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Harby, Moïse, Levy, Moses, and Davis family photographs

 Collection
Identifier: Mss 1131

Collection Overview

This collection consists of cabinet cards and tintypes that were originally housed in a single photograph album believed to belong to Octavia Harby Moses. The photographs have been removed from the album and kept in original order. Many include inscriptions to Octavia on the reverse. Images document the extensive family and descendants of Octavia Harby Moses, featuring members of the Harby, Moïse, Levy, Moses, and Davis families, as well as a single member of the Phelps family, a single member of the Bultman family, and a number of unidentified individuals. Examples include Armida Harby, Thomas Jefferson Moïse and his wife Rebecca Harby Moses Moïse, Ansley S. Davis and his wife Armida Moses Davis, Caroline Moses, Dulcie Moïse, Lucia Levy, Albert L. Moses, and others. The photographs originate from a number of different states, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Also included is an index identifying the subjects in the photographs.

Dates

  • circa 1860-1890

Creator

Language of Material

Materials in English

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Copyright Notice

The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Biographical Note

Octavia Harby Moses (1823-1904) was born to Rachel Mordecai (1781-1827) and Isaac Harby (1788-1828). Her father, Isaac Harby, was a prominent newspaper editor and publisher, playwright, drama critic, essayist, political and social commentator, and religious reformer. After her mother's death in 1827 and her father's death in 1828, Octavia and her siblings were raised by Isaac's sister Caroline De Litchfield Harby. Octavia married Andrew Jackson Moses in 1839 and the couple settled in Sumter, South Carolina, in 1842. Over the next 27 years, she gave birth to 18 children, 14 of whom lived to maturity. Five of Octavia's children served in the Confederate army during the Civil War; her eldest, Joshua Lazarus Moses, was killed at the Battle of Blakely in 1865. Many of Octavia's children married into the Moïse, Levy, Moses, and Davis families.

Of the couple's daughters, Rebecca Harby Moses (1841-1918) married Thomas Jefferson Moïse (1826-1869) on November 2, 1859, Armida Moses (1850-1902) married Ansley S. Davis (1848-1906), and Caroline Moses (1855-1904) married Montefiore J. Moses (b. 1871). Of their sons, Alfred Harby Moses married Rosalie Davis (1851-1918), Perry Moses (1844-1916) married Rosalie V. Levy (1845-1930), Andrew Jackson Moses (1846-1911) married Adele Levy (1849-1920) on September 3, 1873, and Walter Irving Harby (1859-1915) married Jacqueline E. Levy on May 21, 1889.

Extent

0.25 linear feet (1 slim document box)

Abstract

Photographic portraits featuring the relations of Octavia Harby Moses, including her immediate family as well as descendants and relatives through the marriages of her children. Octavia Harby Moses married Andrew J. Moses in 1839 and the couple had eighteen children, fourteen of whom lived to adulthood. Many of the children married into the Moïse, Levy, Moses, and Davis families, which are primarily featured in the collection. The photographs were originally housed in an album believed to belong to Octavia Harby Moses.

Collection Arrangement

Materials are described at the folder level.

Acquisitions Information

Materials donated in 2013 by Phelps Bultman.

Alternate Form of Materials

Digital reproductions available online in the Lowcountry Digital Library.

Related Material

Related materials in Special Collections include the Harby family papers (Mss 1116) and the Octavia Harby Autograph album (Mss 1115), Weinberg and Moses family papers (Mss1135), Cohen, Emanuel, Moses, and Seixas family papers (Mss 1124).

Processing Information

Processed by Amy Lazarus, October 2015.

Title
Inventory of the Harby, Moïse, Levy, Moses, and Davis Family Photographs, circa 1860-1890
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by: Amy Lazarus; machine-readable finding aid created by: Amy Lazarus
Date
2015
Description rules
Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Special Collections
College of Charleston Libraries
66 George Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424
(843) 953-8016
(843) 953-6319 (Fax)