ID/KEY: P48718

"Florence Hughs," a photograph by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on May 5, 1913.

Mr. Calvin Jefferson, who attended the "Descendants Day" Holsinger Portrait Project event on 14 December 2019, notes that Florence may be his great-grandfather's niece, whose parents were Austin Hughs and Lizzie (Elizabeth) Watson Hughs. 

Note that the surname is spelled both "Hughs" and "Hughes" in different records.

The J. F. Bell Funeral Home database lists the following about a Lizzie Hughes: died September 3, 1921 at about age 60 and buried in Esmont, Virginia; maiden name Watson; married to an Auston Hughes. Note: the database also lists a Florence Hughes, but the birth date for that entry (1908) does not match the apparent age of the subject below.

The information from the J. F. Bell Funeral Home Database about Lizzie Hughes matches with information from the birth certificate of Florence Hughes (below), which lists her mother as being 35 at the time of Florence's birth in 1901. 

The birth date of 1901 does appear to align with the age of the subject in the portrait below (taken in 1913). 

Additional information about Florence Hughs 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).

Below: Birth Certificate for Florence Hughes (may or may not be of the same individual photographed above; more information needed)

Sources

- "Florence Hughs," 1913-05-05 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X01332A)

- Comments about Florence Hughs courtesy of Mr. Calvin Jefferson

- J. F. Bell Funeral Home Records  

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: December 15 2019

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