About

I am a writer, researcher, editor, and collector. I will share on this blog items from the following:

The Architectural Clippings consist of early 20th century photographs and information, for the most part collected by a Northeast architect.

The Beaver/Jones/Yeatts Family Collection is from my mother’s side of the family. We have many unidentified pictures that I hope the public can help identify.

The Dearing Family Collection consists of photographs by B.L. Dearing and his family. Some were taken in Southside Virginia (primarily in and around Chatham), and some are of family and friends in other states. (Many thanks to the Virginia/North Carolina Piedmont Genealogical Society for sharing this pictures.)

The Mitchell/Helvey family pictures and memorabilia are from my father’s side of the family (primarily concerning my grandfather, teacher and photographer J.T.W. Trubie Mitchell, and my grandmother, artist Mary Helvey Mitchell, but also other relatives).

The Powell Hotel Albums involve a bit of a mystery. Two albums were found in some old furniture, and entrusted to my parents about forty years ago. A few pictures bear the names of local photography studios, but many are from areas far away.

The Preston B. Moses Collection appears courtesy Preston’s daughter, Pattie Moses Lilley. Preston B. Moses was the editor of Chatham’s newspaper for many decades; many of the photographs are of local events between the 1930s and the 1980s.

The Whitehead Collection includes postcards, letters, and fabric samples from the first third of the 20th century. The Whitehead’s owned a store in Chatham, Virginia, and corresponded with customers and wholesalers near and far. From the Pittsylvania Historical Society, Chatham, Virginia.

In addition, I will share tips on how to do research and tidbits of interesting history.