Cy’s Photo Album
In some respects the most fascinating element of the Walter family’s collection is that of the photographs retained. Whether taken for formal purposes, as in record album, press or publicity photos, or as snapshots of Cy and his friends, the photos tell his life story in ways that words never could.
Only a portion, or representative sampling, of the photos that we have are presented here. More will be added as time permits, for many of the most fascinating have yet to be scanned and loaded on to this website. For example, Cam has compiled in a scrapbook an amazing collection of photos taken during the fifties at Dottie Franck’s Tap Room, a popular hangout of the day for many of Cy’s and Cam’s friends. Of course, many of those persons were celebrities in their own right, but what makes this collection so special is the utterly candid nature of the photos taken: grainy black‑and‑white Polaroids taken spontaneously of whomever happened to be there at the moment. We hope to add these soon.
We have also tried to loosely categorize the photos included here by subject matter, and to identify the people/places as practicable. It would not surprise us if many of you viewing these will have memories, insights, or stories that may be relevant to these photos. Please do not hesitate to share them with us, so that perhaps they may also be included here for others to enjoy as well.
Minneapolis
Photos of Cy’s parents, along with some from his childhood, plus a few from a return trip in the ’50s.
Portraits
Portraits and photos of Cy Walter.
The Drake Room
Photos of the club where Cy Walter held court for over 20 years.
Friends
Photos of some of the Walters’ friends, with emphasis on shots from the 1972 South Carolina Educational Network special “An Evening with Mabel Mercer, Bobby Short and Friends”.
Cam
Photos pertaining to CamWalter, Cy’s wife, and their children.
On The Air
Cy was on television and radio very often. Here are a few photos that document some of his appearances.
On The Town
Out and about in the New York nightlife, from the 40’s to the sixties.