This 1912 letter was written by Frances Goodrich for the Woman's Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Goodrich first came to western North Carolina in 1892 as a community worker employed by this mission board. It was…
These minutes document a significant meeting of the directors of Allanstand Cottage Industries held on March 3, 1931. At this meeting, Allanstand Cottage Industries was formally dissolved. The president reported arranging for the distribution of …
This handmade banjo's origin is unknown, but it is typical of a 19th century Appalachian banjo constructed by African-Americans who had cultural ties to the West coast of Africa. The banjo's pot is created from a vegetable gourd. The tuning gears…
This fretless banjo is a example of a mid to late 19th-century hand-built instrument. There is no name of a maker on the headstock nor on the dowel rod inside the pot, but it is likely the banjo was made in the vicinity of Cherokee County. The crude…
This three-string dulcimer was made by Kentucky luthier Jethro Amburgey. As is typical of early hand-built Appalachian dulcimers, this instrument is only partially fretted, the frets not reaching across the entire fret board. This instrument was…
This banjo was built by Homer Ledford of Kentucky in the 1940's. Ledford came to the John C. Campbell Folk School in the 1940's and began constructing dulcimers and banjos as a result of his exposure to these instruments at the Folk School. This…
This photograph of four mountain dulcimers was taken by John Jacob Niles (1892-1980) in the late 1930s. Niles accompanied and assisted Doris Ulmann on her photography trips through Appalachia, where this photograph was most likely taken. Niles, a…
This paper gives an overview of the newly created Southern Highlanders, Inc. and places its purpose and mission in context of the history and revival or traditional craft in the southern Appalachian region. The paper was written by Clementine…
This 1934 memorandum from G. A. Schweppe to W.L. Sturdivant outlines Schweppe's findings and opinions after a preliminary tour through areas that would be affected by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) initiatives. This is a companion memorandum to a…
This 1934 memorandum from G. A. Schweppe to W.L. Sturdivant outlines Schweppe's findings and opinions after a preliminary tour through areas that would be affected by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) initiatives. This is a companion memorandum to a…