Newly Digitized Wade Hall Collections!

A selection of new collections from the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters project have been digitized and made available online! New collections include topics such as religion, romance, war, family, education, and veterinary healthcare! These collections, along with many others, were digitized as part of a National Endowment for the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Grant, entitled "P.S. Write Again Soon": Revealing 200 years of the American Mosaic through the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters. All digitized and published Wade Hall collections can be found on ExploreUK!

F.L. Speiden to Harriet Pettus, 1900

Pettus-Speiden family papers, 2009ms132.0126 - The Pettus-Speiden family papers (dated 1891-1928, bulk 1904-1917; 1.4 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters and short writings that document the experiences of an upper class family in Louisville, Kentucky during the last decade of the nineteenth century through World War I.

Florence Weigel letters, 2009ms132.0134 - The Florence Weigel letters (dated 1898-1899; 0.08 cubic feet; 2 folders) comprises thirteen letters that document the relationship between Florence Weigel and Lester Pomeroy in Pennsylvania and New York.

Henry Heyburn postcard to parents, 1943

Henry Heyburn family letters, 2009ms132.0284 - The Henry Heyburn family letters (dated 1908-1992, bulk 1938-1948; 1.8 cubic feet; 4 boxes) comprise letters, papers, and clippings that document the life of Henry Heyburn as a soldier and his family in Louisville, Kentucky during and post-World War II.

Ivan Heft to his mother, 1911

Ivan Heft papers, 2009ms132.0303 - The Ivan Heft papers (dated 1903-1961, undated; 0.9 cubic feet; 2 boxes) comprise letters, essays, and notebooks that primarily documents the education and early pastoral career of Ivan Heft in New Jersey, Ohio, Montana, Colorado, New York, and Kentucky in the first half of the twentieth century.

Grand Army of the Republic records, 2009ms132.0358 - The Grand Army of the Republic records (dated 1895-1896; 1.03 cubic feet; 1 box, 4 items) primarily consist of letters, telegram notes, and other correspondence kept and organized by William Cornwell Jr., General Secretary of the citizens committee of the Grand Army of the Republic's 29th National Encampment in Louisville, Kentucky.

Zoology project by Winston A. Thompson

Winston A. Thompson papers, 2009ms132.0547 - The Winston A. Thompson papers (dated 1943-1964, undated; 0.22 cubic feet; 11 folders) comprise printed materials, publications, school records and assignments, and a memory book that document the life of Winston Thompson while attending Central High School in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1950s.

Letter to Monna detailing a friend's second assault, 1942

Monna Rogers letters, 2009ms132.0560 - The Monna Rogers letters (dated 1910-1955, undated; 0.27 cubic feet; 6 folders) comprise letters that document the personal and religious life of Monna Rogers and other family members in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century.

Equine veterinarian log book, 2009ms132.0568 - The Equine veterinarian log book (dated 1900; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises a log book of veterinarian Dr. Plaskett and his two voyages transporting horses from Montreal, Canada to Port Elizabeth, South Africa for the British during the Boer War.

German soldier to parents, 1941

German World War II soldiers letters, 2009ms132.0573 - The German World War II soldiers letters (dated 1941-19444; 0.05 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise nine letters from German soldiers to their families while serving during World War II.

Lafayette Studios photographs now on ExploreUK

We are pleased to announce that the Lafayette Studios photographs are now available on ExploreUK. Due to the sheer size of this collection and nature of the description, it was divided by date into four finding aids.

• Lafayette Studios photographs: 1926-1929 (55 items)
• Lafayette Studios photographs: 1930-1939 (6543 items)
• Lafayette Studios photographs: 1940-1949 (6152 items)
• Lafayette Studios photographs: 1950-2003, and undated (1305 items)

Scope and Content: The Lafayette Studios photographs consists of 17,269 photographic negatives (52.0 cubic feet, 115 boxes) in the 8x10, 5x7, and 4x5 formats and both nitrate and acetate base materials are present. Scenes of commercial real estate in downtown Lexington predominate, but civil and social groups are represented, as well as photographic orders filled at the request of private individuals that cover a wide array of subject matter.

History: Robert J. "Bob" Long and his wife, Ida Nelson Long, opened Lafayette Studios in 1923, operating it out of the New Johns Building at 108 Walnut Street (now Martin Luther King Boulevard) in Lexington, Kentucky. Bob and Ida Long already had a few years experience in still and moving image photography and Bob Long worked as a projectionist at the newly opened Kentucky Theatre on East Main Street. In 1925, they expanded their business and moved the studio space to 311 West Main Street. By the early 1930s, the Longs bought out their main competitor, Starman Studios. Around this time, Bob Long left his job at the Kentucky Theatre and focused on building Lafayette Studios into Lexington's most successful photographic studio. In the late 1930s, the Longs moved again, this time to the Starman Studio space, at 301 West Main Street. By 1941, they moved again, settling into 141-143 North Limestone; it was to be the studio's home until 1984. In 1959, the Longs sold Lafayette Studios to Chester Wainscott and Goy Goforth and retired. After 1962, Wainscott became the sole owner and operator until the studio closed in 1985 at its final location of 111 South Limestone.