“She was first a theater and then a motion picture house. The joys and sorrows of the City of Manitowoc were reflected in her owlish windows.”

“They signed the contract one day. On the very next day the wrecking crews moved in and in no time at all an ancient landmark of the City of Elevators was reduced to rubble and dust.”

“We were not long strangers here. The prevalence of our German element and our language, the hearty reception from upright countrymen, allowed us to feel no longer strange, but calmer and more content. We had finally found a place for our fireside.”

It was a love of photography that led Hermann C. Benke (also spelled Behnke) to capture Manitowoc County and the surrounding communities unlike anyone else at the turn of the 20th century. Chances are if you’ve seen a photo from that time period, it’s probably a Benke photo postcard.