Thomas L. Williams collection
Scope and Contents
The collection includes photographs, negatives, slides, film, postcards, ephemera, correspondence and artifacts belonging to Thomas L. Williams, photographer for William & Mary for 35 years. He was also a photographer for Camp Peary and Colonial Williamsburg prior to working for William & Mary.
Dates
- Creation: Circa 1940-1990
Creator
- Williams, Thomas L. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to all researchers. 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, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Conditions Governing Use
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Biographical / Historical
Born in 1912 in Shire Oaks, Pennsylvania, Thomas L. Williams studied photography at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After graduation, Mr. Williams enlisted in the Navy shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II and was stationed at Camp Peary, where he started the base's photography laboratory. While at Camp Peary, he shot many photographs for Colonial Williamsburg, who hired him shortly after World War II to start their photography section. After nine years at Colonial Williamsburg, Mr. Williams became the photographer for William & Mary, a position he held for 35 years. While at William and Mary, Mr. Williams photographed various events at the College, including Charter Day and Commencement ceremonies, the inauguration of Davis Y. Paschall as president of William & Mary, and the celebrations during Homecoming Weekend.
Extent
45 Linear Feet (100 boxes)
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of daughter Karen Laufer
- Title
- Guide to the Thomas L. Williams collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- William & Mary Special Collections Research Center staff
- Date
- 2023 July
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center Repository