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Description

Black and white photograph of Davidson County African American man named William "Taft" Adderton, Sr. working outdoors at pile of large logs from felled trees. Adderton is missing his left arm from the shoulder down and operating a large chainsaw strapped as a sling. He had to have his arm amputated in 1927 after an accident while working to build the Yadkin River dam. He implemented a leather strap with a hook in order to continue working despite his disability. It is said he became one of the county's greatest loggers, hired by many sawmills and lumber yards. He lived with his wife Sara and their six children.

Details

Title
William "Taft" Adderton, Sr.
Creator
Waters, H. Lee (Herbert Lee), 1902-1997.
Date (Text)
circa 1960
Date
1955 - 1965
Geographic Coverage
Davidson County (N.C.)
Subject (Topic)
African Americans--North Carolina--Davidson County.
Agricultural laborers with disabilities.
Subject (Images)
Type
Image
Format
Black-and-white photographs
Dimensions
9.875 x 8 in.
Digital Exhibit
Herbert Lee Waters Photograph Collection
Collection in Repository
H. Lee Waters Photograph Collection
Local Item/Call Number
25_1_3_12 (Note: Previous record # HLW96.7468)
Standard Rights Statement
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Digitization Notes
Metadata provided by Davidson County Historical Museum. Herbert Lee Waters (1902-1997) was a dedicated photographer who operated the H. Lee Waters Studio in Lexington, NC, for over half a century. He purchased the studio at 118 ½ S. Main St. from J. J. Hitchcock in February 1926. Waters specialized in studio and commercial photography, capturing a wide range of subjects, including city scenes, local businesses, churches, community events, and everyday life. His work highlighted the lives of everyday people across different races and classes, with notable content that includes photos of WWII draftees and African American communities. He is also recognized for producing over 200 short films titled "Movies of Local People," which documented life in more than 100 towns across North Carolina and neighboring states from 1936 to 1942. After the birth of his daughter Mary, Waters returned to Lexington, focusing on still photography for the remainder of his career and creating a remarkable visual narrative of his time.
Contributing Institution
Contact Information
Davidson County Historical Museum | 2 S Main Street Lexington, NC 27292 | dch.museum@davidsoncountync.gov | (336) 242-2035 | https://www.davidsoncountyhistoricalmuseum.com/
Digital Collection
Images of North Carolina

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