November in Richmond through Edith Shelton’s Eyes

Richmond photographer Edith K. Shelton’s images show a glimpse of November in Richmond from the 1950s- 1970s.

Edith Keesee Shelton (1898- 1989) was a local Richmond photographer, whose colorful collection of slides was donated to the Valentine by Mrs. Edgar Fisher, Jr. in 1991. Through The Universal Leaf Foundation’s generous funds and cataloger Mrs. Elise Wright’s time and hard work, the Edith K. Shelton Collection has been available on the Valentine’s online archival database since May 2015. 

Ms. Shelton was born in Richmond to Edith Morton Keesee and banker W. Penick Shelton. After attending Randolph Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, she returned home to live with her parents in an apartment at 1001 W. Franklin Street in 1918.  She started working in 1927 as an assistant secretary at the University of Richmond until she retired in 1969.  After both her parents passed away, Ms. Shelton lived alone in a series of apartments in the Fan District until her death in 1989.

There are over 3000 35mm color slides in the Edith K. Shelton Slide Collection, which mostly focus on Richmond’s older neighborhoods, architecture, and building projects.  More than 60 years later, her slides are still brilliantly colorful and vibrant. The following images show a glimpse of November in Richmond from the 1950s- 1970s through Edith Shelton’s eyes.

Two-story brick town house, 2214 E. Marshall Street, Church Hill
November 1956
Edith K. Shelton
V.91.42.1654

Two-story brick row house, 115 N. Morris Street, Fan District
November 1957
Edith K. Shelton
V.91.42.1760

 

St. Benedict Catholic Church, 300 N. Sheppard Street, Museum District
November 1971
Edith K. Shelton
V.91.42.3083d

 

Joseph Bryan statue, Monroe Park
November 1973
Edith K. Shelton
V.91.42.3341

Commonwealth Club, 401 W. Franklin Street at Monroe Street
November 1977
Edith K. Shelton
V.91.42.3211d

Edith Shelton’s Richmond, an exhibition of Shelton’s work is available on the Google Cultural Institute as well.

Stephanie Trujillo
PR & Marketing Intern
The Valentine