The Cline Photographs of Henderson

The photographs and postcards bearing the “Cline Photo” name preserve detailed views of Henderson’s streets, businesses, churches, and public buildings. This page brings these images together in one collection, with additional photographs added as they are found.

The W. M. Cline Company was established in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1938 by Walter Matson Cline Jr. He learned photography from his father, Walter Matson Cline Sr., and the company published postcards using photographs taken by both men. Their work documented communities and attractions across much of the country.

The Henderson images include views of First Street, Main Street, and Second Street, along with the post office, First Presbyterian Church, and a large columned residence. Storefront signs, parked automobiles, awnings, utility lines, and architectural details provide clues about the city’s appearance when the photographs were taken.

In the First Street scene, Grasty’s Drugs is prominently visible. The Main Street and Second Street photographs record rows of downtown businesses and buildings. Other views offer a closer look at individual landmarks, including the post office’s arched windows and the stonework and steeple of First Presbyterian Church.

Several photographs carry identifying numbers, including “3-B-40” and “3-B-45.” These belong to Cline’s catalog system and should not be mistaken for dates. Surviving negative envelopes used matching numbers to identify images and record postcard orders.

The larger Cline collection nearly suffered substantial losses through deteriorating negatives. Following Cline Jr.’s death in 1984, decades of poor storage damaged much of the archive. His daughters, Cathy Cline and Haley Cline Morgan, later helped preserve surviving material and make it accessible through donations and preservation efforts documented by ChattanoogaHistory.com.

This collection will continue to grow as more Henderson examples are located. If you have a Cline photograph or postcard, or information about a scene shown here, please contact HistoricHenderson. Scans of postcard backs are also welcome, since messages, postmarks, and publisher information can help document these views.

Originally sold as souvenirs, these photographs now provide a valuable record of Henderson’s past.