Table Eleven at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Photograph

Patrick Henry's Red Hill

Name/Title

Table Eleven at 50th Anniversary Dinner

Entry/Object ID

2021.6.50

Description

Color photograph. Rectangular. Shot landscape orientation. Pictured are eight individuals seated at a round table. There is a large floral arrangement centerpiece on the table. Some guests are smiling directly at the camera. On the reverse, "5522" is written in blue ink in the bottom right corner. The reverse also includes a small label that lists in handwritten cursive the names of all the individuals in the photo. Names on the reverse label are not written in sequential left to right order, meaning that not all the guests in this photograph can be identified. Sue Elson is pictured on the far left, wearing a purple and gold sequined top with a black skirt. Michael J. Bennett is the gentleman with the white beard and is seated to the right of Sue Elson. Robert "Bob" W. Dean is the gentleman to the right of and behind Michael Bennett. He appears to be wearing a striped red tie. Bob Dean's wife, Katherine "Kit" Dean, is seated to right of him (from the viewer's point of view), wearing a blue and red dress. Edith Poindexter is pictured in the back, behind the table centerpiece, wearing bright blue.

Made/Created

Notes

Original

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Label

Location

Reverse, center

Transcription

TABLE ELEVEN Sue Elson Michael Bennett M/M Bob Dean Warren Drishill (?) Edith Poindexter M/M Fletcher Beale

Language

English

Material/Technique

Ink

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. 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, earning 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 a genealogist, curator, and Patrick Henry researcher. Robert "Bob" M. Dean (1932–2018) was the treasurer for the PHMF at the time of the event. Katherine "Kit" Dean was his wife. 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.