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[Identification of item], Davidson Family Papers, WLU-Coll-0540, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va.
This collection contains personal and business correspondence, an assortment of holiday and greeting cards (1930s-1940s), account books, family photographs, a range of printed matter, including travel guides and ephemera from the family of R. E. (Robert Edmund) and his wife Gunhild A. Davidson of the Bell's Valley and Goshen communities of Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Correspondence, primarily 1917-1949, includes letters from R. E. Davidson to Gunhild Vang (Davidson) during their courtship; letters to Helen M. Davidson (daughter) and her letters to home while at Madison College; letters from Sam M. Davidson (son) to his family while in service in the United States Army's 57th Coastal Artillery Regiment during the Second World War and posted from Camp Pendleton, Virginia, California, and Hawaii. During his war service in Hawaii, Sam M. Davidson was engaged and married to his first wife Lorraine (Mendonca) Davidson and they had two children. A number of Lorraine Davidson's letters to her in-laws are also included.
The collection includes school related ephemera from Madison College and Goshen High School (Va.), two student papers about the town of Goshen, Virginia, printed advertisements, records of Sam M. Davidson's post-Second World War training and graduation from the Honolulu Police Academy, and various papers and account books (1877-1922) of S. M. (Samuel Miller) Davidson and Lula K. (Wallace) Davidson (parents of R. E. Davidson). Also of note is a family photograph album (1867-1910) consisting of cartes de visite and cabinet cards, some identified, many by Staunton, Virginia and vicinity photographers. Within the album are ten photographs of Staunton Military Academy cadets (circa 1880-1890). Loose photographs include a candid shot of people and the Natural Bridge, a cabinet photograph of a staged studio scene of girls of the Weslyan Female Institute (circa 1885-95) formerly of Staunton, Virginia.
Includes Amherst County tax receipts for S. M. Davidson (1876-1884) letters to S.M. Davidson. Letterheads include "Valley Railroad Company" and "Richmond and Danville Railroad Company"
Includes R. E. Davidson's First World War draft registration cards and letter to Lula K. Davidson (1907) from a doctor concerned with her son Robert Jr.'s case of "grippe" or influenza.
Includes Chesapeake and Ohio (C and O) railroad tickets and a C and O conductor's receipt document (1873).
Contents include Gunhild Vang's minutes (1914-1915) of the "Busy Bee Society" - a sewing group of the girls of the German Lutheran Church of Farmville, Virginia (now St. John's Lutheran Church); and Gunhild Vang's school notebooks as a student at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia.
Miscellaneaous papers of Helen M. Davidson during her time at Madison College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Includes clippings, ephemera, drawings, including a pen and ink sketch of comic strip character "Tillie the Toiler" from a friend, Bettie J. Moore. Also included is a document and guide written in Braille.
This folder includes photographs of Helen M. Davidson.
This folder also includes portrait photographs of Sam M. Davidson in his militaty dress unifrom and his wife Lorraine (Mendonca) Davidson. The newsapers includes their marriage announcement.
This folder contains a souvnir collection of small "snapshots" of Hawaii, an outdoor photograph of the Honolulu Police Department in formation titled, "Honolulu's Finest 3-30-1949", a photo of four police officers in uniform including Sam M. Davidson, and a Seond World War era colorful patriotic hand bill with "There is a man from this family in the Navy."
Folder includes a "Clark's Spool Cotton" advertisement card with San Francisco, Ca. bay scene; ink blotters advertisements for State Farm Insurrance; cards for a funeral procession "Carriage List" (blank), a "White Star Mills" (Staunton, Va.) envelope, a St. Augustine, Florida travel brochure (1930s-40s).
Includes a pocket map of California, a guidebook to the city and county of Los Angeles, Ca., and "Summer Tours by Sea" - guidebook of cruise routes of the "Merchants and Miner's Transportation Company"
The excursion was to Hot Springs, Virginia.