1904 USA Memphis TN street photo of Luehrmann Hotel

Attractive photo of the Luerhmann Hotel in Memphis Tennessee. Activity on street in front, several horse-drawn carriages and wagons in front.

Luehrmann Hotel, was one of the finest and most lavish hotels in Memphis at the time.

Mounted on card. German writing:

United States of North America on  18 --- 1904

Main Street in Memphis with Hotel Luerhmann

Photo:  4 ½” x 3 ⅝”

Card: 7” x 5”

The Luehrmann Hotel in Memphis was a lavish and iconic establishment that operated from 1888 to 1906, with its restaurant continuing until a fire in 1910.

Located at 296 Main Street, later renumbered to 10 S. Main, it occupied the upper three floors of a building with 38 rooms, reserved exclusively for men. The hotel was built and operated by Henry Luehrmann, a prominent brewer whose fortune came largely from Schlitz Beer.

Luehrmann’s Restaurant was renowned for its luxury and attention to detail:

• Waiters wore tails, and table linens were thick and embossed with the hotel’s crest.
• The wine list boasted 135 varieties, and seafood was kept live in the basement to ensure freshness.
• Henry personally inspected the brass fixtures and even tested the coffee aroma daily.

It was a favorite among sportsmen, theatre celebrities, and business elites, especially during the heyday of the Montgomery Racetrack. The restaurant was considered one of the finest in Memphis, rivaled only by Gaston’s Restaurant nearby.

After the Montgomery Racetrack was shut down in 1905, the clientele dwindled.