Come on out and visit the special exhibit, “Through the Keyhole,”  at the Fisk Gallery of the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands.

Klemm worked as a teacher for the Colton Joint Union School District for 26 years, first as a social studies teacher at Colton Jr. High and later as a world history teacher at Colton High School. He is the author of “100 Years of Crimson & Gold Pride: Colton High School 1895—1996” and “Ancient Locks: The Evolutionary Development of the Lock and Key.” Most recently, his book “Unlocking the Portals of History” was published by the San Bernardino County Museum Association and is now available in the Museum Store.

This photo was taken outside a home on Webster Street in Redlands circa 1900. The dog’s name is Tip who belonged to the photographer, Elias Everitt, and shows up in a lot of his images.

“Portraits and Views: The Redlands Photographic Studio, 1897 to 1924,” continues at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. The exhibit, which features photographs and photographic equipment from Elias Everitt’s Redlands Photographic Studio, will run through July 15. The exhibit is included in paid museum admission.

At the turn of the twentieth century, community photographers like Elias Everitt did quite a brisk business. While people did engage in amateur photography at that time, not everyone had camera equipment of their own, so the market for camera work done by professionals was still in full swing. Studio portraits, promotional photography, and private commission work kept Everitt busy. Today, the tangible results of the work of the Redlands Photographic Studio remain as a terrific window to the past.

The glass negatives and few film negatives that make up the Elias Everitt photographic collection at the San Bernardino County Museum number in the thousands. They offer a unique view back in time, capturing people, events, structures and landscapes. The several dozen images featured in “Portraits and Views” are visually stunning, featuring people and places that many museum visitors will recognize.

The subtle details in the photographs can be very revealing. Circa 1890 or 1900, electricity for use in the home was a relatively new concept. Electric power for a room was often supplied from one cord with multiple outlets. Sometimes this single cord hung down from the ceiling in the center of the room, meaning that any electrical appliance had to be situated in that vicinity. Photographs that illustrate this would have been a real source of pride, but can seem a bit odd to those of us who are used to built-in wall outlets and permanent ceiling fixtures. By the same token, exterior shots of homes and buildings with the sprinklers going full blast might not have any special meaning today, but they were purposefully made to represent .modernity.

“Portraits and Views: The Redlands Photographic Studio 1897 to 1924” is made possible in part by The Redlands Area Historical Society, Redlands Camera Club, Clara Mae Clem, Ron Running, and PrintProPlus.com .

The San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands, usually closed on Mondays, will be open on the Memorial Day holiday, Monday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular museum admission fees apply.

Visitors will see exhibits about the cultural and natural history of inland Southern California and the southwest, including minerals and fossils, Native American artifacts, birds and mammals, and historical objects. Three special exhibits are also included with admission. “Through the Keyhole: the lock and key collection of Scott J. Klemm” is showing in the Fisk Gallery and “Portraits and Views: The Redlands Photographic Studio 1897–1924” is on exhibit in the Crossroads in History Gallery. An exhibit recognizing May as Mental Health Month, “Mind Your Health,” is installed in the Schuiling Gallery; this exhibit of two- and three-dimensional art closes on Memorial Day Monday.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669.