Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Rural Retreat, Virginia, Carte de Visite must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Rural Retreat, Virginia, Carte de Visite, Ms2009-080, Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Rural Retreat, Virginia, Carte de Visite was purchased by Special Collections in February 2009.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Rural Retreat, Virginia, Carte de Visite commenced and was completed in May 2009.

Biographical/Historical Information

Prior to the use of cartes de visite, individuals used calling cardscards with an individual's name engraved on the front. These cards were meant to be left with individuals one had visited. While these calling cards were quite popular in the mid-1800s, they were replaced by cartes de visitessmall paper and cardboard cards with a photographwith the improvements in photography during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Typically, these cards depicted an individual or a couple, and had the name(s) of those depicted on the picture.

W.A. Johnston was born in Virginia about 1844. In 1880, he listed his profession as photographer, and was boarding with a Crockett family in Wythe County, Virginia. No other biographical information is available.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a single carte de visite. While the woman pictured is unidentified, the photographer is. The back side of the card is marked "W.A. Johnston, Photographic Artist, Rural Retreat, Va."

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by material type.