Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1605

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

1 volume(s) (1 box)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Patterson-Proctor family photograph album, 1898-circa 1910, Ms. Coll. 1605, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1898-circa 1910 (inclusive)

Form:

cartes-de-visite (card photographs) and Photograph albums

Abstract:

This volume contains 19 cartes-de-visite photographs of members of the extended Patterson-Proctor family, a Black family living in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Little is known about the Patterson-Proctor family, other than that they were a seemingly well-off Black family from Ohio and Pennsylvania. The seller's description states that this album represents, "several members of the prominent African-American community of Ravenna, Ohio." (Kislak administrative file)

Some of the individuals identified in this album include Jessamine Simpson Proctor, Edward Proctor, and Frederick Jeremiah Loudin.

Jessamine Simpson was from Akron, Ohio and Edward Proctor was from Ravenna, Ohio. They married on December 28, 1898 in a ceremony that was described as "the principal society event of the colored people of this year…" (Akron Beacon Journal) In 1906, they were honored together at a reception hosted by the Wheel of Progress Reading Circle for Black high school graduates in Akron and the surrounding area. Jessamine Proctor graduated from Akron High School and Edward Proctor Graduated from Ravenna High School.

Frederick Jeremiah Loudin (1836-1904) of Ravenna, Ohio was the leader of the Loudin Jubilee Singers, an African American a cappella group. Before starting his own group, Loudin was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and was close to the group's founder, George White. Loudin's Jubilee Singers toured internationally, performing in England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, China, Japan, and the American West. The group was managed by Loudin's wife, Harriet Johnson Loudin, and was financially successful. It is unclear if Loudin is related to the Patterson-Proctor family of if a member of the family was a member of his group, or if his presence in this album is simply because he was a prominent resident of Ravenna, Ohio.

This volume contains 19 cartes-de-visite photographs of members of the extended Patterson-Proctor family, a Black family living in Ohio and Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The front cover is wood board and the spine and rear board are covered in red cloth. There is significant damage to the binding. Several pages of this album are blank (p. 19-25, 28).

The photographs were produced by photographers and studios in Ravenna, Akron, and Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh and Oakdale, Pennsylvania. An image featuring Frederick Jeremiah Loudin of the Jubilee Singers was produced in New Zealand. A photograph of Loudin's wife, Harriet Johnson, was produced in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Each of the images is accompanied by a caption "added later by a family member who knew the subjects well," according to the seller's description (Kislak administrative file).

The subjects of the photographs are identified as "Margaret Patterson, Mother of Jim & Emanuel" (p. 1), "Silas Patterson. Cousin of Mamma" (p. 2), "Edward Proctor at his graduation" (p. 4), "Jessmine Simpson. Jess. Proctor. Edward's wife from Akron, Ohio" (p. 5), "Mamma Proctor" (p. 6), "Verna. The youngest of the family" (P. 7), "Mr. Louden. Jubilee Singers." [Frederick Jeremiah Loudin] (p. 8), "Mrs. Louden his wife" [Harriet Johnson Loudin] (p. 9), "Emma" (p. 10), "Aunt Luo. Son her husband. Mamma's 2nd younger sister" (p. 11), "Jim Patterson. Cousin to Mamma" (p. 12), "Emanuel Patterson. Cousin to Mamma" (p. 13), "Aunt Mag Milton. Youngest sister of our mother. Her husband is Charlie Bolden" (p. 14), "Uncle John Fullum…Pap's oldest sister's husband" (p. 15), "Lizzie Stevenson. Cousin to Papa" (p. 16), "Jim Patterson" (p. 17), "Norman graduation" (p. 18), "Mother Carrie Peters Conner of Estella Connor Thomas" (p. 26), and "Ira Fullum" (p. 27).

Next to the carte-de-visite of Loudin is a clipping bearing the image of Patti J. Malone, a soprano for the Jubilee Singers (p. 8).