Cecil Knowlton owned and operated a photo studio, Knowlton’s Photography,  first located on Central Avenue in Dunkirk, then at 152 East Fourth Street, and finally in the D&F Plaza (from 1974 to his retirement in 1977) . He operated the studio for 54 years, selling photo products and developing and printing film. He also photographed various scenes around the city, including aerial shots. Knowlton was a veteran of World War I and member of the First United Methodist Church, S.N.A.A.P. (Division of Professional Photographers’ Association of New York State), PPSNYS itself, and the Dunkirk Historical Society. The Museum holds a number of his negatives that feature images from all over the city especially from the 1940’s through 1960’s. These images include images of city buildings, businesses, churches, schools, the waterfront and its geese’s, fairgrounds, the building of the railroad elevation along Third Street, and train wrecks in the city, especially in the 1960’s.