This collection contains personal and business correspondence, an assortment of holiday and greeting cards (1930s-1940s), account books, family photographs, a range of printed matter, including travel guides and ephemera from the family of R. E. (Robert Edmund) and his wife Gunhild A. Davidson of the Bell’s Valley and Goshen communities of Rockbridge County, Virginia.

Correspondence, primarily 1917-1949, includes letters from R. E. Davidson to Gunhild Vang (Davidson) during their courtship; letters to Helen M. Davidson (daughter) and her letters to home while at Madison College; letters from Sam M. Davidson (son) to his family while in service in the United States Army’s 57th Coastal Artillery Regiment during the Second World War and posted from Camp Pendleton, Virginia, California, and Hawaii. During his war service in Hawaii, Sam M. Davidson was engaged and married to his first wife Lorraine (Mendonca) Davidson and they had two children. A number of Lorraine Davidson’s letters to her in-laws are also included.

The collection includes school related ephemera from Madison College and Goshen High School (Va.), two student papers about the town of Goshen, Virginia, printed advertisements, records of Sam M. Davidson’s post-Second World War training and graduation from the Honolulu Police Academy, and various papers and account books (1877-1922) of S. M. (Samuel Miller) Davidson and Lula K. (Wallace) Davidson (parents of R. E. Davidson). Also of note is a family photograph album (1867-1910) consisting of cartes de visite and cabinet cards, some identified, many by Staunton, Virginia and vicinity photographers. Within the album are ten photographs of Staunton Military Academy cadets (circa 1880-1890). Loose photographs include a candid shot of people and the Natural Bridge, a cabinet photograph of a staged studio scene of girls of the Weslyan Female Institute (circa 1885-95) formerly of Staunton, Virginia.