 |  |
Silva family papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Repository: | Georgia Historical Society |
| Creator: | Silva, Margaret, approximately 1886-1952. |
| Creator: | Silva, William Posey, 1859-1948. |
| Creator: | Teasdale, May Silva, 1861-1954. |
| Title: | Silva family papers |
| Dates: | 1907-1950 |
| Extent: | 1.35 cubic feet (2 boxes, 5 volumes) |
| Identification: | MS 0729 |
Biographical/Historical Note
William Posey Silva (1859-1948) was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of James Sylvester Silva and Margaret Susan Askew Silva. He was educated in the public schools of Savannah and attended the University of Virginia. For several years he was with his father in the chinaware business in Savannah. In 1887, he moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he established a chinaware business. He also went to France to study landscape painting. Silva returned to Chattanooga in 1909, moved to Washington, D.C. in 1910, and then to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California in 1913, where he built his own art gallery. He lived in Carmel the remainder of his life. He became a very successful and well=known landscapist, winning prizes and honorable mentions in many exhibitions. He also had one-man exhibitions in several cities.
May Silva Teasdale (1861-1954) was the sister of William P. Silva. She lived in Savannah all of her life. She attended public schools in Savannah and Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, where she majored in music. Her first husband was Plutarch Timayenis. In 1900 she married, as her second husband, William Harry Teasdale (d. 1949), Superintendent of the Savannah Cotton Exchange for 35 years. She was very active in musical circles in Savannah and as a composer of songs, a vocalist, organist, and teacher. She was a charter organizing member of the New York Singing Teachers' Association, the Savannah Music Club, the Philomonic Club, and the Music Study Club. Her publications include Self Help for Vocal and Piano Students in Tone Relation and Intonation, Progressive Game of Music Composers, Sure Guide Practice Chart, and several others. She was instrumental in having music instruction started in the public schools.
Margaret Silva (d. 1952) was the daughter of May Silva Teasdale by her first marriage. She was educated in the Savannah public school system and taught in the elementary schools for a few years. She then went into library work in Savannah. She moved to New York where she remained for several years. On her return to Savannah she again became a member of the Savannah Public Library staff, a position she held for 15 years until shortly before her death. In her last years she compiled information on her uncle, William P. Silva - his life, career, whereabouts of his paintings, etc.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains the papers of William Posey Silva, May Silva Teasdale, and Margaret Silva, particularly those focused on William Silva's career and the musical activities in Savannah during the 20th century. William Silva's papers include correspondence, post cards of his paintings, exhibition catalogs of his works, articles and clippings regarding his career, a notebook containing copies of exhibition reviews, list of his paintings and their owners, and an original pencil sketch. Part of this collection was compiled by his niece, Margaret Silva.
May Silva Teasdale's papers include a loose-leaf notebook of letters from the family of her first husband, Plutarch Timayenis, in Smyrna and Athens, Greece, correspondence, and "Twilight Musicales," a notebook containing clippings and other materials regarding the Twilight Musicals at the Teasdale Home. Also included are clippings on the Savannah Music Club, the Savannah Music Teachers Association, programs from recitals by Mrs. Teasdale's students, the Scrapbook Music Club, and other musical activities. The collection also contains a list of members of the Savannah Music Club and of musical people in Savannah, miscellaneous musical notes and exercises, papers on her Opera Study Class, Music Study Club, and a minute book from the Savannah Music Teachers' Association.
The Margaret Silva papers in this collection include correspondence, as well as photographs of the front of James S. Silva's store in Savannah, James S. Silva and family, and a snapshot of William P. Silva in front of a house in Spencerville, Maryland.
The collection also contains four scrapbooks containing information on Savannah during the time period.
Index Terms
Administrative Information
Custodial History
Material was acquired from daughter of May Silva Teasdale, one of the creators.
Preferred Citation
[item identification], Silva family papers, MS 729, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mary Teasdale Oemler, 1952.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Sponsorship
Encoding funded by a 2012 Documenting Democracy grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.Container List
Volume | Item | ||||||||||||
| 2-3 | 185-186 | Scrapbooks | |||||||||||
| 3 | William Posey Silva ( 16.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||
| Articles and clippings regarding his career. Contains print of a photograph and lists of whereabouts of some of his paintings. | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Letters to Margaret Silva from individuals and institutions owning Silva paintings, 1945 ( 28.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||
| 13 | May Silva Teasdale ( 17.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||
| Savannah Music Teachers' Association correspondence, 1922-1924; also a few vouchers. | |||||||||||||
| 15 | Photographs ( 3.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||
| front of James S. Silva's store in Savannah; James S. Silva and family; snapshot of William P. Silva in front of a house, Spencerville, Md., August 29, 1911. | |||||||||||||
| 16 | Programs of musical events in Savannah, 1900-1950 ( 42.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 scrapbooks, mostly of Savannah interest ( 2.0 items. ) | ||||||||||||