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VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Special Collections and Archives 901 Park AvenueRay Bonis, Lee Anne Hurt, and Heather Foster
There are no restrictions.
Collection is open to research.
Richard Lee Bland collection of Richmond memorabilia, Collection # M 32, Special Collections and Archives, James Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Richmond artist Richard Lee Bland (1950-) has been active in the Richmond art scene since 1968 after his admission into the School of the Arts, Richmond Professional Institute (now VCU). Bland describes himself as an impressionist painter. His vision for art developed from performance and conceptual art in tangent with "a compelling belief in impressionistic painting." Bland's mentor, Eliot Clark (1883-1980), an American Impressionist, was the last surviving participant of the Cos Cob Art Colony (1890-1900). Bland is critical of commercial art galleries, co-operative groups, and university art education practices. "I believe the artist must maintain an aesthetic apart from institutional curriculum," Bland said in 1995. "Self-reliance and community involvement help the artist confront relevant issues in a spirited fine art." Bland has had numerous art exhibits and is well known within the arts community in Richmond. He produced an experimental non-commercial alternative space, The Grove Avenue Gallery (1982-1984), to promote what he called a "bedrock" for independent Richmond art culture. He left for New York City in 1984 to practice art then returned to Richmond in 1986. He then purchased an old dairy barn in the lower Fan District converting it to a studio residence. Bland has established a growing archive of Richmond material, including vintage photographs, architectural drawings of historic Richmond buildings, and other artifacts of the city, that he calls a "a personal resource" of artistic inspiration.
Collection consists of a variety of Richmond, Virginia related materials that Bland has gathered since the 1970s. The collection includes three original architectural drawings of Richmond's Cathedral of the Sacred Heart; drawings of plans and photographs of what was to become the power house of the Virginia Railway and Power Co. on Richmond's 12th Street and numerous other early 20th century drawings and materials documenting electrical plans for the city.The collection also contains material documenting the arts in Richmond from the 1890s to the present, including material on the various art organizations that have existed in the city; rock music of the 1980s; and correspondence and other material regarding Bland's Grove Avenue Gallery (1982-1984). Other materials related to the history of Richmond include late 19th and early 20th century business invoices and correspondence; streetcar ephemera of the 1940s; and numerous published materials and a wide assortment of ephemera items and photographs relating to wide cross section of Richmond's cultural history.
Collection is arranged by series and alphabetically therein. The items in Folders 1-8, Map Case #11, were found by Bland at an abandoned building in the 1980s. The building may have been the former site of the R.R. Cosby Electrical Co. which had operated in Richmond, Virginia for almost the entire 20th century. Other items, located in Boxes 1-6 and in Folder 9-10, Map Case #11, have been acquired by Bland at flea markets, garage sales, through dealers and at other locations.The collection is divided into the following series: Series I -- Art, Artists, & Craftsmen (1890s-1990s) ; Series II -- General (1880s-1980s) ; Series III -- Grove Avenue Gallery (1982-1984) ; Series IV -- Ledger from Maxwell & McGowan and McGowan and Pearsall House Furnishers (1901-1902) ; Series V -- Richmond Art Glass (late 19th/early 20th century) ; Series VI -- Historic Richmond (late 19th/early 20th century) ; Series VII -- Architectural Drawings and Oversize materials (1880s-1980s)
(See also box 5)
Photographs of construction of what was to become the powerhouse of the Virginia Railway and Power Co. on Richmond's 12th Street. The original photographs have been re-photographed and enlarged. Dates unknown. Photographs, Inter-racial military company; a photograph of a child by M.J. Powers, Richmond, Va; photograph of 'Operetta Pickles John Marshall High school, Richmond, Va)
This box contains three scrapbooks with articles and flyers for the Grove Avenue Gallery, Richmond, Va.
This box contains a ledger from Maxwell and McGowan and McGowan and Pearsall. The ledger for these two companies dates to 1901 and 1902. The companies are listed as General House Furnisher. The company was called Maxwell and McGowan in 1901 and it apparently changed hands in 1902. The ledger has receipts of the purchases made by the two companies. The items on the receipts include; chairs, lamps, palm fans, clocks, photograph albums, etc. The companies providing these items include: Marietta Chair Co. of Marietta, Georgia; Mercer Pottery Co. of Trenton, New Jersey; Eureka Furniture and Manufacturing Co. of Manchester, Virginia; Jamestown Bedstead Co. of New York; and Hagerstown Table Works of Hagerstown, Maryland. The Richmond City Directory for 1901 includes the following entry; Maxwell & McGowan (Thos R Maxwell and Geo W McGowan), furniture 1445 e Main. The 1902 City Directory lists; McGowan and Pearsall (Geo W McGowan and E Frank Pearsall) furniture 1445 e Main.
Architectural Drawing of Private Garage, Mr. W. O. Randlett, Washington Ward, Richmond, Va.
Architectural Drawings (four), Foundation Plan, First Floor Plan, Second Floor Plan and Side Elevation of Unidentified House, n.d.
Architectural Drawings (two) of Front Elevation and Side Elevation-Residence for R. C. Beverley, Ginter Park, Virginia Albert F. Huntt
Architectural Drawing of Probolic Roof Truss for Henry Warden, Fredericksburg, Virginia, Designed by R. Shirreff E., Richmond, Virginia
Photograph of drawing of the proposed Jefferson Davis Monument - view differs from the photograph above. Reproduced photo taken from the Richmond Dispatch, June 30, 1896. Negative #670.
Virginia Railway and Power Company near Centralia, Virginia. October 27, 1918, Milliken Patent Galvanized Steel Towers
Virginia Rail and Power Co., Chester, Virginia-W.W. Laprade, May 1910, Retraced and Revised, June 1910
Virginia Railway and Power Co., Harrison and Clay St., E.W.
Index to Topographic Maps and Geologic Foliers, Dept. of Interior, U.S. Geologic Survey
Virginia Mechanics Institute, April 27, 1890. On reverse of drawing is written "R.R. Cosby "
Virginia Electrical Rwy. and Develop Co. - Diagram of Possible Water Power at Haxall-Crenshaw Property, March 22, 1889
Times, Richmond, Virginia and Richmond Dispatch, June 30, 1896. These newspapers were found in the bottom of box containing other items. The box was purchased by Bland at a Flea Market and are not part of the collection of materials found by Bland at the former site of the R.R. Cosby Electrical Company.
Richmond Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Electrical Plans, Longitudinal Section
Richmond Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Electrical Plans, Main Floor Plan
Richmond Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Electrical Plans, Basement Floor Plan
Showing Slope of Hill, Richmond Traction Company, Wm. Northrop and H. T. Wickham, Receivers, [The next line of type had the following which was scratched out: Virginia Passenger & Power Company], Profile, Broad Street between 10th and 24th Streets, Richmond. 1907, Traced by G.W. James.
Bridge on Broad Street showing location of Richmond Passenger and Power Company's Conduit Line March 26, 1909
Condensed Profile, shows Railway stops