© Shealah Craighead / The White House
Last week, protests and riots occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin after a police officer shot African-American man Jacob Blake. During the riots, Rode’s Camera Shop was burned to the ground. The shop was around for 109 years, but it was destroyed overnight.
The rode family first opened the store in 1911, selling camera gear and processing film photos in the lab. In 2012, Paul Willette and Tom Gram took over the business from the Rode family, and Gram had been an employee there for 41 years before he became the owner. What started as his summer job ended up to be his way of life, and eventually even his own business.
Speaking with Kenosha News, Gram said:
“Literally every day someone would say to us ‘I’m so glad you guys are here.’ Because we had our own lab, there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do. We’d always figure it out.”
The co-owner of Rode’s Camera Shop, Paul Willette, said that it was just a building, but people’s memories were inside. “That’s what is killing me,” he added.
“A woman had just come in Monday and brought in a photo of her grandparents in elementary school, wanting it to be restored. I left it on my desk. Now it’s all gone. Our customers lost family memories.”
Although the company still sold cameras, Willette said that this part of the business had shrunk. The technology is changing over time, and there are “big players” taking over gear sales. However, what set Rode’s apart was that it had a lab and “could control the process from start to finish,” as Willette notes. Another thing they were known for was photo restorations and transferring old family movies to digital formats. “We could do photo developing within hours,” Willette told Kenosha News, “and if there was any problem, we could quickly fix it.”
As a part of his tour of Kenosha this Tuesday, President Donald Trump visited the burned-down camera store. PetaPixel notes that this put the store in the center of a controversy, questioning its role in Trump’s tour.
© Shealah Craighead / The White House
© Shealah Craighead / The White House
© Shealah Craighead / The White House
© Shealah Craighead / The White House
Both Gram and Willette declined to show up to meet with Trump, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and TMJ. So, the president brought in former owner John Rode III who said: “I just appreciate President Trump coming today; everybody here does.”
PetaPixel notes that Rode still owns the property, but he isn’t the store’s owner any longer. The media and the public are accusing Trump of being deceptive because he introduced Rode as the store’s owner and referring to the store as his.
The actual owners of the Rode’s Camera Shop say that they will file an insurance claim and try to deal with all the paperwork as soon as possible. However, they say that the photo lab is unlikely to relocate. “It would have to be a perfect space for us to reopen,” Willette told Kenosha News. “It’s not simple to set up a photo lab; there are a lot of steps, and it takes a lot of work.”
[via PetaPixel]
Your house may be next, blm is bullshit.
Adrian J Nyaoi if you’re black your life is next, the police are bullshit
Same reason the oldest independent bookstore in the country burned months ago, an inability for people to disengage emotion and deal with a fact based universe. Self reliance is out, declaring yourself a victim is in no matter how the statistics disprove it
Robert Hicks I’m pretty sure the 7 bullets in Jacob Blake’s back made him the victim.
Justin Barr no winners in this situation. :(
Justin Barr Well then you are most likely wrong unless you consider the woman he was accused of raping calling 911 and the cops attempting to restrain him by both physical means and a taser when he continued to fight and climb into a vehicle with children with a weapon.
Justin Barr Oh and four bullets, I mean you can’t even get that right
Robert Hicks Jesus Christ whatever. 4 or 7 doesn’t matter he’s still paralyzed. And the cop fired 7 times. Does it make you feel better that you’re finding any excuse you can to justify a cop shooting a black man? Nothing he was doing justified being shot. But keep telling yourself the cop was good and the black man was bad.
Justin Barr Bullshit again Justin you really want an armed criminal getting into a car with kids? I mean after you ignore the multiple attempts at other methods to subdue him, does it make you feel better you’re defending a rapist who was in the process of attacking children? If he had gotten into the car you’d be ready to crucify the police for any dander to the children
Blm is just an excuse for robbing and devastation.
Davide Valenti all lives matter is just an excuse to discount black people and make whites feel superior.
Davide Valenti not entirely. The people who do this are just thugs anyway. All BLM do not do this. Educate yourself.
Davide Valenti It’s amazing how you could break all that down from Italy!!!
Alex Ortiz, what’s more amazing is that you couldn’t break all that down from NY ?
Johnny Martyr Been living here long enough to know the history of the players and how the city works. Work on your ignorance and you will understand. This is nothing new.
Alex Ortiz, what am I or Davide ignorant of, exactly?
What’s funny is out of 10k interactions with the police four whites lose their lives and out of the same 10k the death toll is three blacks, surprisingly enough yet again actual math destroys the ignorant talking points
Johnny Martyr of the history that has led to all this violence. You just showed up to try to use my post against me. Third grade bully stuff. Go play with traffic
Alex Ortiz, you’ve clearly proven whatever your point was.
Robert Hicks, yeah, that’s hysterical!
Johnny Martyr Of course I did: you are ignorant of the facts. That was proven by your first post! It just took you a while to realize it!
Alex Ortiz, hello! You denounced the opinion of someone who apparently currently lives in Italy for having a differing, though common, opinion of what happened in Kenosha, but you yourself are also not apparently living in Kenosha.
Get over yourself. You have stated zero facts. You’re just trolling with baseless insults. Which does nothing for whatever case that you THINK you’re making.
Robert Hicks yeah your numbers are way off.
Davide Valenti you’re a sad excuse for a human if that’s what you think.
Where’s your empathy for their lives being cut short? Where’s your sympathy for people being oppressed by a system that was designed to shortchange them in every aspect? Where’s your goddamn soul????
Davide Valenti well if that is true then the police are an excuse for white supremacy and fascism
Alex Ortiz that is a nothing statement from you with zero solutions
They probably covered the windows with plywood before the store was looted. This is a blatant racism.
Вергунов Сергей it doesn’t matter what its covered with that’s theft. They should be shot on site
Bob Teeden True
The same reason the British Tea was thrown overboard! It’s all in the history of USA!!!!
No actually the tea party was based on actual facts and the revolutionaries offered to reimburse for the tea
Robert Hicks
A fun history lesson. Takes you though the history of cops. Enlighten yourself please.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-slavery-mass-murder-63913529/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-how-the-first-64414794/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-the-history-of-65331090/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-how-the-police-65501443/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-how-police-unions-65862640/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/behind-the-police-how-the-police-66048223/
Mikeal Lyew Oooo, an episode about the Pinkertons. I really thought they they were awesome until I started to hear the true story.
Alex Ortiz there is a little more than that he touched how the Pinkerton family played a part. He has a 2 parter on them if you are so inclined to listen.
Alex Ortiz Nyah it’s called actual first order sources but you wouldn’t know anything about that
Look facts!!! https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party#:~:text=Benjamin%20Franklin%20insisted%20the%20British,during%20the%20Boston%20Tea%20Party.
Alex Ortiz So man enough to admit your ignorance or going to run and hide?
Robert Hicks “Revolutionaries offered you reimbursed” you said. The post says that Ben Franklin suggested you reimburse. Two different things. You are quoting the History channel that lives to talk about the evils of the Nazis and the love of the Christians, but fails at every moment to show all the crimes and murders committed in the name of Jesus. You need more sources than that!!!
Alex Ortiz How many sources do you want? I just used the one that didn’t require much reading since you’re so bad at it. Wait all the crimes in the name of Jesus so now we’re dragging the renaissance into it? Your fellow collectivists murdered more people in a single century than the pre-Colombian population of the Americas
Alex Ortiz We all know you’re not going to take a single historical source as valid but keep up with the same russian propaganda the left has been spouting for a century, it’s not all your fault as your ignorance has been bought and paid for but wake up and smell the mass graves
Robert Hicks Wait, Jesus existes during the Renaissance? If I remember my history correctly Columbus brought Jesus to the New World in 1492. According to his diaries. Catholicism Was spread across the whole of the land by the conquistadors and they raped, murdered and pillage in the name of Spain and Jesus. The remnants of the Spanish empire is still here; and that’s why Spanish is spoken across north and South America, before the English uprising against their crown. Greed and disease brought by Europeans killed the natives. While you accuse me of using Russian propaganda from a century ago, I am actually using historical data from over 600 years. You have nothing on me son; sit down!
Alex Ortiz Wait wait are you calling the conquistadors that were a monarchy capitalist again? I mean man did you miss every history class?
Alex Ortiz And again you overlook the Marxists killing more than the pre columbian population of both north and south america. Not to mention do you really want to call the Aztecs chopping up people as noble victims?
Alex Ortiz Oh and Jr when was the renaissance? What time period or did you sleep through that part of history as well?
did they at least loot it first? asking for a friend… (thats complete sarcasm by the way)
The photography story here is the fake photo op created for Trump to exploit the situation. He’s been fueling the division since before he was elected, and now he’s lining it up to blame successor for the failures on his watch.
Ah yes the lovely Marxist if you would just capitulate why there would be peace in our time
Robert, whut? Business owner doesn’t want photo op with Trump so they have to go find a former owner to make up the numbers. Million dollar advertising campaign saying “This is what a country under Biden would look like” illustrated with footage of the country under Trump.
We’ve got our own bullshit this side of the Atlantic, but the US is taking the concept of “laughing stock nation” to a whole new league.
George Salt Hate to break it to you but a million dollar ad buy in a presidential race is about as minuscule as your knowledge of history. The left can stop the violence insantly by stopping the violence, I mean this is the “well if they didn’t have nice stuff I wouldn’t have robbed them so it’s their fault really” defense
George Salt yeah Trump started the division, remember Ferguson? When innocent Michael Brown was murdered by a cop? Or when Trump placed Children in cages back in 2014? Oh wait…
George Salt Obama built the cages dumb ass, and if you don’t think they were full when he was in office, you’re a complete moron! Maybe stick to your side of the pond if you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!
Let’s bet it was looted first!
Break-ins, Looting, Mayhem. Support our cause! ??♂️
Dave Schrader Outside White terrorists doing the real damage to help the biggest criminal f all, the Orange Sludge.
Dave Schrader ….Police shooting unarmed black people, but support the police!
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kenosha-camera-shop-owners-trump-photo-op_n_5f4fce27c5b604981ca3f506
You mean they didn’t want to get targeted for death by an angry mob? What surprising news considering people get death threats for daring to be in the same room without descending into hysteria
Robert Hicks There is no mob killing people, there’s single white supremists illegally crossing state lines with weapons shooting unarmed protesters! Stay focused.
Miguel Bermejo Kyle is traveling across state lines with a weapon he is not allowed to carry in that state. Kyle broke the law, but that’s a fact you can ignore. His mother drove him across state lines with a weapon he is not allowed to posses there, she broke the law. They don’t have any property in that state, they just went there to kill! They broke the law. He is not the police, he is a criminal that thinks that Trump granted him the power to police others! Sorry, he broke the law.
Miguel Bermejo I remember when the original Doom had a independent addition that turned the monsters into Black people and was passed around by White Nationalists groups. Now you belong to the same hate monger group.
so now I am racist? ? typical leftist retard you are
Miguel Bermejo You support a white racist killing people who stand for equality; so yes, you are a racist but haven’t even begun to realize you are a puppet! Pendejo, despierta.
oh no I am latino so I am supposed to be a part of the democrat plantation, you are the puppet papi, not me. Those Douchebags did not stand for equality. The videos are there and Kyle clearly acted on self defense. Besides wasn’t one of them a pedophile? Splattered his brains out like every other pedo should have their brains…in the pavement
Miguel Bermejo Can’t come up with a coherent statement, so you post a cute meme. Dumbass
Alex Ortiz it was fun man, have a blast with 4 more years of freedom after November
Miguel Bermejo Kyle should not be there with a weapon!!!! You don’t seem to get that! His mommy drove him across state lines. That’s a crime. Do not pasa go, do not collect $200! Stop right there! He should not have been there. He went there with mommie to pick a fight! You have your head so far up your ass you can’t even see this. Keep eating your own shit.
Alex
Miguel Bermejo
Alex Ortiz Alex not to kink shame but your humiliation fetish is getting out of hand. Kyle was allowed to carry a firearm, kyle traveled less distance than the rapist he shot, Kyle is on video attempting to disengage when the brave brave aunti fae gave chase making them the aggressor. I’m not sure where this idiocy about state lines comes into it. There are zero laws doing what you claim
Alex Ortiz You know the footage shows ol leftie had a pistol even after Kyle shot him. If he’d been there to hunt your fellow terrorists burning things down in the name of being bad at statistics there would have been a lot more dead. If one teenager with a single magazine takes out three terrorists how many would dozens of people sick of watching cities burn ?
Alex Ortiz oh man, the left can’t meme homie
Miguel Bermejo I never said to defund the police. I believe that’s actually bad for our neighborhoods; but keep assuming shit because Trump told you.
nah man Trump doesn’t tell me shit, you leftist are the ones listening and following all the fake news from CNN, MSNBC, retarded Don Limón and Fox news too
Robert Hicks you can’t reason with these retards man, I just troll the living shit out of them for fun
Miguel Bermejo Reason? Don’t use words you don’t understand!!!
Alex Ortiz
Miguel Bermejo You back after mommie changed your diaper?
and of course…maybe it was a scam, the former owners wanted out and so “let it burn”??? You want to play wacko left?
You can blame Trump, but those protests are not his responsibility. This is a governators problem and local police. If you don’t understand that, don’t speak!!! BLM is nothing besides hooligans .
“Now we have to travel further for the latest camera.” ?
Jeff Tunison Speech is not rioting, see you’re using the whole wife beater argument of “look what you made me do” Just the summer the left has done tens of millions of dollars in damage and destroyed businesses owned by minorities in the name of being bad at math
Jeff, that is what BLM/Antifa is advocating correct, you tow the mob line or you’re a natzi, nuance is dead just like the 4th estate.
Funniest thing is the white trust fund BLM/Antifa kids, saying that looting/destroying minority owned businesses is reparations. Also funny is that they think 100% of their damages are covered by insurance, when in fact most insurance policies specifically exclude damages from civil unrest so damage coverage is closer to 0%.
Disappointed to see politics here. :(
Well, it is life or death nowadays. At least this forum is open. That is something you don’t find very much.
As far as life or death?
That is no joke. Vote in the wrong party and that finishes off America. We have already lost the 1A. The 2A is on the chopping block next. Constitution is viewed as a Nazi document by many. And on and on.
NPR had a piece a while back that 25% of TX kids had illegals as parents. Mexico can already control the vote in CA. But none of this sinks into the young people. They love it!
Well, time will tell how it all turns out. Armor piercing .308 is going for $10 to $13 for each cartridge. That should say something to those in the know.
S.D. Butcher glass plate 1886…amazing how they survived back then…huh.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bfe14d4f93d2b9cebfb779c14f52638f194b0df14fc57ca2a3aa30e69e47114f.jpg
The destroyers are not the protestors
You don’t see the protester’s stopping them do you? Remember their fav saying…silence is violence.
Why any store, why should a camera store be any different
Jeff Tunison you are part of the problem.
“The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” – William S. Burroughs
If black lives really mattered, the “protestors” would burn down abortion clinics in the inner city.
Marxist anarchists…..
Michael Gara you mean Fascist police state
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness. shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and. Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This comment thread turned into a shit show in record time!
I hope they have a photo record of the store through the years. If so, put it up at the Internet Archive. (Please don’t put up low res crap, unless that is the only choice.)
Or send me a disc and I’d be glad to do it. Just Google my name to contact.
Camera stores are so rare nowadays. No one bothered to document them in their heyday. I’ve been into photography from 1969. I never thought about documenting them until the last decade, then it was too late. One day you wake up and boom they are gone.
Guys or gals, if you have any photos of the camera stores, get them documented.
Found Chrome: Film in fridge
Photographer: Unknown
Camera store: Unknown
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fd189110edb22e3ad8d41e4202fbee6dfd675c9251da8566c199ee4e4add3139.jpg
Terrible how things have turned out in America. No more 1A, you toe the party line or get killed or burned down. I’ve seen some buildings with the sign of the beast in the window and they still got torched or damaged.