Collection documents the personal and working lives of tenant farmer Julius Lee White, who worked on a tobacco farm in Ringgold, Virginia, and those of his extended family.
Content Description:
Collection of papers relating to family, work, and African American life in Virginia, and Maryland. It documents the personal and working lives of tenant farmer Julius Lee White and his extended family. The papers are particularly important regarding tobacco farming and the precarious financial nature of this type of work. The papers concern three groups the White, Edmunds, and Fallen families who are connected through the marriage of Julius Lee White and Geraldine Edmunds. These papers consist of material generated by the families in their personal and working lives and are especially strong in 20th century material. They consist of financial papers including bills, receipts, and statements relating to utilities, insurance, medical matters, housing, automobiles, loans, banking, work (such as pay statements), taxes, and other such concerns; bills of sale for tobacco; greeting cards, postcards and letters; ephemera such as trading stamps, coupons, premiums; church related materials such as programs, a hymnal, religious tracts and other printed material; the personal papers of a World War II soldier including a 1909 letter and selective service documents; and numerous portrait photographs of family members, as well as candid photographs. The collection is divided into four series: Series 1, White family papers, Series 2, Edmunds family papers, Series 3, Fallen family papers, and Series 4, Photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into four series:
Series 1: White Family Papers, 1906-1978
Subseries 1.1: Julius Lee White, 1943-1978
Subseries 1.2: Geraldine White, 1950-1973
Subseries 1.3: Family Papers, 1906-1971
Series 2: Edmunds Family Papers, 1936-19701
Subseries 2.1: Thomas B. Edmunds, 1945-1970
Subseries 2.: General Family Papers, 1936-1955
Series 3: Fallen Family Papers, 1949-1971
Series 4: Photographs, 1948-1967
Related Materials:
Materials in the Division of Work and Industry
Tractor-pulled tobacco planter, Accession Number 1989.0600.01
Hand-held tobacco planter, Accession Number 1989.0600.02
Three wooden hand-held tobacco planting pegs, Accession Number 1989.0600.02
Ten assorted wall calendars, all advertising in nature, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.02
One sign: "Jesus is the head of this home,", Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.03
Admiral table radio, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.04
Sonora table radio, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.05
Silvertone table radio, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.06
Sears and Roebuck table radio, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.07
Fourteen assorted burlap fertilizer sacks, Nonaccession Number 1990.3016.08
Provenance:
Collection donated by Ethel H. Carter, along with several three- dimensional objects in 1988.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
