George S. Campbell Collection(ca. 1930–1940)

• MS 2013.7
• 52 items

The collection encompasses architectural photographs, drawings, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets. A centerpiece of the collection is a photo album containing images taken by Campbell while conducting architectural fieldwork. Some of the images offer pre-restoration views of Williamsburg buildings, while others document houses, outbuildings, and public buildings in the Tidewater region. Individuals who played a role in the Williamsburg Restoration, ranging from Campbell himself to other architects and contractors, are featured in a series of images that offer a glimpse of the people who designed and documented Williamsburg. A small selection of architectural drawings executed by Campbell reflect his interest in recording details such as colonial windows, while others offer early renditions of features for buildings in the Historic Area. The collection also includes a few interesting pamphlets, such as the program for a Masque Ball held for Williamsburg Restoration employees on New Year’s Eve, 1931. In addition, the filming of “The Howards of Virginia” on Palace Green in 1939 is documented in a sub-set of photos taken by Campbell. Local extras are shown awaiting their cues in carriages and wagons. An elaborate scene involving soldiers and a canon is being set up for filming in the middle of Palace Green. One photo features the film crew shooting a scene from an elevated platform.

George Samuel Campbell arrived in Williamsburg in 1927 and worked as an architectural technician under the supervision of Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn. Educated in Dublin, Ireland, Campbell provided high quality drafting skills for the team hired to carry out the architectural work. Although he died at age 36 in 1940, Campbell made significant contributions to the project of restoring Williamsburg to its colonial appearance.