The Alan Lomax Photographs and the Music of Williamsburg (1959-1960)
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W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2010 The Alan Lomax Photographs and the Music of Williamsburg (1959-1960) Peggy Finley Aarlien College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, and the Music Commons Recommended Citation Aarlien, Peggy Finley, "The Alan Lomax Photographs and the Music of Williamsburg (1959-1960)" (2010). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626612. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-b3tk-nh55 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ALAN LOMAX PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE MUSIC OF WILLIAMSBURG (1959-1960) Peggy Finley Aarlien Niirnberg, Germany Master of Arts, Norwegian University of Sciences and Technology, 2001 Bachelor of Arts, Norwegian University of Sciences and Technology, 1995 A Thesis presented to the Graduate Faculty of the College of William and Mary in Candidacy for the Degree of Masters of Arts The American Studies Program The College of William and Mary August 2010 APPROVAL PAGE This Thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters o f Arts Approved by the Committee, June, 2010 Professor Grey Gundaker The American Studies Program / Dr^Gj/affle^MjbGovern he Anwiqfin SJMdies*4*f©gi2iiT^^ 'w / G' fgG Arthur Rrnignt j” The American Studies Program ABSTRACT PACE On July 19, 2002, folklorist Alan Lomax died at the age of 87. In 1960, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation had hired Lomax as a consultant on their third educational film, entitled theMusic o f Williamsburg. As part of his contract, Lomax was to assemble and record a group of talented folk performers for this film. During his stay in Williamsburg, he captured many photographic images of the group and others. Only a handful of these photographs have been made public, yet most the photographs negatives remained in cold storage at the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, and a few remaining negatives were located at the Library of Congress. This study aims to bring Lomax’s Williamsburg photographs before a larger audience and place them in a social and historical context. The study also addresses the political and aesthetic aspects of the photographs, asking how the images reflect Lomax’s folk knowledge in general and contribute to the success of the Music o f Williamsburg specifically. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication Page...................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements...............................................................................................iii List of Figures........................................................................................................ iv Introduction.............................................................................................................2 Chapter I. From Patriotic Celebration to Social Education........................ 9 Chapter II. Lomax the Vernacular Photographer....................................21 Chapter III. Influences of Authenticity and Affinity....................................34 Chapter IV. Interpreting the CW-photographs In and Out of Context.... 47 Chapter V. In Silence, Names Revealed.................................................59 Chapter VI. Speaking in the Silent Language of the Dance Sequence.... 68 Appendix.................................................................................................................82 Bibliography ............................................................................................................84 Vita.......................................................................................................................... 92 i DEDICATION To my beautiful son Christopher, and my wonderful parents, my loving husband Michael, and Pam and Ramon Pardue. I could have not accomplished this feat without their endless love and support. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study grew out of the interests—by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Library of Congress, my advisor, Dr. Grey Gundaker, and myself—in mounting an original investigation of obscure photographs taken by ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, during his three month employment (1959-1960) in Williamsburg, Virginia. I would like to express my deep appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Gundaker, for her guidance and utmost patience with my work. I also would like to thank Dr. Carol Oja for introducing me to the role that Alan Lomax played in preserving our folk heritage. I thank Resource Librarian Laura C. Amette from the Visual Resource Center, The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library, and the archive staff at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Archives, and curator of the Alan Lomax Collection at the Library of Congress, Todd Harvey, all of whom facilitated my research. I would also like to mention my deep felt gratitude to the History Writing Resource Center and Barbara Montieth for their constructive criticism on my thesis drafts. Of course, I would like to thank Jean Brown for taking good care of me. My gratitude goes to Mr. Don Fleming of the Association for Cultural Equity for permitting me the usage of their copyrighted materials. I extend my thanks to all those persons who have helped me increase my interest over the years and continued to encourage my academic work in the field of American Studies. Among these are Dr. Charlie McGovern, Dr. Dorothy Kitchen-Doderlin, Dr. David Mauk, Dr. Bancroft and Mrs. Greene, Dr. Robert C. Watson, Dr. Richard, and McCluney. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Freedom Riders........................................................................................... 21 Freedom Fighter Bus “Freedom Riders” were sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality. They sit on the ground, outside their firebombed Freedom Fighter Bus burning in Anniston, Alabama, on May 14, 1961. The bus was set afire by a mob of white Southerners who followed the bus from the city. Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division. Call Number: NYWTS- SUBJ/GEOG—Racism— 1961. Figure 2: Georgia Sea Islander Singers.......................................................................21 Courtesy of the Library of Congress & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1875. Figure 3: Women with Triangle...................................................................................49 Congregation members of The Church of God and Saints of Christ (woman on left with triangle) in Belleville, Virginia April 1960. Courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and The Alan Lomax Database/ALA & ACE. Reference Number. ALC 2055. Figure 4: Mammy ..........................................................................................................49 The “Mammy” figure is still used today in the media, children’s stories, and is found in many African American collectibles. Courtesy of The reproduction McCoy Mammy Cookie Jar MNX Express© 1996-2007; http://wwvv.mccoylovers.com / reprod uctions/repro. htm. Figure 5: Nathanial Rahmings..................................................................................... 60 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints Photograph Division& The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1864. Figure 6: Nathanial Rahmings......................................................................................60 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints Photograph Division& The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC_ 2145. Figure 7: Ed Young......................................................................................................61 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Numbers ALC_2033, 2034, 2035. Figure 8: Hobart Smith and Ed Young......................................................................62 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 2031. Figure 9: Hobart Smith................................................................................................ 62 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1879. Figure 10: Prince Kilio...................................................................................................63 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1993. Figure 11: Jawbone player Prince Kilio........................................................................63 Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1986. Figure 12: The Bright Light Quartet and members of the Georgia Sea Island Singers.......................................................................................................... 63 Courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg and the Library of Congress Prints & The Alan Lomax Database. Reference Number ALC 1994. Figure 13: The Bright Light Quartet and members