The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, is seeking pictures by renowned portrait photographer George Wertz, who operated Wertz Photographic Studio on Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia, from 1875 to 1924.
The Historical Society is compiling memorabilia of his life and his contribution to photography. Wertz' pictures of children were his most popular photographs. His most famous photograph is a panoramic view of Abingdon, Virginia, taken in 1915, which is housed in the Library of Congress.
The Wertz family were members of St Thomas Episcopal Church in Abingdon. Their daughter, Katie Wertz, married Henry Clay Bondurant of Bristol, and they were members of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Katie and Henry were both born in 1880 and died in 1957. The Bondurants had four children James H. Bondurant, George Newton Bondurant, H.C. Bondurant and Katherine Bondurant Hays. Anyone with knowledge of the Bondurant family or old photographs by Wertz is asked to contact the Historical Society of Washington County at 276-623-8337.
Photographs will be digitally recorded and returned to owner or can be donated to the society, which is located at Depot Square, Abingdon.
