Guests Enter Ballroom at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Photograph

-

Patrick Henry's Red Hill

Name/Title

Guests Enter Ballroom at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Entry/Object ID

2021.6.28

Description

Color photograph. Rectangular. Shot landscape orientation. Guests are seen entering the ballroom of the Jefferson Hotel. The woman on the far left in the black floral dress is Mrs. Harriet Rice. The woman to the immediate right of her wearing the sequined top is Susan "Sue" Elson. The gentleman wearing glasses and standing behind the woman wearing black is Michael J. Bennett. On the far right, Edith Poindexter is pictured wearing bright blue. Mrs. Rice and Mrs. Poindexter appear to be directing guests into the ballroom. On the reverse, "5442" is written in blue ink in the bottom right corner. There is also a small label attached.

Made/Created

Notes

Original

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Label

Location

Reverse, center

Transcription

guests enter ballroom l-r Mrs. Harriet Rice, Mrs. Sue Elson, _____, _____ Mr. Michael J. Bennett Mrs. Edith Poindexter

Language

English

Material/Technique

Label

Provenance

Notes

The PHMF Golden Anniversary Celebration was held on Thursday, October 27, 1994 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Foundation's establishment. The PHMF was incorporated on October 27, 1944. The event was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. Mrs. Harriet Rice was on the PHMF board of trustees at the time of this event. Susan "Sue" Elson was the wife of James "Jim" M. Elson (1932–2021), the Executive Vice President of the PHMF at the time of this event. Michael Jesse Bennett (1929–2019) was a professional actor from Utah who also interpreted Patrick Henry for 30 years, which would earn him the George Washington Award from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge in 1996. Edith Poindexter (1928–2019) was deeply involved in Red Hill as genealogist, curator, and Patrick Henry researcher. She passed away in March 2019. Staff found this photograph in the existing files of Red Hill's collection and accessioned it on May 30, 2024, due to its importance to PHMF's institutional history.