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Collection Number: 05427

Collection Title: Blackwell Markham Papers, 1879-1988

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size 21.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 14,000 items)
Abstract Blackwell Markham (1897-1977) was a general surgeon in Durham, N.C. He received his medical training at the University of North Carolina and at Harvard University. He served in the United States Army in World War II in North Africa and Europe. The collection contains correspondence, greeting cards, diaries, personal papers, a few business papers, and photographs relating to Blackwell Markham and his family. Topics include family matters and life during World War II. Much of the correspondence is between Markham and family members and with Mary Poteat, an English teacher at Duke University with whom he corresponded for 40 years; the bulk was written from Italy and Algeria, 1942-1945. There are also detailed diaries kept by Markham during World War II that include descriptions of specific patient cases, travel, and hospital and general military life. Also included is a diary, written in Italian, that was at least partially compiled by internees at an Italian prisoner of war camp in Algeria where Markham was stationed. There are also scrapbooks and other materials primarily relating to Markham while he attended Durham High School; the University of North Carolina; and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. There are also materials, many annotated by Markham, relating to earlier generations of Markhams, including John L. Markham Sr., who owned a general store in Durham and died circa 1900. Some materials relate to Markham and Brogden relatives, including letters of John L. Markham Jr. while serving in the United States Army in Columbia, S.C., during World War I, 1917-1919; letters of Markham's nephew, Blackwell M. Brogden, while serving in the United States Navy, 1942-1945; and papers relating to North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Willis J. Brogden Sr. Also included are materials relating to Ritta Geer, the Markhams' longtime African American domestic servant. Photographs are of Markham and the Markham family members, 1860s-1972, and include three tintypes, circa 1860. Photographs between about 1900 and 1930 include formal portraits and candid shots of the Markham family; posed portraits of servants, including Ritta Geer; and images of various locations around Durham. There are also World War II photographs taken by Markham in North Africa and Europe; photographer Margaret Bourke-White appears in a few of the images.
Creator Markham, Blackwell.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Blackwell Markham Papers #5427, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Gift of Mary A. Brogden in June 2009 (Acc. 101126).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Sara Mannheimer, Oct 2011

Encoded by: Sara Mannheimer, Oct 2011

The materials in the collection arrived at the repository arranged into groupings annotated with information about the contents. Most of these groupings have been maintained and the contents information used in preparing the collection description.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Blackwell Markham of Durham, N.C., was born in 1897, the son of Ella Markham and general store owner John L. Markham Sr. Blackwell Markham was the youngest of eight surviving children, including John L. Markham Jr., Lila Markham Brogden, Susie Markham Tucker, Lottie Markham Hundley, Leila Markham, Charles B. Markham, and Frances Markham. Lila Markham Brogden married Willis J. Brogden Sr. and had two sons, Willis J. Brogden Jr. and Blackwell M. Brogden. Susie Markham Tucker married A.R. Tucker, and had two children, Eleanor Tucker and Reynold Tucker.

Blackwell Markham won a scholarship to the University of North Carolina in 1914, then attended the University of North Carolina School of Medicine for two years before transferring to Harvard Medical School in 1920 to complete his degree. After earning his M.D. in 1922, Markham performed his residency in New York, N.Y., then returned to Durham to open a general surgery private practice in 1925. Markham joined the United States Army in 1942, but was initially denied active field duty because, at age 45, he was considered too old to be eligible. However, he successfully lobbied to be sent abroad, and he served as a surgeon in England, North Africa, and Italy before returning to Durham in 1945.

Markham, who never married, corresponded extensively with his sister, Lila Markham Brogden, who was widowed in 1935, and with Mary Poteat, an English teacher at Duke University. Markham and Poteat maintained a nearly 40-year correspondence, from 1939 until Markham's death in 1977.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection contains correspondence, greeting cards, diaries, personal papers, a few business papers, and photographs relating to Blackwell Markham and his family. Topics include family matters and life during World War II. Much of the correspondence is between Markham and family members and with Mary Poteat, an English teacher at Duke University with whom he corresponded for 40 years; the bulk was written from Italy and Algeria, 1942-1945. There are also detailed diaries kept by Markham during World War II that include descriptions of specific patient cases, travel, and hospital and general military life. Also included is a diary, written in Italian, that was at least partially compiled by internees at an Italian prisoner of war camp in Algeria where Markham was stationed. There are also scrapbooks and other materials primarily relating to Markham while he attended Durham High School; the University of North Carolina; and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. There are also materials, many annotated by Markham, relating to earlier generations of Markhams, including John L. Markham Sr., who owned a general store in Durham and died circa 1900. Some materials relate to Markham and Brogden relatives, including letters of John L. Markham Jr. while serving in the United States Army in Columbia, S.C., during World War I, 1917-1919; letters of Markham's nephew, Blackwell M. Brogden, while serving in the United States Navy, 1942-1945; and papers relating to North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Willis J. Brogden Sr. Also included are materials relating to Ritta Geer, the Markhams' longtime African American domestic servant. Photographs are of Markham and the Markham family members, 1860s-1972, and include three tintypes, circa 1860. Photographs between about 1900 and 1930 include formal portraits and candid shots of the Markham family; posed portraits of servants, including Ritta Geer; and images of various locations around Durham. There are also World War II photographs taken by Markham in North Africa and Europe; photographer Margaret Bourke-White appears in a few of the images.

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Contents list

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Blackwell Markham Papers, 1913-1988.

About 11,860 items.

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.1. Blackwell Markham Correspondence with Lila Markham Brogden and Related Materials, 1906-1945.

About 2800 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 1-2

Folder 1

Folder 2

Letters from Lila Markham Brogden to Blackwell Markham, 1916-1918

Includes letters relating to Brogden's new marriage, including some from Asheville, N.C., while honeymooning. Letters discuss married life and express pride and love for her brother. There are also letters regarding the birth and childhoods of Brogden's sons, Willis J. Brogden Jr. and Blackwell M. Brogden. Some letters discuss Markham's student life at the University of North Carolina, including his enrollment in United States Navy ROTC in 1918.

Folder 3-4

Folder 3

Folder 4

Blackwell Markham correspondence with Lila Markham Brogden, 1919-1940

Brogden wrote from Durham, N.C., and Markham wrote from Boston, Mass., where he attended Harvard Medical School. Brogden's letters discuss milestones in her young sons' lives as well as other Brogden and Markham family news. Markham's letters describe his life as a medical student and the history of the hospital where he worked.

Folder 5-30

Folder 5

Folder 6

Folder 7

Folder 8

Folder 9

Folder 10

Folder 11

Folder 12

Folder 13

Folder 14

Folder 15

Folder 16

Folder 17

Folder 18

Folder 19

Folder 20

Folder 21

Folder 22

Folder 23

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

Folder 27

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Blackwell Markham correspondence with Lila Markham Brogden, 1942-1947

Letters written while Markham was a surgeon in the United States Army in Europe and North Africa and Brogden was in Durham, N.C. Brogden looked after Markham's affairs while he was away, and many letters focus on money matters. Other themes include family news and daily events. Markham wrote detailed accounts of hospitals, war experiences, and travel in "installment letters" of 10-plus pages mailed in multiple envelopes.

Folder 31

Other papers concerning Blackwell Markham, circa 1942-1945

Includes bills and documents pertaining to the upkeep of Markham's financial and domestic affairs in Durham, N.C., while he served in the United States Army abroad. Included are household bills, identification cards, membership cards, and ration cards.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.2. Blackwell Markham Correspondence with Mary Poteat and Related Materials, 1939-1988.

About 6000 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 32-75

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 34

Folder 35

Folder 36

Folder 37

Folder 38

Folder 39

Folder 40

Folder 41

Folder 42

Folder 43

Folder 44

Folder 45

Folder 46

Folder 47

Folder 48

Folder 49

Folder 50

Folder 51

Folder 52

Folder 53

Folder 54

Folder 55

Folder 56

Folder 57

Folder 58

Folder 59

Folder 60

Folder 61

Folder 62

Folder 63

Folder 64

Folder 65

Folder 66

Folder 67

Folder 68

Folder 69

Folder 70

Folder 71

Folder 72

Folder 73

Folder 74

Folder 75

Blackwell Markham correspondence with Mary Poteat, 1939-1945, undated

Written while Markham was stationed in England, North Africa, and Italy, and Mary Poteat was splitting time between her home in Marion, N.C., and Durham, N.C., where she taught in the English Department at Duke University. Correspondence mostly covers routine topics. Markham rarely described his work in detail; an exception is a letter of 19 December 1942 describing medical treatment of enemy soldiers during a siege in North Africa. Markham's letter of 16 May 1943 documents war correspondent Ernie Pyle's visit to camp.

Folder 76-81

Folder 76

Folder 77

Folder 78

Folder 79

Folder 80

Folder 81

Mary Poteat letters to Blackwell Markham, drafts, circa 1942-1945

Drafts of Mary Poteat's letters to Blackwell Markham during World War II.

Folder 82-122

Folder 82

Folder 83

Folder 84

Folder 85

Folder 86

Folder 87

Folder 88

Folder 89

Folder 90

Folder 91

Folder 92

Folder 93

Folder 94

Folder 95

Folder 96

Folder 97

Folder 98

Folder 99

Folder 100

Folder 101

Folder 102

Folder 103

Folder 104

Folder 105

Folder 106

Folder 107

Folder 108

Folder 109

Folder 110

Folder 111

Folder 112

Folder 113

Folder 114

Folder 115

Folder 116

Folder 117

Folder 118

Folder 119

Folder 120

Folder 121

Folder 122

Blackwell Markham correspondence with Mary Poteat, 1946-1975, undated

Primarily letters from Markham to Poteat. Poteat spent increasing time in Marion, N.C., before relocating permanently following her retirement in 1965. Correspondence from Poteat generally consists of holiday cards and postcards from her travels in the United States and Europe. Markham's letters contain mostly routine personal and family news, with overall frequency of letters dwindling in the 1960s and 1970s.

Folder 123

Letters to Mary Poteat from friends, 1944-1985

Includes letters from Gus Harrison, who worked as a driver for Poteat and Blackwell Markham in the late 1970s.

Folder 124

Mary Poteat correspondence with Mary A. Brogden, 1977-1988, undated

Most letters discussing Blackwell Markham's final illness and arrangements following his death in 1977.

Folder 125-128

Folder 125

Folder 126

Folder 127

Folder 128

Other Mary Poteat materials, 1943-1965, undated

Includes church programs, notes, Marion High School class reunion information, pamphlets, and other items.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.3. Blackwell Markham World War II Correspondence and Related Materials, 1922-1956.

About 2400 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 129-131

Folder 129

Folder 130

Folder 131

Tucker Family correspondence with Blackwell Markham, 1942-1945

Chiefly letters from Markham's sister, Susie Markham Tucker, often signed from the whole family, including from Lila Markham Brogden during visits. The letters discuss routine news of family and friends. Included are letters from Tucker's children, Reynold and Eleanor, and a few from Tucker's husband, A.R. Tucker, called "Doc." Several letters in 1943 and 1944 discuss family friend Edith Harbour's medical condition. An 8 August 1945 letter from Markham to Tucker details Markham's trip to Switzerland including how, in contrast to Italy and Algeria, Switzerland seemed untouched by World War II.

Folder 132

Letters from Edith Harbour to Blackwell Markham, 1942-1943

Edith Harbour was a reporter for the Daily News and Daily Record in Greensboro, N.C., and a friend of the Markham family. Her letters focus both on news of the war and news from the home front, including politics, books, rationing, life in North Carolina. and the state of Harbour's health.

Folder 133

Letters from the Roughton family to Blackwell Markham, 1942-1945

Includes letters from Markham's nephew, Willis J. Brogden Jr., while he served at Tech School Squadron in Texas. There are also letters from Brogden's fiance, Francis Roughton Brogden, while she worked for the Red Cross overseas, and letters from other relatives in Old Fort, N.C.

Folder 134-135

Folder 134

Folder 135

Blackwell Markham correspondence with Blackwell M. Brogden, 1922-1945

Primarily letters from Brogden to Markham during World War II, while Markham was a surgeon in the United States Army and Brogden was a lieutenant in the United States Navy. Brogden's letters discuss daily life in the Navy, including on a battleship and on a destroyer.

Folder 136-140

Folder 136

Folder 137

Folder 138

Folder 139

Folder 140

Letters from Nancy Thomas to Blackwell Markham, 1942-1944

Letters from Markham's office assistant, who worked elsewhere during Markham's service in the United States Army. Letters include news of patients and friends and, in a letter of 21 July 1944, pencil drawings of pre-World War II office life.

Folder 141-161

Folder 141

Folder 142

Folder 143

Folder 144

Folder 145

Folder 146

Folder 147

Folder 148

Folder 149

Folder 150

Folder 151

Folder 152

Folder 153

Folder 154

Folder 155

Folder 156

Folder 157

Folder 158

Folder 159

Folder 160

Folder 161

Letters from friends and family to Blackwell Markham, 1942-1945

Letters from friends in Durham, N.C., army friends, and relatives providing news from home and offering good wishes. Included are multiple letters from Markham's cook, Maggie Mangum, expressing hope for his safe return, and from his friend, M.C. O'Reilly.

Folder 162-163

Folder 162

Folder 163

Post-war letters from army friends, friends, and family to Blackwell Markham, 1946-1956

Letters contain reminiscences and news, including a letter, 1 June 1948, from a soldier Markham treated during the war, and a letter, 20 August 1953, from the wife of J.L. Markham, written from in Fairbanks, Alaska.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.4. World War II Diaries, Writings, and Related Materials, 1942-1945.

About 220 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Three diaries contain indexes compiled by Markham. One diary is in Italian and was at least partially compiled by internees at an Italian prisoner of war camp in Algeria where Markham was stationed.

Folder 164

Diary, 23 June 1942

Includes a military identification photograph of Blackwell Markham. There are a few entries describing joining the army Medical Corps. Otherwise, the diary is mostly blank.

Folder 165

Notebook containing patient lists, 1942

Folder 166

Diary, 1 January 1943-31 December 1943

Detailed daily entries, including a 13 January 1943 entry discussing prostitution and its effects on Blackwell Markham's patients.

Folder 167

Diary, 29 May 1943-5 September 1943

Detailed daily entries, including descriptions of Markham's experience working at Italian Prisoner of War Labor Camp #133 in Algeria.

Folder 168

Diary, 13 September 1943-24 October 1943

Detailed daily entries. Markham's index entries are: American Cemetery at Oran; Treatment of Italian P/W; Farewell to P/W 133; Wedding Bells at Ain-el-Turk; Palermo on 3 day pass; Life at 1st staging area.

Folder 169

Italian Prisoner of War Diary, August-September 1943

Written in Italian apparently by internees at the Italian prisoner of war camp in Algeria where Blackwell Markham was stationed for a period of time. Included are entries, song lyrics, pencil drawings, and photographs of the dedication of a chapel in camp captioned in Markham's handwriting.

Folder 170

Diary, 20 May 1943-19 May 1944

Detailed daily entries with descriptive headings.

Folder 171

Diary, 16 December 1943-7 March 1944

Detailed daily entries. Also included are patient case descriptions, operation schedules, officer lists, and nurse lists. Markham's index entries are: Sail from Oran, Algeria; Land at Naples, Italy; bivouacked at Terme di Agrano; trip to Pompeii and Solerna; T.D. at 300 G.H.; Caserta and 5th Army Rest Center; 12 G.H. V.D. Clinic at Caserna Vittore Emmanuelo II; D.S. 21 G.H. Naples fairgrounds; trip to Mount Vesuvius; trip to catacombs of Naples; Naples aquarium; Herculaneum.

Folder 172

Notebook, 17 December 1943-26 July 1944

Clipped cartoons by war cartoonist Bill Mauldin.

Folder 173

Diary, 8 March 1944-29 April 1944

Includes detailed daily entries, clippings, opera programs, and brochures. Markham's index entries are: Sulfatura; air raid over Naples; Pozzuoli, Bain; Vesuvius in eruption; five day trip to Capri; account of hospitalization April 6-16; 12 G.H. has a party; Amalfi; hospital train.

Folder 174

Diary, 1 January 1944-31 August 1944, 1 November 1944-21 November 1944

Brief daily entries

Folder 175

Notebook, 1 January 1944

Includes a photograph of Blackwell Markham labeled "Isle of Capri, Italy 3-31-44." Also included are a dated list of places where Markham was stationed and notes and addresses from army friends and army officers.

Folder 176

Diary, 12 June 1944-1 September 1944

Detailed daily entries, including a description of a sea voyage from Naples to Rome.

Folder 177

Diary, 1 January 1944-25 December 1944

Detailed daily entries, including a ship voyage from Naples winding up eventually in Durham, N.C., for Christmas and temporary duty in the United States. There is a photograph of Mary Poteat on inside cover and a photograph of Markham's family home in Durham on the back cover.

Folder 178

Diary, 8 February 1945-3 October 1945

Detailed daily entries, including a summary of events from 2 December 1944 to 8 February 1945. Described is Markham's journey from Durham, N.C., to Italy, including his departure from Fort Bragg on 8 February 1945, twelve days at sea, and his arrival in Naples on 2 March 1945. Also documented are travels in Switzerland and Italy. The diary ends with an account of 16 days at sea, arriving in New York on 1 October 1945.

Folder 179

Notebook, 23 August 1945-30 August 1945

Notes written while working in Italy.

Folder 180

Notebook, 1945

Includes names and addresses, as well as detailed descriptions of patients.

Folder 181

Notebook, circa 1945

Written on front page: "'That reminds me of--' and that is just what each of these clippings does; reminds me of some person, some place or some experience of other days -- experiences that I like to be reminded of even if some of them are not so likely to recall pleasant memories!"

Folder 182

Notebook, May 1945

Written on front page: "Just another collection of 'This reminds me of--'" Twelve pages are filled; the rest are blank.

Folder 183

Notebook, undated

Lists of patients and their treatments.

Folder 184

Thomas Woodroofe account of the invasion of Oran, 3 December 1942

Two copies of a typescript by British broadcaster Commander Thomas Woodroofe of the British Royal Navy, which provide detailed description of United States Army and British Royal Navy involvement in the invasion.

Folder 185

Account at the end of the African Campaign, Tunisia, 13 April 1943

Unfinished, handwritten account by Blackwell Markham describing Arab soldiers riding westward, Markham's work at the hospital, and watching mines being detected and defused.

Folder 186

Other World War II materials

Includes army-issued documents, postcards, newspaper clippings, paintings by Blackwell Markham, and other items.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.5. Blackwell Markham Family Correspondence, 1915-1939.

About 400 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 187

Letters from Ella Markham to Blackwell Markham, 1915-1918

Letters from Ella Markham written to Blackwell Markham while he was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina. She often expressed loneliness and the difficulty of maintaining the house by herself and repeatedly asked him to visit. She discussed domestic matters, referring to her house as "the farm," and writing about her chickens and vegetable garden.

Folder 188-190

Folder 188

Folder 189

Folder 190

Letters from friends and family to Blackwell Markham, 1917-1939

Includes graduation and wedding announcements; letters from Markham's sisters, Leila Markham and Lottie Markham; letters of congratulations regarding the opening of Markham's surgical practice in Durham, N.C., in 1925; and sympathy letters regarding the illness and death of Ella Markham in 1925.

Folder 191

Letters from Blackwell Markham to Ella Markham, 1925

Includes a 6 March 1921 letter written from Brookline, Mass., while Blackwell Markham attended Harvard Medical School. There is also an announcement of the opening of Markham's Durham, N.C., medical practice, postmarked 11 February 1925. Most of the letters were from Markham to Ella Markham while she stayed with Susie Markham Tucker in Richmond, Va. Blackwell Markham's letters provide family news and give updates about the house, the garden, and the chickens.

Folder 192

Letters from Blackwell Markham to John L. Markham Jr., 1924

Letters from Blackwell Markham completing his residency at the Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York, N.Y., to his brother, John L. Markham Jr., at the Markham family home in Durham, N.C. Topics include baseball, movies, and John L. Markham Jr.'s health, as well as some description of Blackwell Markham's work at the hospital.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subseries 1.6. Other Blackwell Markham Papers, 1913-1920.

About 40 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 193

Durham High School scrapbook, 1913

Photographs of classmates annotated by Blackwell Markham.

Folder 194

Durham High School, University of North Carolina scrapbook, 1913-1917

Primarily news clippings regarding Durham High School and the University of North Carolina.

Folder 195-196

Folder 195

Folder 196

University of North Carolina materials, 1914-1920

Includes receipts, menus, commencement programs, and other items relating to the University of North Carolina. Also included are a copy of a 4 February 1920 letter from the dean of John Hopkins Medical School to Professor Wilson expressing regret at the absence of an open slot for Blackwell Markham and a satirical sonnet written by Blackwell Markham about his studies.

Folder 197

University of North Carolina School of Medicine notes, 1917-1919

Bound book filled with notes and diagrams from School of Medicine courses.

Folder 198-199

Folder 198

Folder 199

Other Blackwell Markham materials, circa 1950-1970

Includes postcards and letters written by earlier generations of Markhams, with written commentary by Blackwell Markham. There are also notes written by Markham about his father, John L. Markham Sr.; details about the elder Markham's general store in Durham, N.C.; and a list of Blackwell Markham's eight living siblings. Also included are annotated newspaper articles, notes, receipts, licenses, blank postcards, and membership cards.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Blackwell M. Brogden Correspondence and Related Materials, 1926-1959.

About 800 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 200-202

Folder 200

Folder 201

Folder 202

Letters from Blackwell M. Brogden to Lila Markham Brogden, 1942-1944

Blackwell M. Brogden's affectionate and newsy letters requesting clothes and supplies, discussing money matters, and providing details of United States Navy training and classes. Letters also discuss Brogden's work as a Navy recruit trainer in 1943. Letters from 1944 discuss interpersonal dynamics on board Blackwell M. Brogden's ship.

Folder 203-206

Folder 203

Folder 204

Folder 205

Folder 206

Blackwell M. Brogden correspondence with friends, 1944-1945

Letters chiefly providing routine news of other enlisted friends; news from Durham, N.C.; and details about life in the service. Also included are letters from Blackwell Markham's office assistant, Nancy Thomas, covering day-to-day topics.

Folder 207-208

Folder 207

Folder 208

Letters to Blackwell M. Brogden from family, 1945

Includes letters from Lila Markham Brogden, Willis J. Brogden Jr., Francis Roughton Brogden, Susie Markham Tucker, Eleanor Tucker, and others. Most letters provide news from home. Some letters include clippings of Ernie Pyle's newspaper columns.

Folder 209

Other Blackwell M. Brogden correspondence, 1926-1959

Includes a 1926 letter from Brogden's cousin, Reynold Tucker, and a 1959 letter from Brogden to his friend H.V. Bridges.

Folder 210-212

Folder 210

Folder 211

Folder 212

Other Blackwell M. Brogden materials, 1942-1945

Includes materials relating to Blackwell M. Brogden's service in the United States Navy, many of which were sent to Lila Markham Brogden, who oversaw Blackwell M. Brogden's affairs during his service.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 3. Markham Family Papers, 1888-1959.

About 800 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Folder 213-214

Folder 213

Folder 214

Ledgers from John L. Markham Sr.'s general store, Durham, N.C., circa 1890-1900

Folder 215

John L. Markham Sr. papers, circa 1900

Scattered papers of Blackwell Markham's father, John L. Markham Sr., including late 19th-century advertisements, a Masonic certificate, and his will.

Folder 216

Letters to Ella Markham, circa 1925

Includes newsy letters from Lila Markham Brogden in Durham, N.C., while Ella Markham was in Richmond, Va., visiting Susie Markham Tucker. There are also routine letters from Leila Markham, Lottie Markham Hundley, Susie Markham Tucker, and others.

Folder 217

Ella Markham papers, 1918-1923

Includes insurance documents, leases, and other legal documents, some prepared by Willis J. Brogden Sr.; newspaper clippings; materials relating to Christian schools in North Carolina; and other items.

Folder 218-220

Folder 218

Folder 219

Folder 220

Letters from John L. Markham Jr. to Ella Markham, 1917-1919

Letters written from Camp Jackson, Columbia, S.C., during World War I. The letters often express longing for the comforts of home, especially the cooking of the Markham family's longtime African American domestic servant, Ritta Geer.

Folder 221

John L. Markham Jr. correspondence and related materials, 1888-1924

Primarily letters from John L. Markham Jr. while serving in the United States Army at Camp Jackson in Columbia, S.C. in 1918. Included are letters to Blackwell Markham, Ritta Geer, Susie Markham Tucker, and others discussing training activities at Camp Jackson in Columbia, S.C., and news from home; a 21 May 1888 letter written by John L. Markham Jr. as a child; and receipts and veterans' affairs materials from 1924.

Folder 222

Lottie Markham Hundley papers

Includes news articles reporting engagements and weddings, a wedding invitation, and other items.

Folder 223

Ritta Geer papers, 1922-1934

Papers relating to the Markham family's longtime African American domestic servant, including a 13 November 1934 receipt for Geer's funeral expenses addressed to Blackwell Markham; an 11 October 1926 letter from Ritta Geer's niece Cleora that discusses a family rift and Cleora's desire to bring Geer to live with her in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and a Bible belonging to Geer, with a few handwritten annotations.

Folder 224-234

Folder 224

Folder 225

Folder 226

Folder 227

Folder 228

Folder 229

Folder 230

Folder 231

Folder 232

Folder 233

Folder 234

Cards and notes addressed to Lila Markham Brogden and others, 1906-1935

Includes short notes and cards from friends and family members traveling domestically and abroad. There are also get-well cards and sympathy cards regarding the illness and death of Lila Markham Brogden's husband, Willis J. Brogden Sr., in 1935.

Folder 235

Lila Markham Brogden correspondence, 1916-1947

Scattered correspondence, including affectionate letters from Brogden to her husband, Willis J. Brogden Sr. There are also letters from family members and friends to Lila Markham Brogden, primarily discussing routine family matters.

Folder 236-238

Folder 236

Folder 237

Folder 238

Other Lila Markham Brogden materials, 1901-1947

Includes Durham High School materials, including Brogden's notes and detailed sketches from an art history class and a sketchbook from a drawing class. There are also receipts; blank checks; Brogden's fortune from July 1901; personal notes about her husband, Willis J. Brogden Sr.; and detailed records of letters Brogden received from Blackwell Markham, Willis J. Brogden Jr., and Blackwell M. Brogden during World War II.

Folder 239

Willis J. Brogden Sr. papers, 1909-1935

Papers belonging to Lila Markham Brogden's husband, Willis J. Brogden Sr., a North Carolina Supreme Court Justice. Included are an August 1909 certificate of guardianship of James W. Blackwell Jr.; legal papers; and letters about personal affairs, financial matters, and genealogy.

Folder 240

Other Markham family correspondence and related materials, 1909-1945

Includes letters to Francis Markham, Susie Markham Tucker, and Lottie Markham Hundley from friends. Also included are a handwritten Latin exercise, perhaps belonging to Lila Markham Brogden, who taught Latin in a Durham, N.C., school before her marriage, and a letter from O.A. Mostlig of Venice, Italy, to Christina C. Modesto of New Bedford, Mass. (connection to the Markhams unclear).

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 4. Photographs, 1860s-1970s.

About 600 items.

Arrangement: original groupings were maintained by the repository and arranged chronologically.

Special Format Image SF-P-5427/1-3

SF-P-5427/1

SF-P-5427/2

SF-P-5427/3

Tintypes, circa 1860

Three tintypes, two of which are individual portraits of men with the third depicting three men and a dog. The tintypes were enclosed in a letter to Blackwell Markham from Myra Pickett, dated 7 February 1946, that identifies one of the men as Charlie Markham, but does not indicate which man. The letter can be found in Folder 163.

Image Folder PF-5427/1

Hugh P. Markham and friends, 1879-1898

A portrait of Hugh P. Markham, the brother of Blackwell Markham's father, John L. Markham Sr.; a photograph of Hugh P. Markham's graduating class at Wake Forest College; and a portrait of a group of unidentified men matted on the back of a 1898 calendar.

Image Folder PF-5427/2

John L. Markham's store, circa 1880

Exterior image.

Oversize Image Folder OPF-5427/1

William T. Blackwell's house, 1883

Exterior of the house belonging Ella Markham's brother, who owned a tobacco company in Durham, N.C.

Image Folder PF-5427/3

Markham family home at 506 Cleveland Street, Durham, N.C., undated

Interior and exterior images, including photographs of the interior decorated for Christmas.

Image Folder PF-5427/4

Photograph album: Lila Markham Brogden, 1902-1903

Includes candid and posed photographs of the Markham family, including Blackwell Markham and Ella Markham. Also included are photographs of friends and posed portraits of the Markham family's longtime African American domestic servant, Ritta Geer, and three other portraits of unidentified African American servants. Locations include the Markham family home in Durham, N.C.; picnics; and the beach. There is a detailed list of photographs and descriptions provided by Mary A. Brogden.

Photograph Album PA-5427/1

Photograph album: Lila Markham Brogden, circa 1907-1933

Includes photographs and portraits of Lila Markham Brogden, her family, and her friends annotated by Lila Markham Brogden and Mary A. Brogden. There are also photographs of Lila Markham Brogden's Trinity College class, photographs of girlhood friend and Trinity College classmate Margie Jordon Biggs, and photographs of Lila Markham Brogden's siblings and their children. There is a detailed list of photographs and descriptions provided by Mary A. Brogden.

Photograph Album PA-5427/2

Photograph album: Blackwell Markham, circa 1880s-1940s

Includes photographs of Ella Markham and her children, Blackwell Markham, Lila Markham Brogden, and Susie Markham Tucker. There are photographs of Blackwell Markham as a young man in school, on the beach, in gardens, and in various other settings. There are also baby portraits of Blackwell Markham and his siblings, portraits of various other extended family members, and photographs of unidentified people graduating from an unidentified college. There is a detailed list of photographs and descriptions provided by Mary A. Brogden.

Image Folder PF-5427/5

Markham family and friends, circa 1900-1910

Includes photographs of young people, including Lila Markham Brogden, taken inside and outside at the Markham family home in Durham, N.C.

Image Folder PF-5427/6

Markham family home and Fuller School, Cleveland Street, Durham, N.C., circa 1900

Photographs depicting what appears to be paving equipment and workers on Cleveland Street and photographs of the exterior of the Fuller School.

Image Folder PF-5427/7

Unidentified African American man, circa 1910

Cabinet card portrait of an African American man, possibly a relative of the Markham family's longtime domestic servant, Ritta Geer.

Oversize Image Folder OPF-5427/2

Unidentified female invalid, circa 1910

Written on verso, "Invalid early 20th Century."

Image Folder PF-5427/8

John L. Markham Jr. and friend, circa 1915

Portrait postcard of John L. Markham Jr. and friend in World War I uniform, addressed on the back to Ritta Geer.

Image Folder PF-5427/9

Fifth Avenue Hospital, New York City, N.Y., circa 1922

Possibly taken by Blackwell Markham during his surgical residency.

Image Folder PF-5427/10

Circus, 1923

Loose scrapbook pages with photographs of the circus unloading. Included is a typed note, circa 2009, from Mary A. Brogden describing her husband Blackwell M. Brogden's recollection of these photographs.

Image Folder PF-5427/11

Blackwell Markham outside the Fidelity Bank Building, circa 1925

Blackwell Markham and a friend outside the Fidelity Bank Building in Durham, N.C., where Markham's general surgery practice was located.

Image Folder PF-5427/12

Ritta Geer, circa 1910-1932

A portrait of Ritta Geer and a photograph of Geer's grave in the Markham family plot.

Oversize Image Folder OPF-5427/3

Wedding of Lottie Markham Hundley and William Nicholas Fortescue, 1939

Portraits of the wedding party, Lottie Markham Hundley's parents, Lottie Markham Hundley, and William Hundley. Included is a typed description of the photographs by Mary A. Brogden.

Image Folder PF-5427/13-14

PF-5427/13

PF-5427/14

Negatives: Markham and Brogden families, 1937-1940

Negatives of Blackwell Markham, Lila Markham Brogden, and Blackwell M. Brogden in a garden setting and in front of a church. There are also negatives of cars and of Blackwell Markham and other family possibly visiting the Oriental Gardens in Jacksonville, Fla. Prints of some of these negatives are located in PA-5427/2.

Oversize Image Folder OPF-5427/4

Blackwell Markham and family, 1939

Loose scrapbook page with photographs depicting Blackwell Markham, Lila Markham Brogden, Blackwell M. Brogden, and W.J. Brogden Jr. during a visit to the Oriental Gardens in Jacksonville, Fla. Included are Blackwell Markham's handwritten captions.

Image Folder PF-5427/15

Mary Poteat's residences, circa 1940

Exterior photographs of Poteat's homeplace in Marion, N.C., and interior photographs of Poteat's house in Durham, N.C.

Image Folder PF-5427/16

Mary Poteat portraits, circa 1940

Portrait of Poteat posing inside her house in Durham, N.C. There is also a portrait of Poteat wearing a graduation cap and gown.

Image Folder PF-5427/17

Markham, Tucker, and Brogden families, circa 1940

Group portraits of various family members on a lawn.

Image Folder PF-5427/18

Blackwell Markham and others at Wrightsville Beach, N.C., circa 1940

Mary Poteat is included in group snapshots.

Image Folder PF-5427/19

Portrait of Maggie Holloway, circa 1940

Portrait of an African American domestic servant in the Markham household.

Image Folder PF-5427/20

Photographs of the grave of John L. Markham Sr., circa 1940

Decorated by Blackwell Markham.

Image Folder PF-5427/21

Blackwell M. Brogden's graduation, 1942

Blackwell Markham in United States Army uniform with his nephew Blackwell M. Brogden in graduation cap and gown. There is also a photograph of Blackwell M. Brogden by himself.

Image Folder PF-5427/22-24

PF-5427/22

PF-5427/23

PF-5427/24

Blackwell Markham's departure for World War II service

Photographs and negatives, many depicting Blackwell Markham in uniform as he prepared to leave Durham, N.C, to serve in the United States Army. Included are photographs of Markham with various family members and friends; photographs of Lila Markham Brogden and Willis J. Brogden Sr. with their approximately four-year-old son; and photographs of Blackwell Markham's sister, Lottie Markham Hundley, with her daughter and grandchild.

Image Folder PF-5427/25

World War II: North Africa, circa 1942-1943

Photographs, possibly taken by Blackwell Markham, that are chiefly of fellow soldiers, scenery, and street scenes.

Image Folder PF-5427/26

World War II: Italian prisoner of war camp, 1943

Most photographs taken by Blackwell Markham while working as a surgeon in the Italian prisoner of war camp in Algeria. Included are images of prisoners and one image of Markham in camp.

Image Folder PF-5427/27-28

PF-5427/27

PF-5427/28

World War II: North Africa and Italy, circa 1942-1945

Posed portraits and candid shots taken by Blackwell Markham in North Africa and probably Italy. Included are images of fellow soldiers and a few women, one of whom appears to be Margaret Bourke-White, photographer for Life magazine; camp life; street scenes; buildings; landscapes; armaments; corpses; and building wreckage. There is one photograph of Blackwell Markham standing alone in a garden.

Image Folder PF-5427/29

World War II: Italy and Switzerland, circa 1944-1945

Aerial and ground images of the 12th General Hospital in Italy where Blackwell Markham was stationed. There are also photographs from travels in Italy and Switzerland with several posed photographs of Blackwell Markham in front of places of interest.

Image Folder PF-5427/30-33

PF-5427/30

PF-5427/31

PF-5427/32

PF-5427/33

World War II: Italy, circa 1944-1945

Images of fountains, canals, monuments, and buildings in various cities in Italy, including Venice, Rome, Capri, Naples, and Paestum. Also included are images of a cemetery and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Image Folder PF-5427/34-35

PF-5427/34

PF-5427/35

World War II: Switzerland, 1945

Photographs from Blackwell Markham's sightseeing trip to Switzerland at the war's end.

Image Folder PF-5427/36

World War II: Portraits of Blackwell Markham, circa 1942-1945

Portraits of Markham posing in front of various places of interest in North Africa and Italy.

Image Folder PF-5427/37

World War II: Blackwell Markham and Margaret Bourke White, circa 1943

Portrait of Markham and Margaret Bourke-White, photographer for Life magazine.

Image Folder PF-5427/38

Blackwell Markham, Margaret Bourke-White, and others, circa 1942-1945

Series of snapshots depicting Blackwell Markham, a few other soldiers, and two women, one of whom appears to be Margaret Bourke-White, in the foggy hills of North Africa or Italy.

Image Folder PF-5427/39

"Doc Markham Remembers," Durham Morning Herald article, 25 June, 1972

Photographs taken for the article in Markham's library and "war room" at 506 Cleveland Street, Durham, N.C. The Herald photographs are interspersed with small snapshots, presumably smaller versions of framed photographs in the war room. The published article is included.

Image Folder PF-5427/40-42

PF-5427/40

PF-5427/41

PF-5427/42

Other photographs, circa 1942-1945

Includes unidentified portraits, including one image of two women, perhaps mother and daughter, in dresses, furs, and hats; one image of a baby; and one image of a man in army uniform. There is also a portrait of Henry S. Burem with Markham's annotation on the back and photographs from the papers of Willis J. Brogden Sr., including an image of a horse, an image of unidentified young men, and portraits of Mr. and Mrs. J. Crawford Biggs.

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