JUEL ID/KEY: P48874

"Fannie Norris," a photograph by Rufus W. Holsinger taken on May 05, 1912.

The Charlottesville City Directory, 1914-15 states the following about a woman named Fannie Norris: "Norris Fannie, dom[estic] h[ome] 10 1/2 N W n[ea]r Grady Ave" (p.144). This may or may not be the same individual as photographed below; more information is needed.

Information about a Fannie Norris can be found in the J. F. Bell Funeral Home Database; it may or may not be the same person as seen in the portrait below: "Fannie (Norris) Bell, born March 18, 1893 in Rockingham County Virginia to parents Cuffey Norris and Cornelia Terrell Norris; spouse Thomas Bell; died April 2, 1973; place of death 354 11th St. NW Charlottesville, Va. and buried in Oakwood Cemetery; son James Leroy Norris, Kingston, NY; sister Virgie Murray." 

It is possible that sister Virgie Murray, mentioned above, may be the Vergie Norris who was also photographed by Holsinger, on April 23, 1912. The following entry from the J. F. Bell Funeral Home Database has this supporting information about Vergie: "Vergie (Norris) Murray, born October 27, 1901 in Rockingham, West Virginia to parents Cuffie Norris and Cornelia Tyrell; spouse Curtis Murray and daughter Annie Mae Oliver of New York City; died December 31 1976 at Towers Hospital, Charlottesville Va. and buried in Oakwood Cemetery."

Additional information about Fannie Norris 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

"Fannie Norris," 1912-05-05 photograph in UVA Library Catalogue (X02269A) 

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: July 22, 2020

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