Allen, Mrs. Ernest
    by Julia Munro

JUEL ID/KEY: P48603

"Mrs. Ernest Allen," a photograph by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on September 5, 1916.

The subject of the photograph has been positively identified by family members as Mr. Ernest B. Allen, Jr. (P48622). Mr. Allen, a waiter on the C&O Railroad, was the son of Charlottesville barber, Ernest B. Allen, Sr. and wife, Ethel Brown Allen.

The J. F. Bell Funeral Home Database lists the following about an Ernest Benjamin Allen: "born December 23, 1915 in Charlottesville Virginia to parents Ernest and Ethel Brown; spouse Dorothy Armstrong Allen; died October 23, 1975 at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville Virginia and buried at Oakwood Cemetery; sons Ernest & Franklin Allen, daughter Jeanette Adams; brother Donald Allen; sister Dorothy Lightfoot & Rheba West."

The J. F. Bell Funeral Home Database also has an entry about Ernest Allen, Sr.: "born June 15, 1883 in Charlottesville Virginia to parents James F. Allen and Laura Terrell; spouse Ethel Allen; died December 16, 1935 at the University of Virginia Hospital and buried at Union Ridge Cemetery."

The family believes that the elder Mr. Allen is buried at the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, but it is noted that his Death Certificate indicates that he is buried at Union Ridge. Mrs. Ethel Allen’s Death Certificate indicates that she is buried at the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, but family says the burial was changed to Oakwood Cemetery due to the overgrowth at Daughters of Zion (Burial List, 16 July 2019). 

Notes about Charlottesville appeared in African-American newspapers from Richmond, Washington, D.C., and other area newspapers, mentioning social visits, events, occasions, and so on. One such notice from the September 22, 1900 The Colored American, a Washington, D.C. newspaper, mentions that "Messr. Ernest Allen and others attended "an exceedingly enjoyable reception [that] was given at the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. John West on W. Main street" on occasion of the visit of Mr. Edward M. Syphax of Washington, D.C." (p.4).

Additional information about Mrs. Ernest Brown Allen 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). In this instance, the label "Mrs. Ernest Allen" refers to the mother of the baby pictured. 

Mrs. Ernest Allen

The Colored American September 22, 1900, p.4.1

Sources

- "Mrs. Ernest Allen," 1916-09-05 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X04405A)

Charlottesville City Directory, 1914-15 [Hathi Trust]

- Biographical information courtesy the descendants of the Allen family, and Ms. Edwina St. Rose (The Preservers of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery)

- J. F. Bell Funeral Home database entry

- The Colored American. Vol. 8 No. 25 (Washington, D.C.), 22 Sept. 1900, p.4. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress

    

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


Cite This Entry

  • APA Citation:

    Munro, J.F. (2022, Feb 7). Mrs. Ernest Allen. Holsinger Portrait Project. https://juel.iath.virginia.edu/node/1351

  • MLA Citation:

    Munro, Julia F. "Mrs. Ernest Allen." Holsinger Portrait Project. Univ. Virginia (7 Feb 2022). Web. [Date accessed].

First published: October 1, 2019 

  

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