"Parade, Main Street," eight photographs by Rufus W. Holsinger, date unknown (but likely 1920s-early 30's).

Photographs were labelled in Holsinger's ledgers by the name of the person whom paid for the portrait; in this instance, no name is associated (perhaps an error in transcribing Holsinger's written ledgers, the writing was illegible for that entry, or, Holsinger simply took the photos for himself). The date is also not known in this instance.

The occasion for the parade is unknown. The University of Virginia library catalogue describes the eight photographs (Y21874B - Y21882B) to be in sequence. 

These photographs are included here in that, although not posed studio portraits of African Americans, they show actual interactions between white and black citizens at a time when segregation due to Jim Crow laws was in play. They are highly valuable in providing "visual evidence" of that lived environment. These photographs are even more valuable in that the crowds were unaware of being photographed - Holsinger clearly taking the photographs from a higher vantage point, "outside" and "above" the crowd himself. Magnified details (some examples below), for instance, show small groups of African Americans interspersed among small groups of white persons. There appears to be small social spaces between groups, but no more than one usually sees when crowds of people are together. It is a highly fascinating, real capture of what it meant to be living and navigating within the reality of Jim Crow laws.  

The identity of, and additional information about, the portraits 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: Y21874B

Below: Crowd Details, Y21874B

Sources

- "Parade Main Street," no date (~1920/1939) photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (Y21874B)

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

First published: March 5, 2020

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