Race&Place: Historical Images

There are two image collections relating to this site, both put together by University of Virginia Special Collections:

The Holsinger Studio Collection constitutes a unique photographic record of life in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, from before the turn of the century through World War I. The collection consists of approximately 9,000 dry-plate glass negatives and 500 celluloid negatives from the commercial studio of Rufus W. Holsinger. Approximately two-thirds of the collection are studio portraits, and among these are nearly 500 portraits of African-American citizens of Charlottesville and the surrounding area.

The Jackson Davis Collection contains approximately 6 linear feet of Davis's personal, professional, and financial files, as well as topical files, spanning the years 1906 through 1947. The collection also includes 4502 photographic negatives, 249 glass lantern slides and 759 photographic prints. Davis's travel journals of 1911 and 1913 when he served as state agent for Negro Schools for the Virginia State Board of Education are included in the collection. The diaries describe his tours through Virginia visiting African American schools and colleges, and discuss the education of African-Americans.

Additional Image Resources:

Dorothy E. Davis, et al. versus County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia. : Case file 1333; Civil Case Files; United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division; Records of District Courts of the United States, Record Group 21; National Archives and Records Administration--Mid-Atlantic Region (Philadelphia).

Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection: The Hamblin photographs are also an excellent documentary resource for African-American community life in Suffolk. The collection consists of 1,365 images, contains numerous studio portraits commissioned by local residents plus photographs of sports teams, fraternal organizations, and musical, school, and church groups. The dated images range from 1909 through 1979 although numerous images lack dates.

Danville, Virginia Protests: On 10 June, after a full day of protests, the police, with nightsticks and fire hoses, attacked the demonstrators picketing the city jail. Forty-seven of the fifty demonstrators required medical attention for their resulting injuries.