William Gideon Harris Photograph Album,
Scope and Content
William Gideon Harris album contains photographs and several pieces of ephemera. The images include those depicting student life and campus, sporting events, images of girls (some even dressed in the cadet uniforms) as well as outings in the local area, such as Cascades, a mine, and a mill. There is some newspaper clippings and poetry on some of the pages, and a sentimental love poem with bows and hair attached. The images date from approximately 1908 to 1912. There are also some experiments with film development.
Dates
- Creation: c.1908-1912
Creator
- Harris, William Gideon (Collector, Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from William Gideon Harris Photograph Album must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Biographical/Historical Note
William Gideon Harris, from Alexandria, Virginia, was a member of the 1911 Class at VPI & SU. He graduated with a degree in Applied Chemistry. He was a member of the football team (1907-1908), baseball team (1908-1909), and a member of the social club the "Fallen Angels."
The "Fallen Angels," a Pandamonium Club, was a social club created by the senior cadets who had lost their rank. They were around from 1907-1923. When formed, their favorite activity was listed as "Hunting trouble." Little is known beyond that about the club, but there seems to be some connection to Milton.
The 1905 Chapel has several appearances within the album, though little is recorded about it. It was located on the hill where McBryde Hall is now. It was taken down in 1914, replaced by the first McBryde Hall in 1914. It was a limestone church, with a Victorian gothic design. There was also a crenelated tower attached to the church.
The Snowball Fight is a Virginia Tech tradition. On the first big snow of the season, the Corps of Cadets goes out on the drill field and battle it out. This has transformed over the years from being an activity with just the Corps to one setting the Virginia Tech civilians against the Corps of Cadets.
Resources:
Temple, Harry Downing, and Floyd Richard Vranian. 1996. The bugle's echo: a chronology of cadet life at the Military College at Blacksburg, Virginia, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. [Blacksburg, Va.]: Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 1911. The Bugle.
Full Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
William Gideon Harris album contains photographs of the VPI campus and surrounding areas, c.1908-1912, as well as several newsclippings and pieces of poetry. .
Arrangement
The photographs are believed to be in chronological order within the album/scrapbook. There are markers which delineate the years in which the images were taken.
Acquisition Information
William Gideon Harris Photograph Album was donated to Special Collections in 2010.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the William Gideon Harris Photograph Album was completed in January 2011.
Topical
- Title
- Guide to William Gideon Harris Photograph Album, c.1908-1912
- Status
- Completed
- Subtitle
- A Collection in Special Collections
- Author
- Sarah R. Olney
- Date
- © 2011 By Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu