Palmer, Earl, Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection, 1880-1989 Ms.1989.025

Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection, 1880-1989 Ms.1989.025


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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech

Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Business Number: 540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu
URL: http://spec.lib.vt.edu

Special Collections and University Archives Staff

Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Identification
Ms.1989.025
Title
Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection 1880-1989
Quantity
8 Cubic Feet, 8 boxes (not including the artifact collection)
Creator
Palmer, Earl, 1905-1996
Location
Please note: Artifacts in this collection are held by Special Collections and University Archives, but are located in an off-site facility. Access to artifacts requires at least one week advance notice and is subject to availability of staff. We may not be able to offer viewing of all artifacts requested, due to preservation and transportation concerns, current location and organization of collection, the size of individual items, and the number of items requested. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) for more information.
Language
The collection consists mainly of artifacts and photographs. All language materials captured in images or on items is in English.
Abstract
This collection contains the photographs of Earl Palmer, an award-winning photographer from Cambria, Virginia, whose work depicted the landscape and traditional culture of rural Appalachia in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Materials date frome 1880 to 1989, but are primarily from the 1940s to the 1970s. The collection is divided among the following series: photographs, duplicate photographs, written materials, oversize photographs, and artifacts.

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Photographs in this collection are still subject to copyright. Requests for reproductions and permission to publish or use these images in exhibits or other media is required from Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms. Completed forms may be emailed or sent to the address in the header of the form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

A small portion of the Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection has been digitized and is available online in two locations: http://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/Ms1989-025 and http://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/browse.php?folio_ID=/palmer .

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection, Ms1989-025, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection was donated jointly to the Appalachian Collection of the University Libraries and the Appalachian Studies Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1989.

Processing Information

The re-processing, arrangement and description of the photographs and accompanying papers commenced in July 2002 and was completed in October 2002.


Biographical Note

Earl Palmer, an Appalachian photographer, was born in Bell County (some sources claim Harlan County), Kentucky, on May 11, 1905. The son of traveling circus performers, Palmer's interest in photography began when he received a camera as a gift at age 7. After high school, Palmer took a job with a local A&P grocery store. By the time he was 19, Palmer was managing the store and was soon employed by A&P as a road supervisor, overseeing 18 stores. Meanwhile, his photos were appearing in local newspapers and were soon being seen in numerous travel magazines.

Around 1945, Palmer moved with his first wife, Alice, to Cambria, Virginia (now part of Christiansburg), where he opened a grocery store. By this time, Palmer's photos were being featured in such magazines as Life, National Geographic, and the Saturday Evening Post. Billing himself the "Blue Ridge Mountains' Roamin' Camera Man ", Palmer concentrated on the people and places of Appalachia, particularly the region's traditional culture. Though based in southwestern Virginia, Palmer traveled the mountain regions of Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia in search of subjects.

By 1954, Palmer had been elected mayor of Cambria, and he would serve in that capacity until the town's merger with Christiansburg in 1964. In 1972, he retired from the grocery business to devote more time to photography. During his many trips, Palmer also collected a number of artifacts associated with traditional mountain life, including wagon wheels, handicrafts, a moonshine still and tools.

In 1982, Palmer married Evelyn Chrisman; he died at his home on March 4, 1996.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the photographs of Earl Palmer, an award-winning photographer from Cambria, Virginia, whose work depicted the landscape and traditional culture of rural Appalachia in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Materials date from the 1940s to the 1970s. The collection is divided among the following series: photographs, duplicate photographs, written materials, oversize photographs, and artifacts.

The Photographs series contains approximately 750 photos taken by Palmer from the 1940s through the 1970s. Palmer's photos document the landscape and traditional culture of Appalachia in the Virginia- Tennessee-North Carolina-Kentucky-West Virginia region and include depictions of artisans, moonshiners, coal miners and scenes from daily life in rural Appalachia. Many of the photos are accompanied by descriptions written by Palmer. The photographs are arranged by topic, with numerous cross-references directing the user to appropriate headings.

Duplicate Photos are arranged by the same subject headings used in arranging the original photographs. While there are multiple copies of some photos, others have only one duplicate, and many have none.

The Written Materials, very few in number, range in date from 1946 to 1976. Including such materials as photo descriptions, bits of correspondence and notes, postcards and printed material, this series is arranged by document type.

The Oversize Photos series consists of items which were too large to be inter-filed in the Photographs series.

The Artifacts series contains materials, collected by Palmer, which are associated with traditional Appalachian folk culture. The series includes such items as a moonshine still, wagon wheels, ox yokes and hand-made brooms, as well as items associated with coal mining and railroading. Also included is a small collection of cameras and photography equipment.

Arrangement

Series I. Photographs. This collection of Palmer's photographs spans from the 1940s to the 1970s and is arranged alphabetically by subject matter. A number of cross-references have been included to lead users to valid subject headings.

Series II. Duplicate Photos. Duplicate copies of those photos found in the Photographs Series, these photos are also arranged alphabetically by the same headings used in describing the original photos. Note that while there are multiple copies of some photos, there are no duplicate copies for others

Series III. Written Materials. This series includes a small set of papers related to Palmer's photographic work and includes photo blurbs, correspondence and notes, and postcards and other printed material.

Series IV. Oversize Materials. This series contains photos which were too large to be filed with those in the Photographs series.

Series V. Artifacts. The Artifacts series contains materials, collected by Palmer, which are associated with traditional Appalachian folk culture. The series includes such items as a moonshine still, wagon wheels, ox yokes and hand-made brooms, as well as items associated with coal mining and railroading. Also included is a small collection of cameras and photography equipment. While the material descriptions are arranged here by subject matter, the items themselves are housed in several locations.

Please note: Artifacts in this collection are held by Special Collections and University Archives, but are located in an off-site facility. Access to artifacts requires at least one week advance notice and is subject to availability of staff. We may not be able to offer viewing of all artifacts requested, due to preservation and transportation concerns, current location and organization of collection, the size of individual items, and the number of items requested.

Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) for more information.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

  • Artifacts (object genre)
  • Folk, historical, and patent medicine
  • Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
  • Montgomery County (Va.)
  • Photographs
  • Traditional medicine

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Earl Palmer Appalachian Photograph and Artifact Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).

Container List

Series I. Photographs
  • box-folder 1 folder: 1
    Alice Lloyd College
    8 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 1
    Amburgey, Jethro
    4 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 2
    Animals
    22 images. 2 folders
  • box-folder 1 folder: 3
    Apple Butter-making
    10 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Hylton, Newton

  • box-folder 1 folder: 3
    Apple Cider-making
    3 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 4
    Auctions (Montgomery County, Virginia)
    1 image
  • Ausmus, Frank farm (Powell Valley, Tennessee) - see Farms and Farming
    Scope and Contents note

    see Farms and Farming

  • Baptisms - see Churches
  • Bark Camp Creek - see Rivers and Streams
  • Baseball - see Christiansburg Baseball Team
  • box-folder 1 folder: 4
    Baskets and Basket-making
    8 images
  • Beckley Exhibition Mine - see Coal Mining - Exhibition Mines and Museums
  • box-folder 1 folder: 4
    Bee Hunting
    3 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 4
    Belcher, Dale
    1 image
  • Belle of Louisville - see Riverboats
  • box-folder 1 folder: 5
    Berea College
    12 items
  • box-folder 1 folder: 6
    Berea College - Student Industries
    9 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 7
    Bicentennial Wagon Train
    1 image
  • box-folder 1 folder: 7
    Big Black Mountain (Kentucky)
    1 image
  • Big Stick (West Virginia) - see Coal Mining - Sites and Buildings
  • Blacksmiths - see Hylton, Newton
  • box-folder 1 folder: 7
    Blue Ridge Parkway
    6 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Moonshine and Moonshiners; Rail Fences

  • Boats - see Canals; Canoeing; Fishing; Rivers and Streams; Riverboats
  • box-folder 1 folder: 8
    Bookmobile (Montgomery Co., Virginia)
    17 images. 2 folders.
  • box-folder 1 folder: 9
    Boone, Daniel monument (Kentucky)
    1 image
  • Bowman, Bob - see Farms and Farming
  • box-folder 1 folder: 9
    Boyd, Glyndon
    1 image
  • box-folder 1 folder: 9
    Boyd, Turner
    3 image
  • box-folder 1 folder: 9
    Bridges
    6 images
  • Broom-making - see Berea College - Student Industries; Hash, Goode
  • Broyles, O. B. - see "The Long Way Home"
  • box-folder 1 folder: 10
    Buildings, Unidentified
    7 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Groups, Unidentified

  • Burns, Martha - see Craft Fairs
  • box-folder 1 folder: 11
    Cabins
    18 images. 2 folders
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Postcards and Printed Material; Oversize

  • box-folder 1 folder: 12
    Cambria, Virginia
    5 images
  • box-folder 1 folder: 13
    Camping
    10 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cumberland Falls State Park; Fishing

  • box-folder 1 folder: 14
    Canals
    8 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Trains; Tunnels

  • Caney Junior College - see Alice Lloyd College
  • box-folder 1 folder: 14
    Canoeing
    1 image
  • Cass Scenic Railroad - see Trains
  • Cattle - see Farms and Farming
  • box-folder 2 folder: 1
    Caves
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Mammoth Cave National Park

  • box-folder 2 folder: 1
    Cemeteries
    3 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 1
    Cherokee Indian Reservation (Cherokee, North Carolina)
    3 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 2
    Children, Unidentified
    9 images
  • Chinquapins - see Nuts and Nutcraking
  • box-folder 2 folder: 2
    Christiansburg Baseball Team
    1 image
  • box-folder 2 folder: 3
    Churches
    5 items
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Stotesbury (West Virginia)

  • Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky) - see Horse Racing
  • Civil War - see McDowell Battlefield; Relics
  • Cliffs - see Rock Formations
  • box-folder 2 folder: 4
    Coal Mining - Miners
    14 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 5
    Coal Mining - Sites and Buildings
    5 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Trains

  • box-folder 2 folder: 6
    Coal Mining - Exhibition Mines and Museums
    30 images. 3 folders
  • box-folder 2 folder: 7
    Cockram, Buren
    1 image
  • box-folder 2 folder: 7
    Cockram, Lincoln
    1 image
  • box-folder 2 folder: 7
    Conrad, Lula
    2 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 7
    Country Stores
    2 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Evie Shelton's Store; Palmer's Market

  • box-folder 2 folder: 7
    Court Day (Franklin Co., Virginia)
    2 images
  • Courthouses - see Buildings, Unidentified; Montgomery County (Virginia) Courthouse
  • Covered Bridges - see Bridges
  • box-folder 2 folder: 8
    Craft Fairs
    10 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 9
    Crafts
    13 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Baskets and Basket-making; Berea College - Student Industries; Craft Fairs; Craftsmen; Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin'; Soap-making

  • Craftsmen, Identified - see Ambrugey, Jethro; Belcher, Dale; Boyd, Glyndon; Boyd, Turner; Duncan, Rufus; Garnard, Harold; Hash, Goode; Hylton, Newton; Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin'; McCarter, Fred
  • box-folder 2 folder: 10
    Craftsmen, Unidentified
    6 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Berea College - Student Industries; Craft Fairs

  • box-folder 2 folder: 10
    Cumberland Falls State Park
    6 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 11
    Cumberland Gap National Park
    13 images
  • Cumberland River - see Fishing; Rivers and Streams
  • box-folder 2 folder: 12
    Cupp, Thomas Jefferson
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cabins

  • Dan River Queen - see Riverboats
  • Dancing - see Folk Dances; Frontier Land Amusement Park (Cherokee, North Carolina); Square Dancing
  • box-folder 2 folder: 12
    Decoy School
    1 image
  • Deer - see Animals
  • Dehart, Alice - see Quilts and Quilting
  • Dehart, Theodore "Ted" - see Moonshine and Moonshiners
  • Dehart, Walter cabin - see Cabins
  • box-folder 2 folder: 12
    Doe Hill (Virginia)
    1 image
  • Dogs - see Animals
  • box-folder 2 folder: 12
    Duncan, Rufus
    1 image
  • Eggleston Ferry - see "The Long Way Home"
  • Elk - see Animals
  • box-folder 2 folder: 12
    Evie Shelton's Store (Floyd Co., Virginia)
    3 images
  • box-folder 2 folder: 13
    Farms and Farming
    14 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cockram, Buren; Hylton, Newton; Virginia Tech Farm

  • Fields, Alicine - see kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin
  • box-folder 2 folder: 14
    Fighting Creek Gap (Tennessee)
    1 image
  • box-folder 2 folder: 14
    Fire Engine, Antique (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
    1 image
  • box-folder 2 folder: 14
    Fire Lookout Tower
    1 image
  • box-folder 3 folder: 1
    Fishing
    51 images. 5 folders
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Camping

  • box-folder 3 folder: 2
    Flowers
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Garnett, Joe

  • box-folder 3 folder: 2
    Folk Dances
    6 images
  • Folk Medicine - see Garnett, Joe; Ginseng; Mullein
  • Food - see Apple Butter-making; Bee Hunting; Conrad, Lula; Maple Sugar
  • Ford Tract Wildlife Refuge - see Game Preserves
  • box-folder 3 folder: 3
    Fox, John Jr., home (Big Stone Gap, Virginia)
    1 image
  • box-folder 3 folder: 3
    Frontier Land Amusement Park (Cherokee, North Carolina)
    9 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Palmer, Earl

  • box-folder 3 folder: 4
    Frontier Nursing Service
    3 images
  • Frontier Trading Post (Asheville, North Carolina) - see Blue Ridge Parkway
  • Furniture-making - see Amburgey, Jethro; Duncan, Rufus; McCarter, Fred
  • box-folder 3 folder: 4
    Game Preserves
    1 image
  • box-folder 3 folder: 4
    Garnard, Harold
    2 images
  • box-folder 3 folder: 5
    Garnett, Joe
    11 images
  • Giles, Rebecca Diane McNeill - see Weddings
  • box-folder 3 folder: 5
    Ginseng
    1 image
  • Goins, Robert - see Coal Mining - Miners
  • box-folder 3 folder: 6-7
    Golf Courses
    20 images
  • Grit Bread - see Conrad, Lula
  • box-folder 3 folder: 8
    Groups, Unidentified
    19 images. 2 folders
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Weddings

  • Guns - see Relics
  • Harshbarger, Katherine - see "The Long Way Home"
  • box-folder 3 folder: 9
    Hash, Goode
    3 images
  • box-folder 3 folder: 9
    Horse Racing
    2 images
  • box-folder 3 folder: 9
    Horseback Riding
    2 images
  • Horses - see Animals; Farms and Farming; Horse Racing; Horseback Riding
  • Hospitals - see Montgomery County (Virginia) Regional Hospital
  • Howard, Jim - see Cabins
  • Huckleberry Railroad - see Trains
  • box-folder 4 folder: 1
    Hylton, Newton
    35 images. 3 folders
  • box-folder 4 folder: 2
    Individuals, Unidentified
    18 images. 2 folders
  • Jackson, Elrod "Thumper" - see Moonshine and Moonshiners
  • box-folder 4 folder: 3
    Jackson's Ferry Shot Tower
    1 image
  • Jacobs, Cody - see Alice Lloyd College
  • Keeneland Race Course (Lexington, Kentucky) - see Horse Racing
  • box-folder 4 folder: 3
    Kentucky Parks
    5 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cumberland Gap National Park; Cumberland Falls State Park; Kingdom Come State Park; Mammoth Cave National Park; Natural Bridge State Park; Pine Mountain State Park Kingdom Come State Park (Cumberland, Kentucky) [3 images]

  • box-folder 4 folder: 4
    Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin'
    4 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 4
    Kuralt, Charles and Earl Palmer
    1 image
  • Lake Cumberland - see Fishing; Kentucky Parks
  • box-folder 4 folder: 4
    Lake Junealuska (North Carolina)
    1 image
  • Laurel River - see Fishing
  • Libraries - see Bookmobile (Montgomery Co., Virginia); Lincoln Memorial University (Middlesboro, Kentucky)
  • Lily of the Valley - see Flowers
  • box-folder 4 folder: 4
    Lincoln Memorial University (Middlesboro, Kentucky)
    3 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 4
    Little Shepherd Trail (Kentucky)
    2 images
  • Locomotives - see Trains
  • Log Rock - see Kingdom Come State Park
  • box-folder 4 folder: 5
    Logging
    1 image
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Williams, Jack "Piney"

  • box-folder 4 folder: 5
    "The Long Way Home"
    15 images
  • Lucas, Roy - see Bookmobile (Montgomery Co., Virginia)
  • box-folder 4 folder: 5
    Mabry Mill (Virginia)
    1 image
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Hylton, Newton

  • box-folder 4 folder: 6
    Mammoth Cave National Park
    1 image
  • box-folder 4 folder: 6
    Maple Sugar
    4 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 6
    Marshall, Belle
    1 image
  • box-folder 4 folder: 6
    McCarter, Fred
    5 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 7
    McDowell Battlefield
    1 image
  • Melrose Cavern (Lacy Spring, Virginia) - see Caves
  • Merrimac Mines - see Coal Mining - Miners
  • box-folder 4 folder: 7
    Middlesboro, Kentucky
    2 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 7
    Mills and Milling
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Farms and Farming; Mabry Mill (Virginia); Marshall, Belle

  • box-folder 4 folder: 7
    Ministers
    6 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 8
    Montgomery County (Virginia) Courthouse
    2 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 8
    Montgomery County (Virginia) Regional Hospital
    1 image
  • box-folder 4 folder: 9
    Moonshine and Moonshiners
    16 images. 2 folders
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cabins; Cockram, Lincoln; Oversize Photos

  • box-folder 4 folder: 10
    Mount Vernon (Virginia)
    3 images
  • box-folder 4 folder: 11
    Mountain Views
    14 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cumberland Gap National Park; Peaks of Otter (Virginia); Shenandoah National Park; Smoky Mountains

  • box-folder 5 folder: 1
    Mullein
    1 image
  • Musicians - see Hylton, Newton; Moonshine and Moonshiners
  • Native Americans - see Cherokee Indian Reservation (Cherokee, North Carolina)
  • box-folder 5 folder: 1
    Natural Arch (Cumberland National Forest, Kentucky)
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 1
    Natural Bridge State Park (Kentucky)
    2 images
  • Nurses - see Frontier Nursing Service
  • box-folder 5 folder: 1
    Nuts and Nutcracking
    2 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 1
    Palmer, Earl
    7 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Kuralt, Charles and Rakes, Walter

  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Palmer's Market (Montgomery Co., Virginia)
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Parades
    1 image
  • Pastors - see Ministers
  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Peaks of Otter (Virginia)
    2 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Pine Mountain Settlement School
    2 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Pine Mountain State Park
    3 images
  • Plants - see Flowers; Garnett, Joe; Ginseng; Mullein; Trees
  • box-folder 5 folder: 2
    Poly-Scientific
    2 images
  • Potomac River - see Rivers and Streams
  • Preachers - see Ministers
  • box-folder 5 folder: 3
    Quilts and Quilting
    9 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 3
    Radarscope (Black Mountain, Kentucky)
  • box-folder 5 folder: 4
    Radio Telescope (Green Bank, West Virginia)
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 4
    Rail Fences
    5 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Hylton, Newton

  • Railroads - see Trains
  • Rakes, Evonne - see Baskets and Basket-making
  • Rakes, Lera - see Baskets and Basket-making; Quilts and Quilting
  • Rakes, Sylvia - see Baskets and Basket-making
  • box-folder 5 folder: 4
    Rakes, Walter "Goode" and Earl Palmer
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 5
    Relics
    8 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Crafts; Farms and Farming; Hylton, Newton; Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin'

  • Reynolds, Flossie - see Apple Butter-making
  • Rhododendron - see Flowers
  • box-folder 5 folder: 6
    Riverboats
    4 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 6
    Rivers and Streams
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Fishing

  • Rock Cairns - see Relics
  • box-folder 5 folder: 7
    Rock Formations
    10 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Cumberland Falls State Park; Cumberland Gap National Park; Kingdom Come State Park (Cumberland, Kentucky); Peaks of Otter (Virginia); Rivers and Streams; Seneca Rocks (West Virginia); Natural Arch; Sky Bridge

  • Ruckman, John - see Maple Sugar
  • Sand Cave (Kentucky) - see Caves
  • Sarver cabin (Gap Mountain) - see Cabins
  • box-folder 5 folder: 8
    Scenery
    3 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 8
    School Groups
    2 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Decoy School; Pine Mountain Settlement School

  • Sculpture - see Relics
  • box-folder 5 folder: 8
    Seneca Rocks (West Virginia)
    2 images
  • Sharp, Josh - see Fishing
  • Sheep - see Animals; McDowell Battlefield
  • Shellfish - see Fishing
  • Shelton's Store (Floyd Co., Virginia) - see Evie Shelton's Store (Floyd Co., Virginia)
  • box-folder 5 folder: 8
    Shenandoah National Park
    1 image
  • Shot Tower (Wytheville, Virginia) - see Jackson's Ferry Shot Tower
  • box-folder 5 folder: 8
    Shows
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Frontier Land Amusement Park (Cherokee, North Carolina); "The Long Way Home;" Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin'; "Singin' on the Mountain"

  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    "Singin' on the Mountain"
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    Sky Bridge
    1 image
  • Slone, Teach - see Coal Mining - Miners
  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    Smoky Mountains
    4 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Fighting Creek Gap (Tennessee); Golf Courses

  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    Soap-making
    2 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    Square Dancing
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 9
    Stagecoaches
    1 image
  • Steffey's Wharf (Hancock, Maryland) - see Canals
  • Still House Overlook - see Mountain Views
  • box-folder 5 folder: 10
    Still, James
    1 image
  • box-folder 5 folder: 10
    Stotesbury (West Virginia)
    2 images
  • Stone Walls - see Relics
  • box-folder 5 folder: 10
    Stuart, Jesse
    5 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 10
    Sutphin, Bobby and Alice
    1 image
  • Swinging Bridges - see Bridges
  • box-folder 5 folder: 10
    Telephone Switchboard
    1 image
  • Tobacco - see Farms and Farming
  • box-folder 5 folder: 11
    Trains
    10 images
  • Treece, Nora - see Apple Butter-making
  • box-folder 5 folder: 12
    Trees
    7 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Rail Fences

  • box-folder 5 folder: 12
    Tunnels
    2 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Union Church (Blue Grass Valley) - see Churches
  • box-folder 5 folder: 13
    Virginia Tech Farm
    1 image
  • Wagon Wheels - see Relics
  • box-folder 5 folder: 13
    Waterfalls
    6 images
    Scope and Contents note

    see also Fishing; Rivers and Streams; Postcards and Printed Material

  • box-folder 5 folder: 14-15
    Weddings
    25 images
  • box-folder 5 folder: 16
    Williams, Jack "Piney"
    2 images
Series II. Duplicate Photographs
  • box-folder 6 folder: 1
    Animals - Bee Hunting
  • box-folder 6 folder: 2
    Berea College - Bridges
  • box-folder 6 folder: 3
    Cabins - Churches
  • box-folder 6 folder: 4
    Coal Mining
    2 folders
  • box-folder 6 folder: 5
    Country Stores - Cumberland Falls State Park
  • box-folder 6 folder: 6
    Cumberland Gap National Park - Fire Lookout Tower
  • box-folder 6 folder: 7
    Fishing
    3 folders
  • box-folder 6 folder: 8
    Flowers - Frontier Land Amusement Park (Cherokee, North Carolina)
  • box-folder 6 folder: 9
    Garnett, Joe - Golf Courses
  • box-folder 6 folder: 10
    Groups, Unidentified
  • box-folder 6 folder: 11
    Horseback Riding - Kingdom Come State Park
  • box-folder 6 folder: 12
    Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin' - Ministers
  • box-folder 6 folder: 13
    Mountain Views - Riverboats
  • box-folder 6 folder: 14
    Rivers and Streams - Stotesbury, West Virginia
  • box-folder 6 folder: 15
    Trains - Williams, Jack "Piney"
Series III. Written Materials
1958-1976, n.d.
  • box-folder 6 folder: 16
    Photo Captions and Blurbs, n.d.
  • box-folder 6 folder: 17
    Correspondence and Notes, 1958-1976, n.d.
  • box-folder 6 folder: 18
    Postcards and Printed Material, 1965-1974, n.d.
Series IV. Oversize Photos
  • box-folder 7 folder: 1
    Cabins
    2 images
  • box-folder 7 folder: 1
    Moonshine and moonshiners
    2 images
Series V. Artifacts
artifact Artifacts
Physical Access

Please note: Artifacts in this collection are held by Special Collections and University Archives, but are located in an off-site facility. Access to artifacts requires at least one week advance notice and are subject to availability of staff. Please note: We may not be able to offer viewing of all artifacts requested, due to preservation and transportation concerns, current location and organization of collection, the size of individual items, and the number of items requested.

Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) for more information.

  • Cameras and photographic equipment
    • Ansco Sureshot camera
    • Brownie box camera
    • Camera bag, leather
    • Flash lamp
    • Kodak Duaflex camera
    • Kodak-Medalist camera
    • Lumiere dry plate
    • Moviegraph camera, large
    • Spool of film
  • Coal mining
    • Breast auger
    • Miner's cap
    • Miner's cap with carbide lamp
    • Miner's pick-axe
  • Crafts
    • Bear on tree, carved
    • Fan, turkey feather
    • Figure at well, wood-carved
    • Figure with churn, wood-carved
    • Folk toy
    • Horse and pig, cornstalk carvings
    • Mabry Mill model (carved by Newton Hylton)
    • Man and son going to mill, wood-carved doll
    • Owl, feather on wood
  • Farming materials
    • Barn wood (4 or more pieces)
    • Barrels, small, wood (2)
    • Horse collars (2)
    • Horseshoes, rusted
    • Lantern, large
    • Ox yoke, large (carved by Newton Hylton)
    • Ox yokes, medium (Newton Hylton) (2)
    • Ox yokes, small (Newton Hylton) (2)
    • Plow
    • Plow points, iron (2)
    • Rake, wooden
    • Saddle, leather
    • Stirrups (2)
    • Wagon hubs (2)
    • Wagon lamp, Conestoga
    • Wagon pieces (singletrees, etc.) (at least 9)
    • Wagon seat
    • Wagon wheels (2)
    • Water mill wheel center, wooden
    • Wood maul (Newton Hylton)
  • Furniture
    • Bench, wooden
    • Chair with caned seat, small, carved
    • Rocking chair and footstool (handmade)
  • Houseware
    • Andirons (hand-forged by Newton Hylton) (3)
    • Baskets, oak (Lera Rake) (4)
    • Broom, straw
    • Coal bucket
    • Edison cylinder
    • Hearth brooms, reed (made by Goode Hash) (4)
    • Kettle, copper
    • Medicine bottles
    • Octagon Soap
    • Shoe lathe on wood block
    • Snuff jar
    • Spinning wheel
    • Wash pot, iron (2)
    • Washtub, iron
  • Kitchenware and Foodstuffs
    • Berea sugars
      4 boxes
    • Cheese boxes (6)
    • Cheese cutter
    • Coffee grinder
    • Coffee pot, spatterware
    • Crock, brown and white, cracked
    • Crock jugs (2)
    • Dough board
    • Frying pan, iron
    • Honey, jar
    • Mason jars
    • Meat grinder, large, iron
    • Meat grinders, small (2)
    • Rolling pin, large, wooden
    • Sausage grinder lid, rusted
  • Personal articles
    • Golf clubs (2)
    • Pipe tobacco can, Prince Albert
    • Sunbonnet, red
    • Walking stick, hand-carved
  • Railroads
    • Rail pieces (5)
    • Railroad lanterns, blue and clear glass (2)
    • Railroad spikes (5)
    • Saucer and bowl, Norfolk & Western Railway
    • Spoons, Norfolk & Western Railway (3)
  • Schools
    • School desk
    • School slate, cracked
    • School water barrels (2)
  • Signs
    • Cambria
    • Palmer's market
    • Trail of the Lonesome Pine
  • Miscellaneous
    • Adding machine and stand
    • Cambria car tag
    • Coca-Cola six-bottle holder
    • Courthouse vault window glasses (2)
    • Gas can, rusted
    • Hornets nests (2)
    • Leather, tanned
      1 piece
    • Moonshine still
      2 large barrels, copper kettle; thumpkeg; copper worm; copper bottom, copper mash pot