ID/KEY: P48251

"Randolf Ortman (Horses)," thirteen photographs by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on June 29, 1917.

The identity of the African American man is unknown; he is likely an employee caring for horses. The portrait highlights the horse and grounds, and is a typical "genre portrait" showing the prosperity of the owners. There are thirteen photographs total; the one shown below has the clearest image of the African American man.

Note that the location of this portrait appears to be the same as in the earlier photographs labelled, "Elna Good" (see the trim on the distinct trim on the stable roof). The African-American man also appears to be the same person in both photographs (with the same outfit); the photographs may be from the same date but were possibly mislabelled in the original ledgers or in the transcription to the University of the Virginia library catalogue. Click here for information and an image of the Blue Ridge Farm estate. 

It is not clear at this point who Elna Good was, but the name Randolf Ortman tells us the location of this photograph. Mr. and Mrs. Randolf Ortman purchased the estate and lands of "Blue Ridge Farm" in about 1900, which were located in the Greenwood area of central Virginia (to the west of Charlottesville, at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains). Like much of the countryside surrounding Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Farm was a typical rural estate/ "gentleman's farm," with fox hunting and other equestrian pursuits being popular ("A Virginia Country Estate"). 

From Family Photo Day, 9 March 2019: 

"I don't recognize the person, but there is an Ortman Road in Greenwood, VA (I grew up on it) and I wonder if there may be family land belonging to Randolf Ortman's ancestral family?..."- anonymous, participant at Family Photo Day.  

Additional information about Randolf Ortman will be added as it is researched.

NOTE that the name with which the portrait is labelled (or, labelled "untitled") is not necessarily the name of the sitter(s) in the portrait, but rather the name of the person who paid for the portrait when it was taken (the date and name associated with each photograph is from the business ledgers of R. W. Holsinger).
Sources

- "Randolf Ortman (Horses)," 1917-06-29 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X06408B5) 

- printed notes, flipbook vol. 5.2 

- comments from Family Photo Day courtesy [anon] 

- Harvard, Ralph. "A Virginia Country Estate." (2013, October 8). Incollect. Retrieved from: https://www.incollect.com/articles/a-virginia-country-estate_2

SEE ALSO:

Holsinger Image Gallery of African Americans

J. F. Bell Funeral Home Records

Charlottesville City Directory, 1914-15 [Hathi Trust] 

1870 & 1910 U. S. Census - Charlottesville & Esmont Communities

First published: February 2, 2019

Return to the Holsinger Main Page or African-American Portraiture List of Names