Coards Studio photographs and records
Collection Overview
The collection consists of business records, correspondence, photographs, negatives, and personal material. Business records include handwritten contacts and notes pertaining to customers' requests, licenses, correspondence, receipts, and supplies.
The bulk of the collection is composed of photographs of African Americans, which include family, group, and individual portraits; events; architecture; snapshots; reprints; and negatives. Aside from general individual and group portraits, there are photographs depicting various occupations, fraternal organizations, and school functions. Events include dances, weddings, funerals, school events, and other community events. Represented in organizations are local church and religious groups, fraternal orders, and musical performers. A small portion of the photographs are scenes of various architecture and roadways in Charleston. The reprints and negatives span the range of subjects contained in the photographs.
In addition to business records and photographs, a portion of the collection contains personal material, notably photograph albums of the Coards family.
Dates
- Creation: approximately 1930s-1990s
Creator
- Coards Studio (Organization)
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center 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.
Historical Note
The Coards Studio was a photography studio owned and operated by Joseph and Rachel Coards until the late 20th century. The studio was located at 78 Line Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Coards photographed African American families and individuals in the studio and various events and groups outside of the studio, such as graduations, weddings, and other ceremonies. The studio also produced hand-colored restorations and reprints of many families' photographs from Charleston and surrounding areas.
Extent
8.25 linear feet (17 archival boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Coards Studio was a photography studio owned and operated by Joseph and Rachel Coards in Charleston, South Carolina. Coards photographed African American families and individuals in the studio and various events and groups outside of the studio, such as graduations, weddings, and other ceremonies. The studio, located at 78 Line Street, closed in the late 20th century.
The collection contains business records, photographs, and personal material, including customer contacts, correspondence, individual, family, group, and event portraits and snapshots, and Coards family photograph albums. The bulk of the collection is composed of photographs of African Americans, which include family, group, and individual portraits; events; architecture; snapshots; reprints; and negatives. Aside from general individual and group portraits, there are photographs depicting various occupations, fraternal organizations, and school functions. Events include dances, weddings, funerals, school events, and other community events. Represented in organizations are local church and religious groups, fraternal orders, and musical performers. A small portion of the photographs are scenes of various architecture and roadways in Charleston. The reprints and negatives span the range of subjects contained in the photographs.
Collection Arrangement
1. Business-Related Materials, 1957-1990
2. Portraits and Snapshots, circa 1930s-1990s
2.1. Portraits and Snapshots, circa 1930s-1990s
2.2. Events, circa 1950s-1980s
2.3. Organizations, circa 1950s-1980s
2.4. Architectural and Scenic Photographs, circa 1950s-1980s
2.5. Reprints and Other Materials
2.6. Negatives
3. Personal, circa 1930s-1980s
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Farrell and Amanda Ross, June 2010
Encoded by Jessica Farrell, June 2010
Edited by Amanda Ross, August 2010
Funding from the
Subject
- Coards Studio (Organization)
- Coards, Joseph (Person)
- Coards, Rachel (Person)
- Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America -- Photographs (Organization)
Geographic
Topical
- African American Muslims -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American Muslims -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American clergy -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American clergy -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American entertainers -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American entertainers -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American fraternal organizations -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American fraternal organizations -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American freemasons -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American freemasons -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American musicians -- 20th century -- Photographs
- African American musicians -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American photographers -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African Americans -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Portraits
- Church buildings -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Photographs
- Church musicians -- 20th century -- Photographs
- Church musicians -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Clothing and dress -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- 20th century
- Debutantes -- 20th century -- Photographs
- Debutantes -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Families -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Social life and customs
- Funeral rites and ceremonies -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- High schools -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Mourning customs -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Photography -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Portrait photography -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Weddings -- South Carolina -- Charleston -- Photographs
- Title
- Inventory of the Coards Studio Photographs and Records, circa 1930s - 1990s AMN 1086
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Processed by: Jessica Farrell and Amanda Ross; machine-readable finding aid created by: Jessica Farrell
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
- Sponsor
- Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the collection processing and encoding of this finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu