Boyhood photograph of James Pickens Walker - Washington D.C. school years
Book 2, Page 37 ·1894-1898
Transcription
A single mounted cabinet photograph of a boy, perhaps nine or ten years old, in a dark double-breasted jacket with a watch chain looped across the front. Head-and-shoulders, three-quarter view. The photographer’s embossed imprint at the lower edge of the mount is partly legible — a Washington, D.C., studio.
Caption in blue ink beneath the photograph, in the compiler’s hand:
James Pickens Walker — 1896 — 1897 — 1898 Graded school in Washington D.C. — Peabody School — 1894 — 1895 — 1896
AI Notes
The photographer’s embossed imprint on the cabinet card mount is a Washington, D.C. studio (signature partly legible above ‘WASHINGTON, D.C.’). The blue-ink caption beneath, written in the compiler’s hand, dates the photograph to JP Walker’s school years: 1896-1898 (graded school in Washington D.C.) and 1894-1896 (Peabody School). The order on the page lists graded school dates first, Peabody School dates second, even though Peabody (1894-1896) preceded graded school (1896-1898). Peabody School is a historic D.C. public school on Capitol Hill, named for philanthropist George Peabody.
The first line gives the years he attended graded school in Washington, D.C.; the third line gives the years he attended Peabody School (earlier). Written by the compiler — Amy Walker, his wife — looking back at her late husband’s boyhood years.
Peabody School (built 1879, on Capitol Hill at 5th and C Sts. NE) is a historic D.C. public elementary school named for the philanthropist George Peabody. A Walker boyhood in 1890s Washington is the prelude to the family’s later W&L tradition: Jamie went on to play fullback at Washington and Lee (see page 046).