This collection consists of papers and materials belonging to or relating to James S. Silva and his son, Frank L. Silva. Dates covered in the collection range from 1888 to 1953. The collection contains James Silva's remembrances of St. Marys and information pertaining Frank Silva's patriotic organizational affiliations. This collection also contains photographs of Savannah scenes and events. Of special interest in the collection are the photographs of Savannah in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The photographs include images of Savannah, the fire of 1889, and African Americans in the City Market and on the docks along the Savannah River. The first photograph album, Frank L. Silva, 1888-1900," contains the following photographs. Quotation marks indicate the original label. "Forsyth Park" statues; fountain; "Water Tower;" "Pulaski Monument;" "Cathedral of St. John's;" "First Presbyterian;" "Jones St.;" "Broughton Street;" "Jasper Monument;" "Father's Store;" "St. John's Church;" "Baptist Church;" "DeSoto Hotel;" "Starting DeSoto Hotel;" "Independent Presbyterian Church and Sunday School;" "After Fire;" Independent Presbyterian Church; "Gordon Monument;" "Christ Church;" "Greene Monument;" "Start of Great Fire, 1889;" "Barnard Street" after fire; "State St." after fire; "Hanley's" after fire; "Guard's Armory" after fire; "Whitaker St." after fire; "Bob;" "Taken by Gaslight;" "Our Room, Mac and Mine;" "Old Times Tybee;" "Switch Back Tybee;" "Forie Flint;" "Bonaventure;" "Sherman's Headquarters;" "Jasper Monument;" "Tybee, Ga.;" "Confederate Monument;" "Pulaski Monument;" "Greene Monument;" "Gordon Monument;" "Savannah River;" "Loading Cotton;" "Post Office;" "New Courthouse;" "Tomochichi Monument;" "Morning News;" "Cotton Exchange;" "Guards New Armory;" "DeSoto Hotel;" "Kansas City, Ocean Steamship Company;" "Cotton Field;" "Bonaventure;" "Fort Pulaski;" and "Naval Stores on Wharfs." The second photograph album, "Scenes in Savannah, Georgia," is undated; it contains the following photographs: cruising ship; wooden boats; "Making Port;" marsh scene; "Shrimping;" "Thunderbolt looking south" (boat); "Isle of Hope" (boat); "Off White Bluff Road, Sav. Ga.;" (field); "Old Negro Church, Savannah;" marsh scene; "White Bluff Road, Savannah;" "Down in Ga, Savannah;" horse and buggy; Savannah River scene; "Savannah from Exchange;" African Americans in the City Market; "Old City Market;" "Chippewa Square;" marsh scene; "Entrance to Park;" "Confederate Monument;" "Forsyth Park;" "Forsyth Park;" "Independent Church;" pulpit in church; Independent Church; "Inside of Church;" sailboat; "Colonial Cemetery;" unidentified house; "Robert E. Lee" (photo of a painting); unidentified house; "Bonaventure;" the Bluff at Isle of Hope; "Down South;" unidentified house; "Bluff at Isle of Hope;" sailboat; Isle of Hope; sailboat; "Fort Jackson;" "Savannah River;" "Railroad to Tybee" with view of Tybee Lighthouse; "Slave Hut" (Hermitage?); "Slave Hut at Hermitage;" "Hermitage House;" unidentified road; "Entrance to Hermitage;" unidentified building; "Evening in S. C.;" unidentified field; "House over 100 years old, Gifford Homestead, S.C.;" sailboats; "Sunrise on Plantation in S.C.;" sailboat; "Milking Time in S.C.;" African American on dock on River; "The Farm Yard S.C.;" viaduct; "old cotton press in S.C.;" Broughton Street; "Backyard Gifford's (S,C.);" African Americans in City Market; "Plowing Watermelon Patch, S. C.;" African Americans on dock; Savannah River docks; "Among Pines, S. C.;" river scene; "Uncle Sheddy's, Ga.;" Uncle Sheddy's (street scene); 'The Old Ntill Pond;" sloop; "A Pine Forest;" sailing ships; "Mrs. Jue's Branch, Ga.;" boats; "Mrs. Winn's, Guyton, Ga.;" river; "The Branch, Ga.;" boats; brick structure; "Isle of Hope;" boats; grove of trees; boat and docks; sailboat and boy; beach scenes; and boats. The folders and volumes containing photographs are noted as "VM" (visual materials) in the collection inventory.
