JUEL ID/KEY: P48892

"James Moore," two photographs by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on October 27, 1917 and November 3, 1917.

Note that this portrait shows the two young boys dressed in worker's clothing. It was not uncommon in this time period to choose to depict oneself in one's work clothing and with accessories/tools of the trade when sitting for a photo, known as "occupational portraits" (Finefield) (for an example, see James Lightfoot). This portrait, however, gives no indication of the work of the individuals below, and so technically is not an occupational portrait, per se: they are dressed in generic laborer's clothing that do not specifically indicate their profession. Perhaps, then, they simply came in to have their portrait taken in the clothing they were wearing at that time. Whether purposefully showcasing their occupation or not (choosing to be photographed "as is"), these are interesting acts of self-representation. 

Additional information about James Moore / the subjects photographed will be added as it is researched.

NOTE that the name with which the portrait is labelled is not necessarily the name of the sitter in the portrait, unless otherwise verified (the date and name associated with each photograph is from the business ledgers of R. W. Holsinger). 

Below: X05650A
 

Below: X05680A

Sources

- "James Moore" 1917-10-27 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X05650A) 

- "James Moore" 1917-11-03 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X05680A) 

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 8, 2020     

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