Louis de Planque

Born in Prussia in April 1842, Louis de Planque immigrated to Mexico during the American Civil War era. By 1864 he was working in Matamoros and soon opened a photography studio in Brownsville, Texas. During the American Civil War, the confederate cotton trade transformed Brownsville and Matamoros into boomtowns, which helped de Planque’s business. In addition to photographing both union and confederate troops stationed in the area, de Planque also sold tintypes, Cartes de Visite, frames and stereoptic equipment and slides. Despite sustaining heavy damage to both his studios and losing valuable equipment in the 1867 hurricane, he managed to photograph the storm damage. In the two years after the storm, he opened studios in Indianola and Corpus Christi. As de Planque prepared to close his Indianola studio, the 1875 hurricane struck there and he and his wife barely survived. Using a lantern show to raise money, de Planque purchased new equipment and revived his Corpus Christi studio, where he spent the rest of his career. Called “Don Luis” in Corpus Christi, the six-foot, 200-pound de Planque was known to love parties and cut a striking figure by attending many events dressed in eccentric costumes, such as leather leggings and a serape topped with a feathered tyrolean hat. Local lore stated that no local or visiting celebrity could escape a session in de Planque’s studio. He died of a stroke in Corpus Christi on May 1, 1898. He married twice and trained his second wife, Frenchwoman Eugenie J. Robert, as a photographer. She continued to operate his photography business for a number of years after his death. (2014)

Louis de Planque is a historical marker in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, dedicated in 2014. It is one of 104 historical markers documented in Nueces County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 131 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 27.8011, -97.3998 near Corpus Christi. The nearest cataloged historic site is William DeRyee (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include John Dix, Parker, Thomas S., and Old Bayview Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017954. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.