Murphy family photographs
Scope and Contents
This collection contains scrapbook pages that also contain attached newspaper clippings about the family, photo albums, portraits, and drawings of the Murphy family. Most scrapbooks and photograph albums in this collection were possibly complied by Julia Gatins Murphy. There are also several photographs of the Murphy family’s residences, Hillcrest and Villa Juanita. Of special note are portraits of Cardinal John Murphy Farley (1842-1918) of New York and Robert J. Lowry (1840-1919) that are located within the scrapbook pages.
The collection also features photographs of John Edgar Murphy’s mother, Margaret McGhee Murphy (1842-1907); Julia Gatins Murphy’s sister, Mary Regis “Mamie” Gatins (1870-1936); Julia Gatins Murphy’s niece-in-law, Egle deVillelume Sombreuil Gatins (1892-1990); and her son, Joseph Francis Gatins III (1915-1983).
Dates
- approximately 1870-1959, undated
Creator
- Reeves Studios (Atlanta, Ga.) (Organization)
- Murphy family (Family)
- Riley, Katherine Murphy, 1905-1985 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
This material is protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.
Biographical / Historical
John Edgar Murphy (1862-1924) was born in Georgia, to Timothy C. Murphy (1829-1884) and Margaret McGhee Murphy (1842-1907). He was the former president of Lowry National Bank (later First National Bank of Atlanta) from 1919 until 1921 and the former vice president of the Trust Company of Georgia (later SunTrust Banks, Inc.). In 1893, he married Julia Gatins Murphy (1865-1938) and they had three daughters: Julia Gatins Murphy Whitehead Hungerford (1897-1935), Catherine (1903-1905), and Katherine John Murphy Riley (1905-1985).
In 1922, Julia married Conkey Pate Whitehead (1899-1940) who built the Villa Juanita property on West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead as a gift to her. After their divorce in 1929, Julia received ownership of the property and she later married Osgood Robert Hungerford (1891-1949) in 1932.
In 1929, Katherine married Dr. Julian Gladstone Riley (1900-1951). After his death, she married his brother, James Blaine Riley (1902-1977) in 1951. Later in life, Katherine became a well-known philanthropist in Atlanta, founding the Katherine John Murphy Foundation. After her sister’s death, Katherine owned and lived in Villa Juanita until her death. Neither Julia or Katherine had children.
Extent
699 item(s) (four photo albums containing 75 black and white photographic prints, 44 color photographic prints, and eight postcards;127 loose scrapbook pages containing 432 black and white photographic prints, one drawing, and attached newspaper clippings; 90 black and white photographic prints, 36 color photographic prints, 11 hand tinted black and white photographic prints, and two drawings)
Language
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged alphabetically by titles supplied by staff.
Bias in Description
As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information. We choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, and bias is reflected in our descriptions, which may not accurately convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materials. Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment. In working with this collection, we often re-use language used by the former owners of the material. This language provides context but often includes bias and prejudices reflective of the time in which it was created. The Kenan Research Center’s work is ongoing to implement reparative language where Library of Congress subject terms are inaccurate and obsolete.
Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or descriptions, please let us know by emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.
General
This collection was previously catalogued as RIL.
Processing Information
This collection was reprocessed in 2025.
- Architecture, Domestic -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Children -- 1880-1890
- Children -- 1900-1910
- Clothing and dress -- History -- 19th century
- Clothing and dress -- History -- 20th century
- Family life -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Fashion -- History -- 19th century
- Fashion -- History -- 20th century
- Gatins family
- Gatins, Egle de Villelume-Sombreuil, 1892-1990
- Gatins, Joseph Francis, III, 1915-1983
- Horse-drawn vehicles -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Houses -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Hungerford, Julia Murphy (Julia Gatins Murphy Whitehead), 1897-1935
- Murphy family
- Murphy, John E.
- Portraits, American -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Riley, Katherine Murphy, 1905-1985
- Transportation -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Wedding clothing & dress
- Weddings -- Georgia -- Atlanta
- Title
- Murphy family photographs
- Subtitle
- ahc.VIS517
- Author
- Ariana Lee
- Date
- March 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository