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[identification of item], [box #, folder #], George W.W Scothern Daybooks, 1905-1911, SC 0142, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Collection purchased by Carrier Library in September 1998 from Green Valley Auctions in Mt. Crawford.
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017.
George W. W. Scothern was born on January 7, 1887 in Mt. Jackson, Virginia to Charles A. Scothern and Effie Jewel Scothern. He worked as a photographer throughout his life in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Hagerstown, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. He died in January 1968 in Mt. Jackson and was buried in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Charles A. Scothern, father of George, was born in 1863 and died in 1944 in Mt. Jackson, Virginia. He was the owner of a general store, C. A. Scothern and Son, opened in 1909 and located in Mt. Jackson.
The George W.W. Scothern Daybooks, 1905-1911, consist of two ledgers, one holding information for orders from a photography business and another with account information for purchases made at a general store, 16 portrait photographs, several invoices for stock of goods for Walkers Chapel, a page from a book detailing the collotype process of film development, most likely from the journal
The photography ledger is stamped on the inside with the words "Mt. Jackson," and has the name Geo W. W. Scothern written at the top front page. This ledger lists dates ordered, name, address, size and style of photograph ordered, amount paid and due, and dates sent and delivered. Most orders are from Mt. Jackson addresses, as well as various other Shenandoah Valley locations. The general store ledger, likely from C. A. Scothern & Son general store, includes invoices for purchases of common general store products and includes George Scothern and Chas. A. Scothern as customers.
The collection is arranged in three folders.
Book One has "Studio Register Ledger" imprinted on the exterior, and has "Mt. Jackson, Va" stamped on the inside cover, where is also written the signature, "Geo. W.W. Scothern." The book seems to be a photographer's account record and lists dates ordered and delivered, names of persons ordering portraits, post amounts due, and styles. Sixteen unidentified photos (three are small multiple frames) office addresses, numbers of negatives, sizes, accompanying the book are filed in Folder 3 (some are badly faded).
Book Two is slightly larger than Book One and lacks the "Studio Register Ledger" imprint. It lists general merchandise sold at an unidentified store, including shoes, overalls, beans, door latches, chops, coffee, flour, lard, and tobacco. Lists Chas. A. Scothern and Geo. W. Scothern as customers.