09/23/2026
In Memory of Our Special Contributor and Longtime Friend, Curtis Bright
The Gladewater Museum Board of Directors and Volunteer Staff extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of our longtime friend and very special contributor, Curtis Bright.
Curtis’s love for the Gladewater community began in 1960, when he had the opportunity to purchase Ward Studio on W. Commerce Street in downtown Gladewater. Curtis often recalled that when he first visited the studio and learned that all of Mr. Ward’s old photographic negatives would remain there, he simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
What a treasure those “old negatives” would prove to be.
They included photographs Mr. Ward had taken during his years operating the studio in Gladewater—remarkable images documenting our community and its people. Many of the wonderful historic downtown scenes displayed today throughout the Gladewater Museum were captured by Mr. Ward, who sometimes climbed to the tops of buildings and even oil derricks to photograph the town from above. Years later, those photographs became part of Curtis Bright’s generous gift to the museum.
After purchasing the photography studio, Curtis and his wife, Diane, moved from Mineola to Gladewater and became active members of their new community. Both were involved in civic and church affairs, while Curtis served for many years on the Gladewater City Council and also as Mayor of Gladewater.
At the same time, Curtis Bright Studio was becoming a well-known and successful photography studio throughout East Texas. For generations of area families, when the question was asked, “Who should I get to photograph my wedding?” the familiar answer was often, “Call Curtis and Diane.”
The Gladewater Museum has benefited immeasurably from the historic negatives Curtis discovered among the Ward Studio collection. We are grateful not only that he chose to share these photographic treasures with the museum, but also that he so often brought along the stories behind them. A photograph preserves an image; Curtis helped us preserve the story that went with it.
We will always be grateful to Curtis for his generosity and for his desire to keep Gladewater’s history alive for future generations. His contribution to our museum cannot be measured simply by the number of photographs he donated. Those images help tell the story of the community he chose to call home.
The legacy of Curtis Bright’s generosity will live on in nearly every room of the Gladewater Museum.
We will miss our longtime friend, and we will remember him with gratitude.
