Virginia Beach and Norfolk Historic Photos

Business has been focused on Virginia for 25 years, emphasis is now Historic Photographs of Hampton Roads cities.

Construction of New Cape Henry Light

Munden Point Norfolk Southern Mail Train 1918 

Surf Beach Club at the Cavalier, Sunday Tea Dance 1940

17th Street in 1946

Virginia Beach Safety Patrol Class

Virginia Beach Public Library 1911

Virginia Beach Boardwalk circa 1928

Locals with their Longboards

Oceanfront in 1915

Cavalier Hotel Aerial Photo Taken In 1972

Downtown Norfolk, Main St at Granby Street

Chesapeake Bay in Ocean View, Frozen in 1938

Ferris Wheel at Ocean View Amusement Park

Kidde Train, Ocean View Amusement Pk

A Very Busy Granby St near the Norva

The Granby Theatre, Now Showing: "Dangers of Marijuana"

We offer thousands of old photographs of the local area. If you frequent local restaurants and retail shops you've probably caught a glimpse of the collection. 

Local business owners have found the pictures, with a decidedly local flavor, illustrate the historic significance of Hampton Roads. The photographs have become so popular that I've turned the focus of my business Virginia Photo Art  to the historic images.

It's been thirteen years since I acquired a collection of aerial photographs taken between 1964 and 2004. Combining the aerial photos with the contemporary work I produce, makes for a selection of images that I am proud to offer to our clients.  Add these scenes of the area, captured by local photographers since 1901, truly round out the selection. 

The photographs I'll show you here are just a few of my favorite areas of the Beach, but keep in mind that there are so many photographs of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, that I could post a bog a day with a dozen images, and it would take twenty years to get them all up on the web. 

Want to see more? Go directly to the Virginia Beach Street Scenes page of my website...

or

Go to the Norfolk Street Scenes page

If you frequented the Waterside in the 1990's you'll remember the photography in my gallery on the second floor. We've moved twice since 1998, first to Hilltop in Virginia Beach and then in 2005 to the Lynnhaven Mall area.

We offer a variety of print sizes from 8" x 10" 's for collectors to 33" x 115" wide murals for display in hospitals, convention centers, auto dealerships, schools, businesses of all types, and of course private homes.  We produce art murals, printed on canvas, that have the look and feel of oil paintings. The canvas is coated, eliminating the need for glass which from a visual standpoint is a big advantage. No glare, lightweight panels are easy to install and easy to care for.

Need a special order for a particular space give us a call at (757) 425-3110 and we will be glad to meet with you at your location. 

Old Photographs of Virginia Beach That Will Delight You

Hundreds of old photos have been published depicting Virginia Beach in its early days, when it was Princess Anne County, part of Norfolk. Many are tucked away in libraries or private collections and are difficult to access. The purpose of this blog is to bring them to light, to public view to appreciate a bygone era.

Virginia Photo Art began as a small shop in Norfolk's Waterside and eventually became two large galleries, one inside Waterside and in 1997 a new location in Hilltop Shopping Center in Virginia Beach. Many readers will remember our photos from these galleries. As the internet grew and began to overwhelm small local owned businesses we transitioned into a production facility near Stihl Corporation in Virginia Beach.  In 2015 we made the decision to become an internet based business.

Since that time we have acquired many new photographs, both historic and contemporary imagery that showcase our beautiful city. One of my favorites is from the 1930's, featuring a rescue boat full of happy gals enjoying a summer afternoon.

BW-014 "Coast Guard Reserves" VirginiaPhotoArt.com

We've titled the picture "Coast Guard Reserves". The girls are standing in a rescue boat on the shoreline, saluting as they pose for the photographer. Several photographs were captured on this day. The expressions on the ladies faces as they prepare for the final take makes this particular one a bit more interesting!

Lower Norfolk County, now extinct, was incorporated into the city of Virginia Beach in 1963. A few years prior to becoming a City, construction began on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This 17 mile long span of three bridges and two tunnels would connect Virginia Beach and Norfolk with Virginia's Eastern Shore and points father north. This bridge brought new development to the City because of the easy access it provided from cities in the Northeast.

BW-049 Grand Opening Ceremony of the CBBT

At the Virginia Beach Oceanfront once stood the Old Steel Pier at First Street. This photo was taken in 1967 and brings back fond memories for Virginia Beach surfers.  The pier was dismantled in 1978 and since then lots of structures have been built on this pristine stretch of sand at Rudee Inlet.

These photographs represent a fraction of the archived photographs available on our website. Take a few minutes to browse, you'll probably fins one you love, just like I do!

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or are looking for a particular photo you have seen displayed around Virginia Beach, give me call, I probably have it in stock.
Tim J. Rudziensky
VirginiaPhotoArt.com
Photo (757) 425-3110

Jewel of the North End Transitions into New Era for Virginia Beach

The historic Cavalier Hotel on Atlantic Avenue will soon be transformed by local developers. The 100 acre site which has for almost a century been the crown jewel of the North End will be transformed into 83 individual home sites. The planned gated community will surround the hotel with tree lined streets and custom built homes. According to a news article published by the Virginian Pilot, the details of the homes, from cornices to roof tiles, will be strictly controlled by the developers.

The Cavalier Hotel has a rich history, sits on the high ground of Virginia Beach where it has survived many hurricanes, northeasters and tidal water since it's construction began in the 1920's.

The steel structure nearly complete in 1927

The hotel was designed and built to be one of Virginia's most luxurious hotels, and as such has an illustrious history. The original hotel has even been rumored to be haunted, although no proven evidence of that has been presented. Guests have called the front desk to complain that a cat was wondering the halls, although no cat was ever found. The owner of the Coors brewery plunged to his death from the sixth floor. Guests have said they've seen his apparition, fueling speculation of the haunted nature of the hotel. Haunted or not, for many reasons the Cavalier has attracted the rich and famous to Virginia Beach for nine decades. Hotel records show that seven U.S. Presidents have been guests, from Coolidge to Nixon. The exclusive location overlooking the oceanfront has brought thousand of tourists to the resort city.

1931 Cavalier Hotel Courtesy NPL-SMC

This early 1930's photo shows the hotel shortly after completion. In the foreground which faces the oceanfront were placed archery targets, a popular pastime for the day. The front lawn has hosted many events over the years and remains largely unchanged to this date. Currently there is a large banner, the width of the hotel, trumpeting the coming renovations and re-opening. A new era begins! Many Virginia Beach locals remember the hotel in it's glory days and are saddened by the changes that are coming. Development of the site funded partly by revenue of the citizens of Virginia Beach has been met with a great deal of discontent. Although the developer plans to restore the hotel, opinions vary on City Councils decision to use taxpayer dollars for the project.

There seems little doubt that the need for a private developer was required to restore the hotel to it's original glory. Questions will remain about the feasibility of the plan for the near future, as residents are taking a wait and see attitude, hoping for the best.

Horse Show at the Cavalier Hotel 1934

Perhaps the hotel will serve public functions and remain a popular destination as it was originally intended. One of the memorable events was a 1934 horse show on the front lawn.  This photo and several others in this blog post are part of the Sargeant Memorial room collection at the Norfolk Public Library and are featured on the VirginiaPhotoArt.com website.

Virginiaphotoart.com is my newest website and contains many photographs of the historic Cavalier hotel, from it's ground breaking to modern day color photographs. 

This 1972 aerial photograph is owned by Virginia Photo Art. It is one of several thousand photographs to which I purchased the copyright in 2005. You can read about the acquisition here.

1972 Aerial Photo Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club

More importantly, this aerial photo shows the location of the Cavalier Beach Club on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The Beach Club was very popular from the start, and remains a vital part of the history of Virginia Beach and the memories so many residents value.  The aerial photo was captured prior to construction of the New Cavalier Hotel.  

The Cavalier Beach Club was immensely popular with tourists and local residents. These photographs are displayed on my websites, and are also offered for sale at various art shows and other events. Residents are thrilled to see these photos and purchase them as keepsakes, for wall decor and gifts for friends and family members. The photograph of the afternoon tea dance is certainly among my most popular.

Afternoon Tea Dance at the Cavalier Beach Club

When studying the enlarged high resolution photo, some viewers have been able to identify their mother, father, aunt or uncle. This is also true of the photos of the models, seen poolside and at the swing. All of these photos can be purchased on my website. You will also find them in many local gift shops. Larger sizes, 16" x 20" and up can be ordered on the website. The details in the large prints are amazing!

Models Posing Near the Swimming Pool

To purchase or view these photos, visit the largest source for old photos of Virginia Beach and Norfolk

View or purchase hundreds of our photos on our new website: www.VirginiaPhotoArt.com

Virginia Photo Art    Phone (757) 425-3110

Mailing Address: 1340 N Great Neck Road #1272-358

Virginia Beach, VA 23454