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Edith Shelton exhibit at The Valentine opens in December

I first ran across Edith Shelton’s photos in The Valentine’s online archives a few years ago while looking for photos of the Marshall Street Viaduct. I googled her name at the time, but nothing turned up… This past May, though, Laura Carr posted a piece on The Valentine blog site with much on Edith Shelton and her photos:

Donated by Mrs. Edgar Fisher, Jr. in 1991, the Edith K. Shelton Slide Collection is now ready for on line viewing. The collection of just over 3,000 35mm color slides is a glimpse into the architecture and life of Richmond’s older neighborhoods, often ones that have been demolished by road or building projects. The slides are still colorful and vibrant after nearly sixty years. A majority of the slides were taken in the 1950s, with the rest being taken in the 1970s and 1980s (none in the group date to the 1960s).

Even better? The Valentine will host an exhibition on her work starting December 4:

The Valentine opens its next exhibition, Edith Shelton’s Richmond, on Friday, Dec. 4 in the museum’s Lower Level. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday, May 8, 2016.

The Edith K. Shelton Slide Collection, which consists of more than 3,000 35mm color slides, provides a glimpse into Richmond’s older neighborhoods, often ones that have since changed dramatically with road construction and redevelopment projects. Miss Shelton favored Richmond’s downtown districts and focused particularly on the Jackson Ward and Carver neighborhoods during the 1950s.

Edith Keesee Shelton (1898-1989) was born in Richmond, Va., to Edith Morton Keesee and W. Penick Shelton, a banker. She attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Va., graduating in 1918 with a degree in Latin. She began working for the University of Richmond about 1927, where she continued to work as a cashier in the Treasurer’s Department until her retirement in 1969. After her mother’s death in 1950, Miss Shelton apparently lived alone until her death in 1989.

ALL PHOTOS via The Valentine, by Edith Shelton.

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19 comments

Jenny W. 11/25/2015 at 8:06 AM

Very cool! Thanks for posting.

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