Posted on: Niagara Co. NY Queries Board URL: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/genbbs.cgi/USA/NY/Niagara?read=153 Surname: MENTZ, CRANDALL ------------------------- Dear Ann, I don’t know too much about the photographer W. J. Hart, but a well-placed phone call this evening confirmed that he was one of the old photographers in Niagara Falls and many, many people went to his studio to have their pictures taken. As with many of the photographers of the day in Niagara Falls, the individuals were frequently posed against a backdrop of a picture or painting of the Falls. The History Dept. of the Niagara Falls Library has many of those pictures taken by a number of photographers of the era. I have a 1958 Niagara Falls City Directory and by that year 1805 Main Street had long been the address of the Wellesley Dress Shop that was owned by Polly King (the local artist). It was just a few doors from the old Bellevue Movie Theater. Interestingly, in the same directory it shows that the Mentz Apartments were still there on the corner of Fourth and Jefferson and what you may find of particular interest is that in the 1958 directory there’s a listing of William M. Crandall and his wife Marie. Although it isn’t spelled out clearly, it appears that they were managers of the Mentz Apartments and lived at 328 Jefferson Ave., Apt. 1. I hope this helps you in the research of your family history. Vee Housman, Youngstown, NY