The title for this image in the USF Collection is incorrect. The Burgert Brothers studio building in 1917 was on 1515 Broad­way Ave (now 7th Ave) and was built in 1907 by the Sanchez and Haya Real Estate Company as the first 3-story building in Ybor. A cigar factory with the same ownership was the first company to make a cigar in Ybor City officially. This building housed several retail stores on the first floor. Promoting itself as “La Primera Fotografia de Ybor,” the Burgert Brothers took the second floor in 1917. Images of the parlor, where they took many por­traits, show perfect natural light coming through the north-facing windows. On the bottom right is seen the dry goods store of Isadore Kienitz, a Jewish merchant from Romania. Seen next door if the former F. Mayo building

In the mid-1940s, the building was owned by Mr. & Mrs. E.J. Ficarrotta and housed Ficarrotta’s Glass. They sold it in 1946. In 1992, Blue Chair Records opened, selling CDs and cassettes, promoting local artists, and hosting in-store concerts. In 1995, Sara Romeo, head of Ybor’s Chamber of Commerce, opened Romeo Stylish Furniture. She moved her business out in 1999 due to parking problems and construction concerns but continued operating Ro­meo Art and Design. Agora Ybor, which sells imported goods, opened in 2009. La Farona cigar shop moved in in 2021. According to a former Agora employee, the 3-story building burned down in the late 20th century and was rebuilt as a one-story structure.

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