Last year as a part of a personal photo project, I sat down with the original owners of Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors. I wanted to know all about their stories and how Wally’s came to be in the Orlando bar scene. Linda Updike, (Wally’s husband) and Martin Snelgrove, Wally’s friend/business partner, allowed me to take portraits of them in the space and answered all my questions about their lives.
Shortly after, Martin, fell ill and eventually passed away. (The interview can be found HERE.) Linda, decided to shut down and sell the bar. Members from the community were saddened as it was Orlando’s longest running bar. Things were up in the air as to what was to come of the space. Would it get knocked down or would someone make it in to something else?
Eventually the bar was bought. The new owner kept the original name, some of the same staff, a ton of Wally’s memorabilia, and spruced up the place with a fancy renovation. Through my mutual friends at Orange Plane Creative I was given the opportunity to document their opening party using Polaroid Film before the bar officially opened to the public.
Long before I was a photographer I was interested in Polaroid photography. Scattered throughout my childhood are memories caught on instant film. I remember as a kid going to see Ronald McDonald perform at the local McDonalds in my hometown and getting a polaroid of him and I together that still is in a family photo book today. My grandma had polaroids all the way back to the 60’s and even in the last 5 years my wife and I have began documenting a large portion of our lives and travel on the film.
So, here it is. A new era of Wally’s on Polaroid Original Film. Shot here in Orlando. Enjoy!
