Books and Movies
Adolphe Gouhenant: French Revolutionary, Utopian Leader, and Texas Frontier Photographer
By Paula Selzer and Emmanuel Pécontal
Francois Ignace "Adolphe" Gouhenant was my third great grandfather. One of a handful of men who became US citizens in mid-nineteenth century Dallas, he signed an oath of citizenship on May 15, 1853 making him the first man to become a naturalized US citizen in Dallas.
He left Normandy and arrived in New Orleans in 1848, leading a group of French Utopian Socialists. The immigrants then boarded a steamer and made their way up the Red River to Shreveport. From there, they walked across North Texas to establish their settlement near present-day Justin in Denton County. Their community failed, but Gouhenant remained in Texas. He taught French and music to soldiers at the newly-established Fort Worth. From there, he moved to Dallas and in 1851, he opened the Arts Saloon, the town's first artistic and cultural establishment. At the Arts Saloon, he made painted, hosted dances, masonic banquets, created daguerreotypes, and welcomed some of the most prominent residents of North Texas.
Gouhenant has been widely acknowledged as the first photographer in Dallas and his name appears in dozens of books (frequently misspelled). Ultimately, he changed the spelling of his name to Gounah, which is how it was pronounced. This is the name his descendants possess today.
Gouhenant's life in France, which is not as well known was packed with intrigue including conspiracy against the monarchy, imprisonment and a well-publicized trial. In addition to his revolutionary activities, Gouhenant built a monument to the "arts and sciences" atop Fouvère Hill that still stands today. In the 1840s he was involved in the nascent communist movement and became well-known amongst revolutionaries in southern France.
His story plays out on two continents and describes his illustrious life working as a color mixer, pharmacist, entrepreneur, builder, restaurateur, political activist, teacher, artist, photographer, medical practitioner, and rancher. To hear an interview with the authors on KAMU's Book Mark visit their website at https://www.pbs.org/video/paula-selzer-emmanuel-pecontal-adolphe-gouhenant-fre-jqunz3/ or to order the book directly from UNT Press, click on the order button.
Growing Up Twins: Two Sides to Every Story
Down on Marburg Street in South Dallas, Adelyn and Carolyn were playing jacks on the front porch, getting in scuffles with neighborhood children, and swimming in White Rock Lake.
Growing Up Twins is a whimsical look at the lives of two 80-year women as they reminisce about a time when Dallas was a small town. Separated from their parents as toddlers, the twins overcame challenges in their young lives to spend an idyllic childhood singing, dancing, and growing up on a quiet street in Texas.
About the Film
This 27-minute film was shown at the Bathhouse Cultural Center in Dallas in 2010. The video features the music of Pink Martini. Paula Selzer earned her BFA in Video and Cinema from SMU in 1984. She has worked on the production of various films and produced and directed Growing Up Twins. She is pictured here with her mother, Carolyn.