Fresno Famous

I am excited to tell you about the Pop Laval Gallery & Store located at the River View Shopping Center on the northeast corner of Friant and Fort Washington. For those of you who have never heard of Claude “Pop” Laval he is the legendary local photographer to Fresno between the early 1900’s into the 1960’s, who captured a remarkable pictorial of Fresno City and Fresno County’s history. His records are the most extensive ever produced by a single man and it couldn’t have been at a better time.

I spoke with Jackie who volunteers on Wednesdays and she was so helpful and provided a wealth of information. The Pop Laval Gallery opened in November of 2007. Their hours are Monday-Thursday from 11 am to 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 8 pm, and Sundays 11 am to 4 pm.

They have many historical pictures of Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley displayed as well books you could purchase. The pictures on the wall change from time to time and there are still more yet to be restored. Pop Laval did an amazing job of recording our community’s history. So, if you are even a little bit interested in our city’s history or curious about what it would be like to travel back in time, you should definitely check out the Pop Laval Gallery, it is fascinating!

For more information on Pop Laval visit: http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1980/6/1980_6_60.sh...

And soon to come….
http://www.poplavalfoundation.org