Description: Group portrait of the members of the Kit Kat Club, 1946. The Kit Kat Club of Columbus, Ohio, has its roots in a literary publication titled "The Honey Jar: A Receptacle for Literary Preserves." The magazine began in 1898 in Columbus, but it had a limited circulation. When it ceased publication in 1911, Charles C. Pavey, an attorney and contributor, offered to start a new publication to be called the "Kit-Kat Magazine." The title came from an article in "The Honey Jar" concerning a famous 18th century literary club in London, England, whose namesake was Christopher “Kit” Kat, the owner of an English tavern in the 1700s where members such as writer and critic Samuel Johnson reportedly met. Pavey invited 19 men to assemble and discuss underwriting the publishing of the new magazine on October 5, 1911. The Kit Kat Club was formed as a result of this meeting, and their first regular meeting was held on November 3, 1911. The club's mission is to "promote social intercourse among congenial men who are interested in literature, art, and other matters of broad human concern." They also published the monthly magazine from 1912 to 1920. Membership in the club is limited to 39 men. Nominations for new members are made by a three-man committee when a member dies or resigns, and voted on by members. Many noted Columbus men were members of the Kit Kat Club, including John W. Bricker, Charles Y. Lazarus, Edward Orton Jr., Edward S. Thomas, John M. Vorys, and many men from The Ohio State University, including four of its presidents. An accompanying description of this photograph lists the members pictured as follows: Front row: Adolph E. Waller, James R. Hopkins, Howard Dwight Smith, John F. Cunningham, Howard L. Bevis, Otto Mees, George W. Rightmire and E.J. Crane. Second row: Carl V. Weygandt, Claris Addams, Robert G. Patterson, Hugh Huntington, James E. Pollard, H.E. Cherrington, Boynton Merrill, Robert E. Pfeiffer, Dr. Jonathan Forman, H.C. Shetrone, Harlan H. Hatcher, Dr. George M. Curtis, George Washburne and C.E. MacQuigg. Additional members who were not pictured include Landon C. Bell, James I. Boulger, John W. Bricker, Dr. W.O. Doescher, Dr. Leroy Johnson, Richard B. Bean (who took the photograph), George R. Roudebush, Harrison M. Sayre, Samuel Shellabarger, George K. Smith, Edward S. Thomas, Henry A. Williams, and John M. Vorys. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS_200AV_F01_01
Subjects: Kit Kat Club (Columbus, Ohio); Men--Ohio--Societies and clubs; Literature--Societies, etc.; Columbus (Ohio)--Social life and customs
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "The 22nd Negro Regiment, Duncan's Brigade, carrying the first line of Confederate works before Petersburg, Va." ALTERNATE TEXT: A line of men rush forward on a battlefield surrounded by trees. One man leads a charge towards a small river. They carry guns and two of the men are holding flags. Scattered around are wounded or dying men, injured from the present battle. There are also smaller groups of men on the other side of the water, near the trees. There is a house in the middle right of the scene. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_35
Subjects: African American soldiers; Battlefields; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration of African American soldiers building a road from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. ALTERNATE TEXT: A group of men are drawn working to build a railroad in a hilly area. Three men at the front are breaking rocks with hammers while sitting. Two men to the left push a cart of rocks along the built section of the rails. Men in the background are carrying timber and using pick axes. There is a small shack to the middle right of the scene. Above then, on a hill, are evergreen trees. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_44
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads: "Negroes building fortifications for the Confederates at James Island, S. C., under direction of General Beauregard, to repel the land attack of the Federal troops." ALTERNATE TEXT: A large Confederate army camp during the American Civil War: A group of African Americans digging a hole in the ground, none are dressed as soldiers. They are largely in farming type clothes, including bibbed overalls. Most men are using pick axes and shovels to work the ground. One man is pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt. A man on a horse watches the men dig. A few men on a hill near the digging site stand and talk. There are two cannons near the middle of the scene, and horses are pulling a train at the far middle of the scene. Down the hill from the scene are large tents in the rest of the army camp. There is a fort to the far right of the camp and what looks to be water and boats near the fort. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_31
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: Taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912, this studio photograph shows a seated man flanked by two standing young men, each with a bicycle. The seated man wears slacks and a suit jacket, while the two standing men wear slacks with suspenders, sweaters, and straw boat hats. The hanging backdrop behind them depicts an arched colonnade decorated with elaborate geometric and floral patterns. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection) received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_B16_F1001
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Men; Bicycles
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Illustration from "The Black Phalanx: A History of the Negro Soldiers of the United States in the Wars of 1775-1812, 1861-'65" by Joseph T. Wilson. Caption reads; "Phalanx soldiers, under a flag of truce, burying their dead after one of the terrible battles before Petersburg." ALTERNATE TEXT: Groups of African American soldiers work in a large open field. Men to the right use pickaxes to dig into the ground, creating a mass grave. Other men are carrying bodies to be laid in the grave. To the left of the scene, more bodies are laid in a row in preparation for their burial. Towards the middle of the scene, soldiers stand holding guns and one has a flag. There is no action in this scene, as hundreds of men in the background are standing around watching the burials. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: blackphalanx_54
Subjects: African American soldiers; African American men; Civil War 1861-1865
 

Description: This is a photograph of three working men seated on rocks. Caption reads: "Juna Bauer Grantsville." This photograph was taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed “Ewing Brothers” and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06498
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States—History; Men; Cultural Ohio--Art and Artists; Photography--History; African American men
Places: Grantsville (West Virginia)
 

Description: Traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing photographs two men in a horse drawn wagon, ca. 1896-1912. One of the men holds a violin as the other steers. Like most of Ewing's work, the photograph was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b06_f382
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Animals; Men
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Photograph of two men in conversation on the porch of a large building, taken by John Sheckler of Middletown, Ohio. Men and women can also be seen gathered along the sidewalk below, and a woman is seated on the lawn. The image was one of ten to win Honorable Mention in the Professional category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B01_08
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Flags--United States; Conversation; Men--Ohio;
Places: Middletown (Ohio); Butler County (Ohio)
 

Description: Five (5) men standing in a line in front of a porch in Liberia. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: NAM_P3_B02F07_Q
Subjects: Men; Photography
Places: Liberia (Africa)
 

Description: Taken by traveling photographer Albert J. Ewing, ca. 1896-1912, this photograph shows four men posing in front of a background painted with an elaborately-decorated arch supported by Corinthian columns. Like most of Ewing's work, it was likely taken in southeastern Ohio or central West Virginia. Born in 1870 in Washington County, Ohio, near Marietta, Ewing most likely began his photography career in the 1890s. The 1910 US Census and a 1912-1913 directory list him as a photographer. A negative signed "Ewing Brothers" and a picture with his younger brother, Frank, indicate that Frank may have joined the business. After 1916, directories list Albert as a salesman. He died in 1934. The Ewing Collection consists of 5,055 glass plate negatives, each individually housed and numbered. Additionally, the collection includes approximately 450 modern contact prints made from the glass plate negatives. Subjects include infants and young children, elderly people, families, school and religious groups, animals and rural scenes. In 1982, the Ohio Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection) received the collection, still housed in the original dry plate negative boxes purchased by Albert J. Ewing. A selection of the original glass plate negatives were exhibited for the first time in 2013 at the Ohio Historical Center. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV71_b15_f957
Subjects: Ewing, Albert J. (1870-1934); Portrait photography--United States--History; Men
Places: Ohio; West Virginia
 

Description: Document of commemoration listing the principal events of the Spanish American War and the members of the 9th Battalion of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry of which Charles Young was the commanding officer. Charles Young was the first African American to reach the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army and, at the time of his death in 1922, was the highest-ranking African American officer in the Army. He is known for having been forced into retirement due to health concerns before the start of World War I and later riding from Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington, D.C. to prove his physical fitness for duty. ALTERNATE TEXT: A large off-white sheet of paper with colorful artwork and portraits of military members. The top left of the paper has a colorful artwork of a battle scene, with men in blue uniforms in a field of grass. Their guns aim at a white building in the distance and there are mountains behind the home. The grassy field includes a palm tree. The artwork at the top right of the paper depicts a naval scene with a white boat at the front. One of the boats in the distance is on fire. The water has a greenish blue hue. The top middle of the paper has artwork of a woman in a plain white dress, with her arms outstretched at her sides. She holds two wreaths and is wearing a small red cap. Behind her head is a shield with an American parotitic theme. In front of her legs is a grey bald eagle with its wings stretch out sideways. The eagle's mouth holds a blue sash with "E Pluribus Unum" written on it. The eagle stands on two American flags crossed over each other. There is a green branch with leaves in the eagle's left talon. There are weapons and a shield under the eagle. Behind the woman and the eagle are soldiers in blue uniforms. Some soldiers have backpacks, guns, and injured arms in slings. The scene is surrounded by a stone arch behind the woman's head, and stone columns leading towards the bottom of the page. The left and right edges of the paper have military officer's busts surrounded by green wreaths, with seven men on either side of the vertical stone columns. The middle of the paper has two officers surrounded by green wreaths. They are in front of two white sheets with one golden tassel hanging on each sheet. the sheets hang down and end at the middle of the stone columns. Green branches are coming out of the white sheets and wrap around the stone columns twice. The two branches have two different types of leaves, with the left being a rounded oak leaf complete with sparse acorns, and the right being a more pointed leaf with red berries. The branches intertwine with themselves at the middle of the stone columns. Towards the bottom middle of the page are two thin red, white, and blue poles that lead to the bottom of the page. Two American flags drape over the bottom of the stone columns. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: NAM_OVS_32
Subjects: Spanish American War; African American soldiers; African American men; Military officers; Young, Charles, 1864-1922.