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Views of Mount Vernon spanning more than 100 years. The Robert Waldsmith Collection consists of approximately 300 stereographs and cabinet cards by Alexander Gardner, N. G. Johnson, Luke D. Dillon, and others. Highlights of the collection include: several west front views of the Mansion, including the earlist known one by Frederick Langenheim, circa 1856; an early view of the tomb, circa 1857, and a collection of Washington statues and buildings honoring the first President.

Letters, a speech, and a photograph relating to the abolitionist movement in the United States. Correspondents include: Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895) of Lane Seminary, Elizur Wright (1804-1885), Secretary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Gerrit Smith (1797-1874), philanthropist and reformer, Henry Grew (1782-1862), Quaker abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879), prominent abolitionist, and Parker Pillsbury (1809-1898), abolitionist author. Subjects include abolition tactics and organizations, expressions of sympathy to Garrison on the death of his wife and publication of Pillsbury's work. Also includes a photograph of Mary Grew (1813-1896), daughter of Henry Grew and an abolitionist in her own right.

This collection consists of items from the VMI cadetship of Alexander D. Exall, VMI Class of 1876, including:

• A cadet scrapbook that contains clippings and poetry
• An autograph album that contains inscriptions from classmates
• Three photographs of Cadet Exall
• The French/English dictionary he used at VMI

The Alexander Lockhart Nelson Papers consist of materials related to Nelson's life as mathematician at Washington and Lee University; Nelson, Guy, Matthews, Archer, and Rennick family genealogy; an address by Nelson on his teaching experience during Robert E. Lee's presidency of Washington College; some family and miscellaneous correspondences; and photographs. Included and, perhaps, the primary aspect of the collection is Nelson's notebook used during his time as both student and professor of mathematics during the mid through late 19th century. The notebook also contains a range of content unrelated to his career as mathematician such as an extensive family tree, a journal/day book which includes details about weather from December 1880 through March 1881 in Lexington, Va.; a pencil drawing of his property and its improvements in downtown Lexington; and notes about payments made to a hired laborer for his Lexington home and grounds. There is an albumen photograph of a group of young girls of the Ann Smith Academy in Lexington – including an image of Nelson's daughter Evelyn. The collection is in two series – each formerly a unique accession from unique sources and different dates. The collections have recently been combined. Each series includes a control folder explaining its provenance. Series two includes a letter from WLU student Jack C. Desha in 1871 to his father Lucius Desha of Kentucky. In the letter Jack shares his travel experiences from Cincinnatti, Ohio to Lexington, Va., including an overnight visit in Washington DC. Series two also includes student Randolph Preston's (WLU class of 1902)typescript reminiscence of his Washington and Lee University student experience fifty years earlier.

This small collection, 1871-1955, primarily in Russian, documents the military career of Russian Major General Anatole Kalichevsky (1870-1937) and the travel diaries of his son, Vladimir Kalichevsky (1895-1958), a petroleum engineer who spent most of his career in Texas and northern New Jersey. Examples of items relating to Anatole are his service record, military orders, his diplomatic passport, and his "New York Times" obituary. Vladimir, a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, wrote several books on petroleum engineering, three of which are in the collection. The diaries cover the years 1902-1955 and refer to tourist attractions throughout the United States and Europe as well as academic lectures attended while traveling. Also included are family photographs and Russian orders and badges awarded to Anatole. All documents are in Russian unless otherwise indicated.

This collection contains items of the Anderson and Alexander families including correspondence dealing with legal business, family matters, and Lexington, Virginia affairs. Consists largely of the family correspondence of William Alexander Anderson, Francis T. Anderson, and Mary Anne Alexander Anderson; includes letters to and from Virginia Governor John Letcher, and two letters from Mildred Lee, daughter of Robert E. Lee. Other correspondents include William A. Glasgow, George Hutcheson Denny, Charles Alfred Graves, Henry Holstine, George Junkin, George Bolling Lee, William Henry Fitzhugh Lee, James McDowell, Samuel McDowell Moore, and Walter LeConte Stevens. Also includes legal and business correspondence of Francis T. Anderson; letters and diary of William D. Alexander dated 1858-1859; business accounts, wills, obituaries, including Mary Anne Alexander Anderson's obituary as a pamphlet titled In Memoriam, November 27, 1881; and genealogies of the McNutt, Anderson, and Thomas families. Includes copies of speeches of William A. Anderson dated 1842-1930 and a few photographs.

This collection contains the papers, dated 1859-1934, but mainly 1862-1864, of Augustus C. Golding (also spelled as Goldin and , Golden). It includes letters, a letterbook, diaries, documents, pension papers, printed materials, and photographs. All items relate to Golding's service in the Union Army, 1861-1864, in Northern Virginia, on the Virginia peninsula, and in Maryland. Golding's letters to family and friends describe troop movements, battles, camp conditions, his health, a hospital, and the weather. Golding describes his participation in the following battles or their aftermath: Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Mechanicsville, 2nd Bull Run or Manassas, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. He occasionally presents his views on war, politics, and the destruction of Virginia's cities and countryside. He also gives financial and practical advice. The collection contains genealogical data on Golding's immediate family.

The scrapbook is a genealogical compendium of the Welsh family of Rockbridge County, Virginia and their descendants and includes many family photographs and documents.