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The Historical Photograph Collection is largely comprised of materials created by or for the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Some of the earliest photographs of the estate were created and sold to visitors by the Association as a means of income. Those efforts helped to establish an important collection of 19th century views. The collection spans the 1850s to 2000s and includes over 140 linear feet of analog material providing a visual history of the Mansion, outbuildings, tombs, grounds, events, visitors, collection objects, personnel, and changes throughout the estate.

Collection contains 14 albumen photographs, most stamped "Bena F. Harrison," five captioned in pencil. Some images depict locations in Loudon County, including James Monroe's Oak Hill, the Point of Rocks Bridge, and another unidentified home. Other Virginia mansions are depicted, including the "Lutz House. No. Va." Some images depict a church in Petersburg.

Views of Mount Vernon spanning more than 100 years. The Robert Waldsmith Collection consists of approximately 300 stereographs and cabinet cards by Alexander Gardner, N. G. Johnson, Luke D. Dillon, and others. Highlights of the collection include: several west front views of the Mansion, including the earlist known one by Frederick Langenheim, circa 1856; an early view of the tomb, circa 1857, and a collection of Washington statues and buildings honoring the first President.

Photographs of an African-American family, circa 1880-1960, most likely of Richmond, Virgina. Included are snapshots, studio portraits and photo postcards of family members and also a postcard of the "Barracks of Colored Recruits, Camp Lee, Petersburg, Va." (addressed to Eliza Chatman, Richmond, Va.). Some photos are identified by first names or location. Names include Pearl, Russell, Constance, Berkley, Allen, Beverley Boxyem, Samuel, Mary, James, Horace, Sarah, Mother Booker, Julie, Lester Hall, Joe Bill Williams and Mildred. Locations in addition to Richmond, are Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Tappahannock, Va., Detroit, Michigan, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Pennyslvania. Subjects of photos include visiting relatives, returning from church, several people in military uniform, children playing, post cards, pictures of individuals, studio portraits and family photos.

The Alexander Lockhart Nelson Papers consist of materials related to Nelson's life as mathematician at Washington and Lee University; Nelson, Guy, Matthews, Archer, and Rennick family genealogy; an address by Nelson on his teaching experience during Robert E. Lee's presidency of Washington College; some family and miscellaneous correspondences; and photographs. Included and, perhaps, the primary aspect of the collection is Nelson's notebook used during his time as both student and professor of mathematics during the mid through late 19th century. The notebook also contains a range of content unrelated to his career as mathematician such as an extensive family tree, a journal/day book which includes details about weather from December 1880 through March 1881 in Lexington, Va.; a pencil drawing of his property and its improvements in downtown Lexington; and notes about payments made to a hired laborer for his Lexington home and grounds. There is an albumen photograph of a group of young girls of the Ann Smith Academy in Lexington – including an image of Nelson's daughter Evelyn. The collection is in two series – each formerly a unique accession from unique sources and different dates. The collections have recently been combined. Each series includes a control folder explaining its provenance. Series two includes a letter from WLU student Jack C. Desha in 1871 to his father Lucius Desha of Kentucky. In the letter Jack shares his travel experiences from Cincinnatti, Ohio to Lexington, Va., including an overnight visit in Washington DC. Series two also includes student Randolph Preston's (WLU class of 1902)typescript reminiscence of his Washington and Lee University student experience fifty years earlier.

This collection contains material personally collected by College of William and Mary President Alvin Duke Chandler and his wife, Louise Michaels Chandler. The collection consists of photographs, diplomas, news clippings, and correspondence of the Chandlers. Among the topics in the collection are documents pertaining to the Inauguration of Alvin Duke Chandler as President of the College of William and Mary, the Jamestown Foundation, visits to Williamsburg by dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, photographs of various activities on campus, the associated branches of William and Mary, and material from other family members including father, Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler, and brother Herbert Chandler. One of the several photographs of notable visitors to William and Mary is a color photograph of Winston Churchill at a banquet in the Wren Building during Churchill's 1955 visit. Colonial Williamsburg presented Churchill with a bell.

This small collection, 1871-1955, primarily in Russian, documents the military career of Russian Major General Anatole Kalichevsky (1870-1937) and the travel diaries of his son, Vladimir Kalichevsky (1895-1958), a petroleum engineer who spent most of his career in Texas and northern New Jersey. Examples of items relating to Anatole are his service record, military orders, his diplomatic passport, and his "New York Times" obituary. Vladimir, a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, wrote several books on petroleum engineering, three of which are in the collection. The diaries cover the years 1902-1955 and refer to tourist attractions throughout the United States and Europe as well as academic lectures attended while traveling. Also included are family photographs and Russian orders and badges awarded to Anatole. All documents are in Russian unless otherwise indicated.

This collection contains items of the Anderson and Alexander families including correspondence dealing with legal business, family matters, and Lexington, Virginia affairs. Consists largely of the family correspondence of William Alexander Anderson, Francis T. Anderson, and Mary Anne Alexander Anderson; includes letters to and from Virginia Governor John Letcher, and two letters from Mildred Lee, daughter of Robert E. Lee. Other correspondents include William A. Glasgow, George Hutcheson Denny, Charles Alfred Graves, Henry Holstine, George Junkin, George Bolling Lee, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, James McDowell, Samuel McDowell Moore, and Walter LeConte Stevens. Also includes legal and business correspondence of Francis T. Anderson; letters and diary of William D. Alexander dated 1858-1859; business accounts, wills, obituaries, including Mary Anne Alexander Anderson's obituary as a pamphlet titled In Memoriam, November 27, 1881; and genealogies of the McNutt, Anderson, and Thomas families. Includes copies of speeches of William A. Anderson dated 1842-1930 and a few photographs.