History
The Artist and the Businessman
Radford's other - and probably more prolific - photographer was W. W. Darnell. His life is not as well-documented but some of his pictures and old newspapers give us some clues. Darnell came to Radford in the 1880s or early 90s - a boom time. He was the photographer of the "West End" even though he most likely had studios in both parts of Radford. Unlike the eccentric Mangum, W. W. Darnell seems to have approached photography with a more business-like attitude. Many lucrative studio portraits bear his name, often in printed form, so that it is not clear if he or an associate took the picture.
W. W. Darnell showing off his sweet ride.
Darnell was gifted with a healthy entrepreneurial spirit, a character trait that was conducive to these heady times. According to old newspaper ads, he was at various times a local agent for "Yost Writing Machine" typewriters and "Victor Bicycles". The latter is particularly interesting, because it is this obsession with bicycles that provides us with some pictures of the man himself.
In the 1890s, a bicycle craze swept the nation. The invention of the "safety bicycle" - basically the bike as we know it today - made the sport of cycling more popular to both men and women. "Wheelman" clubs sprang up all around the country, one of them here in Radford, "the Radford Wheelman". President of the club: W. W. Darnell. In a photo here at Glencoe, you can see him posing with his club members in front of Delp Hotel in the West End.
Biking was "en vogue" and the energetic self-made man used them for trips around the area. Ever the savvy businessman, he also knew how to promote them - or use them to his advantage. One of the many images of him riding a bike was sent to Mrs. A. D. Stevens of Radford, VA, with this cryptic note on the back: "Now what do you think of this? If you can guess what it is, you can have it. W.W.D."
