About Howard and The Museum
Howard B. Marler the son of Sam Preston Marler and Mamie Catherine Gay was born in Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina on November 4th, 1921. Sam P Marler built a home for his family in Tarboro, North Carolina where they lived until he passed away in 1935. Howard’s mother died two years later in 1937.
Howard then lived in Raleigh, North Carolina with his older sister Mamie Charles Marler who was married to Marvin Peyton Sykes. In 1938 and 1939 Howard Marler worked for the Western Union in the afternoons and evenings while attending Hugh Morson High School during the day.
Following Howard’s graduation, in 1939, his brother-in-law Marvin Sykes found work in Washington, D.C. so Howard moved with the Sykes family to Washington. His experience with Western Union helped him obtain a well paying job of twenty-five cents an hour with the Western Union at Washington – Hoover Airport. Marvin Sykes learned that they could earn more money working for the Hot Shoppes. Therefore Howard changed professions.
He next obtained work at The Washington Navy Yard as a Machinist. While he was working at The Navy Yard he met Ruth Austin Marler whom he married on November 17, 1941 in Rockville, Maryland. They lived in Washington D.C. until just before he enlisted in the Navy during World War II when they moved to Temple Trailer Village in Alexandria, Virginia. They would reside in Temple Trailer Village for the next thirty years moving to a home in Fairfax County, Virginia in the 1970s where he lived until his death in 2005.
Upon returning from the war, Howard Marler worked at The Washington DC Navy Yard as a machinist, but his greatest desire was to be a professional photographer. In the 1950s he left The Navy Yard and pursued his dream by establishing Photos By Marler. Upon his death he left a legacy of history and art in the form of slides, negatives, transparencies, postcards and prints. The images that he left behind from his mother’s negatives and his original pictures date from the 1920’s through the 1990’s.
Like many artists he expected his work to meet high standards of quality and detail. As a youth he wanted to be a pilot and while he took some flying lessons he would always enjoy airplanes and became known for his detailed aerial photographs. He was an avid vegetable gardener taking pictures of flowers and vegetables. His continued personal pleasure besides photography was riding motor cycles which until he was in his seventies.
In an effort to preserve this history and art for future reference, his daughter Helen R. Marler has scanned many negatives and recorded her father’s recollections and stories.
The Howard Marler Museum welcomes you to not only visit and browse but to add your memories of any images you recognize.
Howard B. Marler the son of Sam Preston Marler and Mamie Catherine Gay was born in Rocky Mount, Nash County, North Carolina on November 4th, 1921. Sam P Marler built a home for his family in Tarboro, North Carolina where they lived until he passed away in 1935. Howard’s mother died two years later in 1937.
Howard then lived in Raleigh, North Carolina with his older sister Mamie Charles Marler who was married to Marvin Peyton Sykes. In 1938 and 1939 Howard Marler worked for the Western Union in the afternoons and evenings while attending Hugh Morson High School during the day.
Following Howard’s graduation, in 1939, his brother-in-law Marvin Sykes found work in Washington, D.C. so Howard moved with the Sykes family to Washington. His experience with Western Union helped him obtain a well paying job of twenty-five cents an hour with the Western Union at Washington – Hoover Airport. Marvin Sykes learned that they could earn more money working for the Hot Shoppes. Therefore Howard changed professions.
He next obtained work at The Washington Navy Yard as a Machinist. While he was working at The Navy Yard he met Ruth Austin Marler whom he married on November 17, 1941 in Rockville, Maryland. They lived in Washington D.C. until just before he enlisted in the Navy during World War II when they moved to Temple Trailer Village in Alexandria, Virginia. They would reside in Temple Trailer Village for the next thirty years moving to a home in Fairfax County, Virginia in the 1970s where he lived until his death in 2005.
Upon returning from the war, Howard Marler worked at The Washington DC Navy Yard as a machinist, but his greatest desire was to be a professional photographer. In the 1950s he left The Navy Yard and pursued his dream by establishing Photos By Marler. Upon his death he left a legacy of history and art in the form of slides, negatives, transparencies, postcards and prints. The images that he left behind from his mother’s negatives and his original pictures date from the 1920’s through the 1990’s.
Like many artists he expected his work to meet high standards of quality and detail. As a youth he wanted to be a pilot and while he took some flying lessons he would always enjoy airplanes and became known for his detailed aerial photographs. He was an avid vegetable gardener taking pictures of flowers and vegetables. His continued personal pleasure besides photography was riding motor cycles which until he was in his seventies.
In an effort to preserve this history and art for future reference, his daughter Helen R. Marler has scanned many negatives and recorded her father’s recollections and stories.
The Howard Marler Museum welcomes you to not only visit and browse but to add your memories of any images you recognize.
Presentation At The Mount Vernon Lee Chamber of Commerce Prime Time 2011 Night, October 26, 2011; showcasing a small part of the museum collection
Washington's Birthday Gallery!!
We have placed some of Howard Marler's photos relating to George Washington ion the website. To view the gallery click here or on the picture of Washington.
Please help us to make the museum better?
Please take our brief survey to help us determine what the next update should look like, by clicking here!
Ronald Reagan Centennial Year Has Begun
Since we have begun the Centennial Celebration of the birth of President Ronald W. Reagan we thought we would include this item found in the estate of Ruth Marler.
Ruth Marler Updates
Ruth Marler's Memorial information can be found by clicking: on the Ruth Marler Memorial link at the top of this page, clicking on this photo of Ruth, or by clicking here!
With Much Regret we make the following Announcement:
On the evening of January 4, 2011, about 7:20 P.M. Ruth Marler while attended by her family and friends quietly passed away.
The guestbook can be reached by clicking here!
Ruth Marler 's Memorial Service was held At 10:00 AM, On January 25th, at the LDS Building on the corner of Franconia Road and Van Dorn Street. We are in the process of preparing a Video, for viewing on the site. Please bear with us as we get these features formatted and prepared for best quality. The Audio only file has been posted on the Ruth Marler Memorial page.
With Much Regret we make the following Announcement:
On the evening of January 4, 2011, about 7:20 P.M. Ruth Marler while attended by her family and friends quietly passed away.
The guestbook can be reached by clicking here!
Ruth Marler 's Memorial Service was held At 10:00 AM, On January 25th, at the LDS Building on the corner of Franconia Road and Van Dorn Street. We are in the process of preparing a Video, for viewing on the site. Please bear with us as we get these features formatted and prepared for best quality. The Audio only file has been posted on the Ruth Marler Memorial page.