The Hagley is spending National Book Lovers Day today with these young readers. This 1931 negative shows Esther Shallcross Marshall (1885-1979), her son Thomas C. Marshall, Jr. (1924-2019), her niece Eleanor Marshall Reynolds (1924-1999), and Helen Shallcross reading books in the living room. Esther was married to T. (Thomas) Clarence Marshall (1885-1969), the son of Israel W. Marshall, who founded the Marshall Brothers Paper Mill in Yorklyn, Delaware in 1890. The wealth generated by this family business allowed T. Clarence Marshall to become a man of many hobbies, including photography.
His son, Thomas C. Marshall, Jr., would grow up to become well-known in his home state of Delaware as a historian, antique car collector, and philanthropist. Eleanor would also go on to lead an extraordinary life. In addition to significant work and philanthropy in the fields of environmental protection and humanitarian causes, she was also an adventurer and world traveler who, at 73 years old, spent time climbing mountains in the Himalayas.
In 2008, Tom and Eleanor donated the Auburn Heights, the family home built by their grandparents in 1897 to the state, along with Oversee Farm and its grounds, forming the centerpiece of what is now the 360-acre Auburn Valley State Park.
In addition to other subjects, the Hagley’s collection of Thomas C. Marshall photographs (Accession 1990.270) contains images like this one, documenting the Marshall family and their friends. Other subjects include Auburn Heights (the family mansion), the Marshall Brothers Paper Mill, Thomas C. Marshall, Jr.’s collection of Stanley Steamer automobiles, and various locations and events in and around Delaware and Chester County, Pennsylvania.
To view a large selection of images from the Thomas C. Marshall photographs (Acc. 1990.270) collection online now, visit its page in our Digital Archive by clicking here.
