The Chester County Historical Society has obtained a unique collection of autographs compiled in the late 1930s by a Chester family. The collection includes autographs from Franklin Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, Babe Ruth, and many other notable names. The full collection will be on display for the first time at the Annual Meeting on October 17th at the Gateway Center. Additionally, an exhibit will be created that will be installed at the Historical Society Museum, among other activities and events. SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant.
The focus of this project is the extraordinary autograph collection created for Miss Ann Davidson by her father, Dr. William Lee Davidson, after Ann suffered a bad burn in the winter of 1938 that left her bedridden for months. Dr. Davidson wrote to many famous figures of the day requesting their autographs for his daughter as a way to keep her entertained and engaged with the world outside her room. He requested the autographs on “first-day covers,” or postage stamps. One particularly rare piece is all of the 1939 inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame on a first cover, one of only 7 that has been identified.
The complete collection will be on display for the first time at the Chester County Historical Society’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Gateway Center in Richburg, SC. The keynote speaker is autograph expert and scholar Dr. Eddie Lee from Winthrop University. Tickets are $50 per person of $30 for students. Reserve your ticket now.
On Sunday, January 19, 2025, the Chester County Historical Society will present “A Window on the World: The Ann Davidson Marion Autograph Collection” at the Fort Lawn Community Center (5554 Main Street, Fort Lawn, SC 29714) from 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. Dr. Doug Marion will speak about First Covers, and Liz Anderson will speak on “Biographies and Oddities.” The program is free and open to the public.
After the January 19 program, the autograph collection will go on permanent display at the Chester County Historical Museum (107 McAliley Street, Chester). The museum is open Tuesday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The mission of the Chester County Historical Society and Museums is to preserve the significant historical artifacts of Chester County; to tell the story of Chester County, its development, and the history of its people through the preservation and display of historic material. Learn more on their website: https://www.chesterschistory.org/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
