Our February Treasure of the Month features three 1920s motion picture cameras owned by George Roy Clough, one of the lesser-known mayors of Galveston with a brief but colorful career.
“A Wizard of the Wireless”
George Roy Clough was born in Galveston in 1890. His father, George D. Clough, was a telegraph operator, and from an early age, Clough shared his father’s interest in electronics. He made local headlines in 1907 for attaching a wireless instrument to a kite, allowing him to contact a wireless station in New Orleans. This earned him the nickname “wizard of the wireless.”
Clough also had an interest in film and photography. He built a camera from scratch using cigar boxes and old projector parts. On July 21, 1909, he and future movie director King Vidor filmed portions of the 1909 hurricane, which destroyed many of Galveston’s beachfront structures. The film clip was later shown as a newsreel in Texas movie theaters.
Radio Host
After earning a degree in electronics from a Washington, DC school, Clough returned to Galveston, where he began working for the city maintaining the police radio and fire alarm systems. He also started his own radio station from his living room. First known as KFLX, Clough later changed the name to KLUF to sound more like his last name. The station featured music from local dance bands, school choirs, and orchestras, but also served as a political platform for Clough. He was one of the first radio hosts to have listeners call in and debate political topics with him on air. The show was popular enough that Clough expanded to a studio in the Marine Building on the corner of 21st and Mechanic Streets.
A Second Career
In 1955, at age 64, Clough decided to run for mayor of Galveston. He had several motivations, beginning with the fact that the year prior, he was discharged from his various city jobs by Police Commissioner Walter Johnston. Clough also accused the current Mayor, Herbert Y. Cartwright Jr., of overcharging for water and mislaying $18,000 in city funds. Finally, he had strong opinions on how Cartwright and Johnston were handling the issues of gambling and prostitution in Galveston.
For decades, Galveston ignored state anti-gambling and anti-prostitution laws because both played a major role in the island’s tourism industry. Cartwright and Johnston were both in favor of Galveston maintaining its status quo; however, in 1953, a local Citizens Committee formed by several religious groups successfully petitioned to shut down Galveston’s red-light district on Post Office Street. Despite these efforts, prostitution was not erased from Galveston, only relocated to downtown hotels. Raids on brothels and gambling establishments continued, though many began to pay off Johnston to turn a blind eye to their activities.
Though Clough agreed with Cartwright and Johnston that Galveston should remain “open,” he disliked how corrupt city government had become, and he felt that the closing of the red-light district made other areas of the city unsafe for young people. Clough argued that the red-light district should be reopened and regulated, with strict prohibitions on related vices like narcotics and underage drinking. Clough was extremely vocal about his platform, giving interviews to several newspapers and magazines. Though his ideas were polarizing, many Galvestonians agreed with Clough, and he was elected to replace Cartwright by a margin of 757 votes.
However, once in office, Clough found things more difficult than he anticipated. Johnston refused to reopen the red-light district, and in 1957, Texas Attorney General Will Wilson formed a plan to completely eradicate gambling and prostitution from Galveston. Wilson led the Texas Rangers on targeted raids to destroy gambling equipment in several establishments, effectively stamping out vice in Galveston.
In total, Clough served for two terms and then lost his re-election for a third term to Cartwright, who ran for mayor again. Clough attempted to run for city council in 1961 but was unsuccessful. He continued operating a radio and television shop next to his home until his death from a heart attack in 1966. Clough’s obituary described him as a “controversial and colorful figure.”
Clough’s Cameras
The two wooden cameras were manufactured by Ernemann-Werke A-G Dresden and are part of their “Kino” 35mm film line. These cameras were likely made between 1917-1924.
The black metal camera is a DeVry Standard Portable Camera, also using 35mm film. This camera model was nicknamed the “Lunchbox” due to its compact design. Clough’s camera was likely made around 1926.
The Treasure of the Month is located on the library’s historic second floor near the East Entrance. It can be viewed during regular library hours: Monday, Friday, & Saturday, 9:00 am–6:00 pm, and Tuesday–Thursday, 9:00 am–8:00 pm. For museum questions, call 409.763.8854 Ext. 125 or email museum@rosenberg-library.org. For press inquiries, contact the Communications Coordinator.
