09/24/2026
“The Way We Were,” .... and Preserved Forever By A Man Named Carl !
Without the passion and the love for our community by a man named Carl Thomas Ackerman, much of our local history would just be a distant memory, but thanks to him, we can grasp upon some of the best visual validation of our once colorful past!
Born on June 30th, 1917 in Portsmouth, Carl Ackerman grew up in Portsmouth and at a young age answered the call to serve his country during WW II.
As a Technician Fourth Grade and rifleman for the 83rd Infantry Division, he participated in the Normandy Invasion in 1944 where he was captured and became a POW.
It was his return home where he channeled his experiences by helping other vets as he became a founding member of the Scioto River Valley Chapter of Prisoners of War and maintaining active membership in the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.
His passion for history began in 1948 when he acquired four old postcards depicting Portsmouth street scenes. Realizing that rapid urban development, fires, floods, and other general neglect were quickly erasing the cities heritage; Carl made a valuable decision.
At that point he made it his life’s mission to safeguard our memory through his pictures.
In 1952 using his own camera, he was known to climb onto city rooftops, high overlooks, and the Esplanade to capture birds -eye views of various streetscapes of Portsmouth’s daily life.
While doing so, Carl also operated a photography studio and famously displayed his findings at the Washington House on 2nd Street.
Never shy about his search for the past, he would often go door-to-door asking local residents for historical photographs, maps, early advertisements, or anything on print that had to do with the foundation of our City.
His photos and collections reached into the thousands before his passing on April 22,
1997 at the age of 79. Carl was laid to rest at Memorial Burial Park in Wheelersburg.
It was he and his wife Dorothy’s wishes that their vast treasure trove of local antiquity be donated to The Southern Ohio Museum and the Scioto County Library.
Today, the famous “ Carl Ackerman Collection” stands alone as one man’s mission to insure that future generations can always look back through his eye and peer through the rearview mirror of time.