Originally published on CBC.ca. Images found by SavedTheSpot.

Two women from Chicago are on a mission to solve the mystery of photos printed in Regina back in the 1940s that somehow found their way to a goodwill store in their city — and they’re hoping they can find the family in the long-forgotten photos

Maria Ochoa and Kimberly Dosamantes run an Instagram page called Saved the Spot, where they post pictures of bookmarks and other items found in thrift shops.

“Sometimes we just go to thrift shops and we look for old bookmarks,” to post on the page, said Dosamantes.

“I just like finding things that people left behind,” she added.

One day in a Chicago goodwill store, Ochoa said she was doing her usual book browsing for hidden gems to share on the page. Instead, she found something “even better.”

“I ended up finding this pack of pictures in the book,” said Ochoa.

There were several family pictures with a stamp on the back of the photos indicating the photos had been printed at TruLife Photo Co., located at 11th Avenue and Cornwall Street in Regina.

“We just decided to post them. Kim wanted to search to find the family [and see] if we can send these pictures to them, because we know they’re probably valuable to them,” said Ochoa.

’40s-style clothing

Ochoa had discovered nearly a dozen photos.

Dana Turgeon, Regina’s historical information and preservation supervisor, said that most of the dozen photos appear to be from the 1940s. She says the clothing worn in the photos is very emblematic of that era.

“The woman in her wedding dress — it’s a very ’40s style of wedding dress,” said Turgeon.

Turgeon also said it seems like the woman in the photos is wearing outfits she would have had in her trousseau — a collection of clothing and linens a woman would keep for her marriage, a common custom in that era.

Turgeon hypothesizes that some of the photos depict the woman on the day after her wedding, heading out in her travelling clothes.

“She has a nice suit jacket on, a skirt and a shirt. It fits with that timeframe,” said Turgeon.

Regina locations

The photos were printed by TruLife Photo Co. in Regina, which was located at 2136 11th Ave., near the entrance to the Bay in the Cornwall Centre today.

TruLife was also listed as the photographer for the 1948 city council photo, said Turgeon.

In one photo, a man and woman are walking across a street, and a shop can be seen in the background with an awning that seems to read “Jolly’s Drugs.” There was a Jolly’s Drugs located at 1799 Rose St. back at that time.

There is also a picture where a man stands in front of a shop that seems to be called Cafe Cadillac, but it remains a mystery where that shop was located.

Turgeon said there doesn’t seem to be a café with that name in Regina from the same time period, but there is a town in Saskatchewan called Cadillac, approximately 240 kilometres away from Regina.

Suddenly on March 8, 2017, and as a result of a tragic fire, the Travellers Building passed at the age of 88.  She had been neglected for some time and in poor health.  Designed by architects Storey and Van Egmond in 1929 she played an important role in the commercial development of the city of Regina.  The original developer was George Broder, a local businessman, who is best known as the developer of one of the early neighbourhoods, Broder’s Annex, on his farmland east of Winnipeg Street.  

The main floor initially housed A.B.M. Motors Ltd (car dealership and repair) as well as some smaller businesses such as “Ed’s Lunch”.  The upper floor was occupied by short-term sales offices and space for traveling salesman – where the building gets its name.   Other tenants over the years included Group Medical Services (1949-1964) and use as the city bus terminal (1936-49), but the building’s greatest call to fame was perhaps the second floor Arcadia Ballroom where a 1920’s style horsehair dance floor kept Regina’s population dancing during the difficult depression years and until the end of the War (1929-45).  This leaves Danceland in Watrous, built in 1928 and Rock Church, an 80+ year old former Ukrainian Hall in Saskatoon as the only other original horsehair dance floors in Saskatchewan.   

The Travellers Building was designated as a Municipal Heritage Building in 2001.

She leaves to mourn a heart-broken heritage community and citizens of Regina who ask the questions: “Was this demolition by neglect?” and “What can the community do to make sure that other vacant heritage buildings are re-purposed and do not suffer the same fate?”  Cremation has taken place.  In lieu of flowers and in memory of the Travellers Building please consider attending a Heritage Regina walking tour to learn more about  the history of our city or talk to your city councilor and advocate for preservation of Regina’s Cultural and Built Heritage. www.heritageregina.ca