Road Paving and Construction Projects in Virginia Photograph Album

The Road Paving and Construction Projects in Virginia Photograph Album, 1916-1925, comprises approximately 140 black-and-white photographs of road-paving and construction projects in various Virginia towns and cities. The photographs document the workers, many of whom are African American, inspectors, foremen, machinery and equipment, and trains and horses involved in the construction projects. Surrounding buildings, telephone lines, automobiles, and landscapes are also depicted.

Road paving and construction projects documented in the album include Downtown Harrisonburg, 1916; Ash Block Factory, 1917; Norfolk, 1919; Charlottesville, 1921 (likely documenting the paving of Rt. 20 between Charlottesville and Scottsville); Carter's Bridge in Albemarle County, 1922; Scottsville, 1922; Ellerson, 1924; Hanover, 1924; Pamunkey River, 1924; and Gloucester Point, 1924-1925. The bulk of the photographs appear to document road paving projects, but there are also examples of sidewalk and sewer construction.

Businesses and streetscapes present in the Harrisonburg pictures include Bloom's Dry Goods & Millinery (located on Main Street across from the First National Bank), Court Square, and the courthouse.

Most of the photos contained in the album are inscribed with their location and/or year of the project. Some include inscriptions of people's names and their titles.

The album also contains two photographs of unidentified men. One photograph is inscribed "Semper Fidelis - E. J." It is plausible that this is a photograph of Howard J. Johnson's brother Bernard Elwood Johnson, though this assertion is purely conjectural.