Confederate Veterans Photograph ca. 1909

Access and use

Location of collection:
Thomas Balch Library
Thomas Balch Library
208 West Market Street
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Alexandra S. Gressitt
Phone: (703) 737-7195
Fax: (703) 737-7195
Restrictions:

Collection open for research.

Terms of access:

Visual materials may require special handling.

Preferred citation:

Confederate Veterans Photograph, ca. 1909 (VC 0056), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Summary

Creator:
Dixie Sue Mellot Fix
Abstract:
This collection consists of one black and white photograph measuring 27 x 34 cm. The photograph is in good condition. The estimate of 1909 is based on the style of clothing, lifespan of the photographer, age of the subject, and date of the event.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Confederate Veterans Photograph, ca. 1909 (VC 0056), Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of one black and white photograph measuring 27 x 34 cm. The photograph is in good condition. The estimate of 1909 is based on the style of clothing, lifespan of the photographer, age of the subject, and date of the event.

Biographical / historical:

The photograph in this collection was taken by the well-known photographer Rufus W. Holsinger of Charlottesville, distinguished for his visual artistry. The building, constructed in 1906, is located on 201 East Market Street in Charlottesville, Virginia. It previously served as the United States Post Office and Courthouse and now currently houses the Jefferson Madison Regional Library. The photograph was most likely taken in conjunction with an event in 1909 to dedicate a statue memorializing the Confederate common soldier in front of the Albemarle County Courthouse. The occasion was marked by a large public ceremony.

William Phineas Thomas (1845-1915) of Loudoun County, Virginia, appears on the bottom row standing in the third position from the right. He is the only identified person in the photograph. Thomas was one of eight children born to Griffith Enoch Thomas (1814-1899) and Rebecca Burns Wright Thomas (1821-1911). Between 1863 and 1865, Thomas served in the Confederate States of America, specifically the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry, Company D, known as "Mosby's Rangers." Thomas was later captured as a prisoner of war and was paroled in 1865 in Winchester, Virginia. He is buried at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Aldie, Virginia.

Acquisition information:
Dixie Sue Mellot Fix, Harrisonville, PA.
Processing information:

Lisa Dezarn, 17 January 2014

Accruals:

2013.0150

Physical / technical requirements:

None