Alvin T. Parnell photographs of Durham, North Carolina, circa 1898-1986, bulk 1910-1960

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Summary

Creator:
Parnell, Alvin T.
Abstract:
Alvin T. Parnell was a commercial photographer based in Durham, N.C. Collection chiefly consists of 167 black-and-white photographs of the city and people of Durham, North Carolina. The majority, chiefly taken by Parnell from 1920 through the 1950s, are views of downtown streets, commercial and industrial buildings, churches, and infrastructure, especially transportation. Many sites are related to the tobacco manufacturing businesses based in Durham. A few are of African American tobacco workers posed in the field and female factory workers ending their shift. Other images range widely and include a Trinity College (later Duke University) reunion, war veterans at gatherings, a minstrel band, a cart advertising Bull Durham tobacco, and tobacco fields with posed workers, white and African American. In addition, there are portraits of prominent Durham individuals and families. Formats include 85 vintage and modern gelatin silver prints, chiefly 8x10 inches, 82 contact prints, and 12 safety negatives. Includes an information folder with 1986 obituary and collection information.
Extent:
1.5 Linear Feet (2 boxes; 183 items)
Physical description:
2 boxes; 183 items
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.11373

Background

Scope and content:

Collection comprises 167 early to mid-20th century black-and-white photographs of the city and people of Durham, North Carolina. The majority of the images were taken by Alvin T. Parnell, a commercial photographer with a studio in downtown Durham, from about 1920 to 1950; prints from 1898 to 1919 likely were from the Cole-Holladay studio, which Parnell took over around 1920. Formats include a few vintage mounted albumen and gelatin silver prints, unmounted vintage and modern gelatin silver prints, and small contact prints made from original nitrate negatives. There are also twelve safety film negatives present, from which some copy prints were made. Includes an information folder with Parnell's 1986 obituary and collection information.

The largest group of photographs, taken from the late 1910s through the early 1950s, features views of Durham's growing downtown, often commissioned by Parnell's business and City Hall clients. In the background of the many street scenes one can see the progression of small storefront businesses that made up life on Main Street in a 20th century Southern Piedmont city. Given Durham's role as a birthplace for the post-Civil War tobacco manufacturing industry, it is not surprising that there are numerous photographs of buildings and industrial sites belonging to American Tobacco, Blackwell Tobacco, and Liggett Myers. Parnell also photographed buses, trolleys, and other scenes for an early Durham power and transportation company, Durham Public Services.

Other images focus on people, and range widely in subject matter: men posed at a Trinity College (later Duke University) reunion, war veterans at gatherings, fraternities, children on a playground, and a minstrel band. A few are of African American tobacco workers posed in the field and female factory workers ending their shift. There are also portraits of prominent individuals and families: an elderly Bennehan Cameron with family members; John Ruffin Green (one of Durham's earliest tobacco entrepreneurs); Washington Duke and sons with associates at a barbeque; the Rosenstein family (optometrists from New York who came to Durham in 1904); William Umstead (U.S. Senator from northern Durham County); and various police chiefs and businessmen. There are also a few portraits of women, some with captions and some unidentified.

There are also twelve safety film negatives in the collection, sized 8x10 and 4x5 inches, from which a selection of copy prints were made after the collection was acquired. A few have no existing prints – these are noted in the collection guide.

In addition to photographs in this collection, some if not most of the earlier images of Durham in the Durham Chamber of Commerce collection in the Rubenstein Library are likely to have been taken by Parnell. His work is also likely to be found in other collections related to Durham residents containing photographs.

Biographical / historical:

Alvin Talmadge Parnell (1899-1986) was born in Horry County, South Carolina. He became an apprentice in the Walter Holladay photography studio in Durham, N.C., located on Main Street (often spelled Halladay or Holloday). When he returned from World War I service, he took over the Holladay studio from a Mr. Ramsey, and operated it under his name until the 1950s, when he left Durham to live in Lumberton, N.C. His wife took over the business, renaming it the Overton-Parnell Studio. It is likely that in addition to providing photographs for business clients, Parnell also acted as photographer for Durham City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and local newspapers. Parnell died in 1986 and is buried in Lumberton.

Acquisition information:
The Alvin T. Parnell photographs of Durham, North Carolina were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 1975.
Processing information:

Processed by Paula Jeannet, Justin Baez, and Ben Saalfeld, March 2017.

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 1975-0001.

Arrangement:

Arranged in three series: Photographs, Contact Prints, and Negatives. The photographs are arranged in three groupings: places, people, and a few miscellaneous images; and in rough chronological order within.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
General note:

Original nitrate negatives were deaccessioned at accessioning; contact prints of the images exist in the collection.

Contents

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Restrictions:

Access note. Original negatives are closed to general use; access only by permission of the Archive of Documentary Arts Curator. Viewing copies may be made for access to content.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Alvin T. Parnell photographs of Durham, North Carolina, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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