Masonic Building Collapse Photographs

The August 12, 1949 collapse of the Masonic Building at Third and Commerce Streets in downtown Clarksville was a nationally reported event, in part due to photographs captured by local photographer L. J. Dancey. Dancey owned a photography studio that was located nearby and was able to capture dramatic photographs of the building in mid-collapse. It is possible that some of the photographs in this collection were taken by Dancey, but that is unconfirmed. You can see how the destruction of the building progressed, with some shots clearly taken while debris was falling. One of the Dancey's photographs received national attention when it was featured in an August issue of Time. One person, Ralph Richards, was killed in the collapse.