Are you aware this couple? Native photographer captures engagement at The Arcade

There are greater than 100 years’ value of tales at The Arcade in Downtown Cleveland, and thru the years, its magnificence has been captured on movie hundreds of occasions.

But an area photographer had a cut up second to seize The Arcade’s latest reminiscence.

Alex Farmer has collected movie cameras through the years. Even ones from world wide, like one from Russia known as the Kiev.

Farmer does quite a lot of panorama pictures and is certainly one of Cleveland’s extra notable nonetheless photographers.

“I simply love the town,” Farmer said.

He’s attracted fans like Melanie Townsend from the Cleveland Public Library.

“I love the fact that he is willing to try every single different kind of camera that he can get his hands on and show us the process,” Townsend mentioned.

One of Farmer’s favourite spots is The Arcade, which opened in 1890 and is now virtually frozen in time.

“There are sure locations in Cleveland that scream, ‘Cleveland’,” Farmer said. “This is unquestionably certainly one of them.”

And there’s no better tool to capture this historic place than on Farmer’s newly acquired 100-year-old camera.

“Something I love about the old cameras is, it’s just a light-proof box that you fire the shutter, and it just lets light into your film,” Farmer mentioned.

So two days earlier than Christmas, Farmer ventured out to The Arcade, which was bathed in winter mild.

However, the sunshine and the digicam didn’t work collectively at first. He had frames with an excessive amount of mild, then not sufficient. With only one picture left, he discovered one thing.

“I needed to finish my roll with form of probably the most iconic view,” Farmer mentioned.

He seemed up from his digicam to see a younger couple.

“He knelt down… I’m like, ‘Whoa!'” Farmer said.

With no time to check settings, Farmer found the shutter and captured a proposal on his antique camera.

“I developed the film like three days later with absolutely no real hope that I’ll get something out of it,” Farmer said.

But this time, the setting, lighting and timing worked out to capture the beautiful moment.

Alex Farmer

By the time Farmer seemed up from his digicam and ran down the steps, the couple was gone.

“That could have been a photo taken in 1890… How are we going to find these people?” Townsend mentioned.

That’s the place News 5 viewers are available in. If you already know the couple who obtained engaged at The Arcade the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2025, tell us.

You can electronic mail us at newsdesk@wews.com.