19 King’s Palace Café Memphis, Tennessee

The second floor space above King’s was the home for the Hooks Brothers’ Photography Studio when Robert Johnson had his formal portrait taken. Begun by Henry A. Hooks Sr. and his brother Robert B. Hooks in 1907, the studio was first located on Main Street then moved here to 164 Beale St. where it remained for more than 40 years.

The studio subsequently moved to Linden Avenue, where the Hooks School of Photography operated, and finally settled at 979 East McLemore St. in the 1970s. Hooks Brothers’ remained in the family and operated throughout most of the 20th century. By the time it closed, it was the second oldest black-owned business in Memphis.