Family Roots | San Antonio Family Photographer

When I say photography is in my blood, I mean it quite literally.

Ernst W. Raba, an early San Antonio photographer, was my great-great-grandfather. He photographed early San Antonio, many of the city's notable visitors (like Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders and William H. Taft, below) as well as Fiesta Royalty, and local families.

From the San Antonio Conservation Society website: "Ernst Raba was born in 1874 in Friedland, Bohemia, where he trained as an apprentice photographer. At the age of 17, Raba came to San Antonio in 1891. Before the turn of the century, he opened his own studio and established himself as a portrait photographer of some merit. He not only collected photographs of his subjects, but also of the city that he loved, focusing on its unique buildings, plazas and streetscapes. Many of the photographs predate his arrival and were evidently photographed by him and converted to glass negatives, which allows for reproductions with exceptional clarity and contrast." The SACC now owns the majority of his remaining photos and slide with a few still "in the family".

I'm proud to have such a strong connection to the city, and the art, that I so love. 


Have a great weekend!