Charles (July 26, 1866-Jan. 19, 1934) and C. (Charles) Noble (May 17, 1909-Nov. 24, 1986). Charles was born in Hanover, Germany, and came to America in 1885. He set up his photographic studio in Indianapolis in 1895, specializing in portraits. The studio’s location on the top floor of the Fletcher Trust Building enabled Bretzman and his employees to use the roof for setting out printing frames to develop in the sun. Bretzman also served for a time as the first official photographer of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. A member of several civic organizations, he cofounded the Indianapolis Photographers Association and was a member of the Daguerre Club of Indiana.

Noble Bretzman, born in Indianapolis, began his career sweeping the floors of his father’s studio, though he soon became a journeyman retoucher and staff photographer. After graduation from Shortridge High School, he attended a school for professional photographers at Winona Lake, Indiana. He worked for a time in New York City, where he was Radio City Music Hall’s first public relations photographer. Noble also set up his own studio specializing in illustrative photography. His business flourished as advertisers began to request photography instead of artwork to illustrate their products. He returned to Indianapolis in 1934 after the death of his father, took over the family business, and introduced his distinctive style to local advertisers.

Before signing an exclusive contract with L. S. Ayres And Company, Noble took fashion photographs for a number of Indianapolis department stores. His photography was credited with inspiring the slogan, “The Ayres Look.” He was also a noted portrait photographer.

In his later years, Noble became passionately interested in ballet. He was a cofounding board member of Indianapolis’ first professional ballet company. He later served as vice president and general manager for the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Just before his death, he founded Bravo Project, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation to interest school-age Marion County youngsters in the performing arts.

Noble Bretzman donated his negative files and his father’s business records to the Indiana Historical Society in 1980. Between August and November 2019, the Indiana Historical Society displayed works from the collection in an exhibition entitled, One Family’s Lens: The Photography of the Bretzman Studio.

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