Faces of 250: Our Community in Portraits and Words

This exhibit at the City of Moses Lake Museum & Art Center showcases a striking collection of studio portraits done at Hilderbrand’s Photography Studio from the 1950s to 70s, capturing the style, optimism, and evolving identity of mid-century America. Each photograph offers a window into the era’s fashion, hairstyles, and cultural values, while highlighting the artistry of studio photography during a time when formal portraits were both a personal keepsake and a social statement. The exhibit invites viewers to reflect on how people chose to present themselves—and how those choices echo across generations

The individuals in these photographs lived in Moses Lake during a time of remarkable growth and transformation. The town was bustling with new industries, expanding neighborhoods, and fresh opportunities. Each person featured here made their way to Hilderbrand’s studio to sit for a portrait, perhaps for a passport, to commemorate a special occasion, to capture their children’s early years, or to send a keepsake to someone far away. After their session, they might have grabbed a bite at Elmer’s Cafe or shopped in the aisles at Dietzen’s Thriftway before returning to their farms, homes, or offices to get on with the work of building a town. In these portraits, we glimpse a quiet, intimate moment—faces from the past meeting our gaze, inviting us to learn their stories and understand the world they once knew.