The historians who visited Sheridan last spring from Cadiz, Ky., have announced the release of their newest publication. Mrs. Randolph, a small town portrait is a 282-page coffee table book from the desks of Kim Fortner and Paul Fourshee.
Mrs. Randolph was a photographer in Sheridan from 1914 to 1946. She began her photography career at the young age of 17 when her husband purchased the studio of Quarles and Keates (rhymes with gates) in downtown Cadiz, Ky., in 1893. She moved in 1914 to Sheridan and purchased Grace Bartlett’s Studio (the George Glass Studio) and continued her photography business until her death in 1946.
Ms. Fortner said, “Mamie Randolph is remarkable because she was a successful business woman in a man’s world.”
This attractive book includes a wonderful history of Mamie Randolph, and it is interesting just how much history the authors were able to discover. Actually, Fourshee and Fortner are old hands at digging up history as they have worked for years researching and writing history articles for an annual community historical reenactment. Many locals will remember Mamie’s son Jack and Bessie Randolph from the Hippodrome movie theater.
The majority of the book is a delightful photo album of two small towns. The book contains over 500 pictures many of which were contributed from several local collections. The original pictures were obviously not color photographs but by publishing the book in full color the authors have captured the wonderful essence of finding your grandmother’s picture box in the attic.
While the photos are not organized in any particular sequence, the book is divided into a Sheridan section and a Cadiz section and has a flowing sense of order. The pictures are pleasingly arranged with captions for each photo identifying the subject and the picture’s owner. Another asset, often overlooked, is a handy index.
If you wish to see the book, the Sheridan Public Library has a copy. The book can be purchased by contacting the authors at mrsrandolphbook@gmail.com. The authors have also created a website for those interested: mamierandolph.com.
Thank you so much for the wonderful article regarding our book. We enjoyed visiting Sheridan two different weekends last spring. Everyone was so gracious and welcoming and willing to help us in our research. Jim at the historical society and Steve at the public library were very helpful.
Paul Fourshee & Kim Fortner