Shirlie Montgomery Girl Photographer: Shirlie Montgomery Photography Exhibit -- Founder's Day 2003

Shirlie Alice Montgomery June 9, 1918 – November 5, 2012

Shirlie Alice Montgomery was born on Chapman Street in San Jose on June 9, 1918. She was an only child. To her friends and neighbors she was a treasure trove of history. Shirlie remembered it all. She remembered the Great Depression as a child, the Second World War as a young woman, and eventually the transformation of the Santa Clara Valley from a moderately sized agricultural town to the hustle and bustle of modern Silicon Valley. The majority of her memories were supported by the thousands of photographs in her collection.

She was the surviving grandniece of San Jose’s forefather T.S. Montgomery. Shirlie lived a colorful life but professionally she photographed it with a 4X5 Speed Graphic in B&W. She was a celebrated photographer that shot Hollywood stars, U.S. Presidents and pro wrestlers. Although Shirlie did work for the S. F. Examiner and the San Jose Mercury, her works remain some of the best representations of pro wrestling from the 40’s thru the 60’s. When asked about her penchant for shooting professional wrestlers she would answer “I always liked the big boys.” Such stories Shirlie had!

She will never be forgotten. God rest her soul. (Obituary by Joe Holt, neighbor and friend.)

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Shirlie Montgomery Photography Exhibit -- Founder's Day 2003

In celebration of Founders Day in November 2003, History San Jose, through the support of then Vice Mayor Pat Dando, mounted an exhibit in then Mayor Ron Gonzales’ offices at San Jose City Hall featuring the photographs of Shirlie Montgomery. The invitation said about Shirlie: Montgomery, one of photography’s pioneering women, captured on film a slice of San José life from the mid 1940's to the mid 1970's. The exhibit ran for a year, through November 2004, and was made possible through a donation to History San Jose by Leonard McKay and Ms. Montgomery.