- Posted by voyager on Wed, Apr 21, 2010, at 10:54 AM
If you like to look at hats, you should head up to Altenburg to look at the exhibit of hats worn by Perry County women over the years.

http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/vintage-hats-of-perry-county/

It's worth the drive.

-- Posted by ksteinhoff on Wed, Apr 21, 2010, at 11:27 AM
I like the purse one of the dolls is carrying...

-- Posted by bobby62914 on Wed, Apr 21, 2010, at 1:49 PM
For all of you giggling about the ladies and there hats, you should understand that almost all the ladies wore headcoverings almost all the time in the 1950s and before.

Just looking at the ladies' hats on Easter Sunday mornings was ritual which I now miss. I wish those who set the styles for women would "Bring Back The Hats"!

-- Posted by mo_ky_fellow on Sat, Apr 24, 2010, at 7:55 AM
I agree, it's probably before the war. After the war started, the government put a limit on how much material could be used for clothes and shoes.

-- Posted by redpen on Mon, Apr 26, 2010, at 9:03 AM

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