Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Homer E. Davis Papers, Accession #Ms 2001-051, Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Davis papers were donated to Special Collections at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in August 2001.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement and description of this collection commenced in April 2002 and was completed in July 2002.

Biographical/Historical Information

Homer Ellis Davis, a realtor, stockbroker and Civil War history enthusiast, was born in Livingston, Montana on 28 October 1922, the son of Ellis Davis and May Beach. During World War II, Davis joined the Army Air Corps and served in the Panama Canal Zone and Caribbean. Returning to Montana in 1946, Davis attended Montana State University for a year before transferring to Georgetown University, graduating from the School of Foreign Service in 1951. Davis married Margaret Ernestine "Peggy" Smith on 12 June 1952. Soon thereafter he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency and remained there until 1957, when he joined a realty company in Lansing, Michigan. In 1959, Davis returned to Washington, D. C. and worked as a stockbroker until his health forced him into retirement in 1971. Davis devoted his retirement years largely to his interest in American history--particularly the Civil War. He was an active member in both the American Revolution and Civil War roundtables of Washington, D. C., as well as the Civil War Roundtable of Alexandria, Virginia. Davis' main interest, however, lay in photographing cemetery monuments. The cemetery project was apparently initiated as a means to document and preserve the gravesites of Civil War generals, but Davis also photographed the gravesites of politicians, judges, entertainers, authors and others. While photographing cemeteries in Michigan, Davis was involved in a car accident and died on 6 August 1982 as a result of his injuries. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers of Homer E. Davis, a Civil War enthusiast whose hobby was documenting and photographing the gravesites of Civil War generals and other historical figures and celebrities. The collection is divided among the following series: Cemeteries and Gravesites, Historical Organizations, Printed Material, Memorabilia, Personal Materials and Oversize Materials.

The Cemeteries and Gravesites series represents the core of the collection and is arranged in two subseries. The Gravesite Research subseries contains materials gathered by Davis during his research on various cemeteries and other historic sites (homes, battlefields, monuments, etc.) as well as individuals. The files provide details--including maps and brochures--on cemeteries throughout the United States and often contain biographical information on the interred. Also included are a few files of correspondence with other cemetery researchers and files on cemetery topics that are not location-specific. The Gravesite Images subseries contains more than 12,000 black-and-white gravesite photos. Nearly every photo includes brief biographical information on its verso. The photographs are complemented by approximately 800 color slides. Negatives are included as well.

The Historical Organizations series contains materials accumulated by Davis during his membership in various organizations and includes such materials as correspondence, memoranda, rosters, notes and printed materials (newsletters). The series is arranged in four subseries: American Revolution Roundtable of the District of Columbia; Civil War Roundtable of Alexandria, Virginia; Civil War Roundtable of the District of Columbia; and Other Historical Organizations.

The Printed Materials series contains such items as booklets and magazine articles (including items related to Civil War topics but not to research for the cemetery project or the roundtables) and catalogs from dealers in Civil War publications and memorabilia.

The Memorabilia series includes Civil War commemorative items as well as relics from the Civil War era.

The few materials in the collection which relate to Davis' personal life may be found in the Personal Materials series. The series contains such things as correspondence, invitations and biographical information.

The Oversize Materials series consists of items pulled from the other series because they were too large to be inter-filed with other items in those series.

Arrangement

Series I: Cemeteries and Gravesites, 1972-1982, n.d.
This collection of materials related to Davis' cemetery research and photography is divided between two subseries:

Gravesite Research
The research files include notes, correspondence and printed materials. Materials are arranged alphabetically by state, then locale, with foreign locations at the end. Correspondence with other researchers and files on topics that are not location-specific complete the subseries.

Gravesite Images
Both the color slides and the photographs are filed alphabetically by the names of the people whose graves are pictured. The negatives at the end of the subseries are arranged alphabetically by state. Images of graves in Southwest Virginia are available in the Virginia Tech Imagebase.

Series II: Historical Organizations, 1951-1981, n.d.
The papers and other materials arising from Davis' involvement with various historical organizations are arranged in four subseries:

American Revolution Roundtable of the District of Columbia
Includes newsletters and other general materials. Arranged by document type, then chronologically.

Civil War Roundtable of Alexandria
Includes preparatory documentation for field trips (research notes, printed material, etc.), correspondence and memoranda, newsletters, and general materials. Arranged by document type, then chronologically.

Civil War Roundtable of the District of Columbia
Includes the same types of material as the Alexandria roundtable files, as well as rosters, programs and presentation texts. Arranged by document function, then chronologically.

Other Historical Organizations
Includes newsletters and brochures from other Civil War roundtables, as well as materials (notes, brochures, invitations, etc.) from non-roundtable organizations. Arranged alphabetically by name of organization.

Series III: Printed Materials, 1929-2000, n.d.
Arranged in two subseries:

Articles and booklets
These materials relating to the Civil War are arranged alphabetically by title.

Catalogs
These catalogs from dealers in Civil War publications and relics are arranged alphabetically by dealers' names.

Series IV: Memorabilia, 1952-1976, n.d.
This series includes modern Civil War commemorative items as well as relics from the Civil War era. The materials are arranged by type, with the commemorative items preceding the relics.

Series V: Personal Materials, 1929-1981, n.d.
This small collection of materials related to Davis' personal life is arranged by document type, then chronologically.

Series VI: Oversize Materials, 1863-1978, n.d.
This series contains items which were too large to be inter-filed with materials in the other series. Items in this series are arranged according to the order in which they would have been filed had they remained with their respective series.

Separated Material

The following materials were transferred from the collection to the Special Collections' Historical Map Collection: