The Butler eBanner Newsletter of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies Summer 2015 Butler Center Events Art Exhibitions Hartford Music Company Collection Aug. 14–Oct. 31, 2015 Weaving Stories & Hope: Textile Is Open to Researchers Arts from the Japanese American he Hartford Music Company, located Internment Camp at Rohwer, Arkansas in Hartford (Sebastian County), was Butler Center Loft Gallery founded in 1918 by Eugene Mon- Decorative textiles, accompanied by T roe (E. M.) Bartlett—a businessman from stories and information about the Waynesville, Missouri, who wanted to pub- Rohwer camp lish gospel music. Specifically, he was inter- Aug. 14–Oct. 31, 2015 Disparate Acts Redux: Bailin, ested in teaching people how to sight-read Criswell, Peters music using a shape-note system. Butler Center West Gallery Shape-note singing systems began in the An exhibition created by three artists who have found community early 1800s as a way to teach congrega- with each other over thirty years tional and community singers to read mu- Sept. 11–Dec. 26, 2015 sic without the aid of musical instruments. Hartford Music Company songbooks, from the Butler Center Underground Gallery Each tone or interval on the musical scale early 1900s to 1942. The early books were print- Gene Hatfield: Outside the Lines is represented by a differently shaped note Artwork created by Gene Hatfield, ed in Hartford under the name Central Music a painter, writer, actor, and former head (for example, the head for a “fa” note Company, the forerunner of Hartford. professor of art at the University of might be represented by a triangle and “la” Central Arkansas by a square). By learning to recognize the E. M. Bartlett, president of the Hartford Music Oct. 9, 2015–March 26, 2016 intervals in this manner, song leaders could Company, printed from electrotype plates for his Butler Center Concordia Hall Photographic Arts: African easily change the musical key of the song to songbooks, published semiannually. The books American Studio Photography suit the needs of the group. Cont. on page 2 from the Joshua & Mary Swift Collection The first exhibition of works from a private collection featuring Steve Stephens Papers Now Available photographs of African Americans he Steve Stephens Papers (MSS 10- Marine Corps in 1950. Stephens left for Korea from the 1860s to 1940s Exhibitions open during each 45) contain the personal papers of in December of 1952 and served one year in the month’s Second Friday Art Night Steve Owen Stephens, best known Korean War beginning in January 1953 with the (2FAN), 5–8 p.m. in the ASI T as the host of Steve’s Show (an early dance- headquarters battalion of the 1st Marine Divi- building. party show) on television station KTHV. sion. He was in Korea when the armistice was Arkansas Sounds Over many years, he has remained a famil- signed on July 27, 1953, and was discharged in Fri., Aug. 7, 7:00 p.m. iar voice and face on ra- 1954 after attaining the rank CALS Ron Robinson Theater dio and television. of sergeant. The John Bush Quintet Stephens was born Stephens returned to New- Vocal and instrumental jazz Rufus James Stephens port and worked part-time as favorites—$10 Fri., Sept. 4, 7:00 p.m. on April 22, 1930, to a broadcaster at radio station CALS Ron Robinson Theater Owen Stephens and Al- KNBY in Newport. That Runaway Planet lie Mae Stephens, own- led to a job at KTHV, where Traditional and original ers of a restaurant and he became the host of the bluegrass—$10 service station in New- dance-party show that be- Fri., Oct. 16, 7:00 p.m. Steve Stephens with Steve’s Show CALS Ron Robinson Theater port (Jackson County). came known as Steve’s Show Sister Rosetta Tharpe Tribute His parents later owned guests. (it was originally called Screening of The Godmother of a furniture store where Stephens worked Your Party). During the show’s run, from 1957 Rock and Roll and mini-concert of Tharpe’s music—FREE while in school. He attended Castle Heights to 1964, it helped launch the careers of Arkansas Tickets available at www. Military Academy and graduated from musicians such as Conway Twitty, Charlie Rich, ArkansasSounds.org or Butler Newport High School. Johnny Cash, and Sonny Burgess. Center Galleries. After attending the University of Arkansas From 1958 to 1965, he was the station’s weath- Events cont. on next page for two years, he left school to join the U.S. Cont. on page 2 Cont. from Hartford Music, p. 1 (Sebastian County); Powell, Missouri; County). Albert E. Brumley (who wrote were shipped all over the United States Tulsa, Oklahoma; Cullman, Alabama; “I’ll Fly Away”) bought the company in and were used at singing conventions and and Houston, Texas. 1948 and moved it to Powell, Missouri. schools. Bartlett wrote most of the songs, though The Hartford Music Company col- The forerunner of the Hartford Music familiar hymns were added as fillers or lection (MSS 14-22) contains hymnals Company was the Central Music Compa- by request. His most famous song that published between 1908 and 1974 by ny, owned by songwriter Will M. Ramsey is still published is “Victory in Jesus.” the Hartford Music Company, Eureka and David Moore. When Ramsey moved Bartlett formed the Hartford Music In- Publishing Company, Stamps-Baxter to Little Rock (Pulaski County) in 1918, stitute to coincide with the Hartford Mu- Music and Printing Company, and other Bartlett persuaded Moore and John A. sic Company, hiring instructors to teach publishing companies, as well as photo- McClung to partner with him in estab- voice, piano, piano tuning, rudiments, graphs and miscellaneous materials from lishing the Hartford Music Company, harmony, and stringed instruments. the Hartford Music Company. The col- with Moore as business manager. The When Bartlett retired in 1931, John lection, which had served as a “mini-mu- companies merged in 1931 under the McClung became president and sole seum” of the Hartford Music Company, Hartford name. By 1931, the company owner of the company. He had co-owned was donated to the Butler Center in May was printing and shipping more than the company in the 1920s and bought it 2014 by Thelma Jean (T. J.) McClung 100,000 books a year to thirty-five states outright on February 20, 1931. Gibson, daughter of John McClung. and two foreign countries. A branch plant After McClung died in 1942, the com- The collection can be accessed in the was established in Nacogdoches, Texas, pany was sold to Floyd Hunter, Waldo Research Room of the Arkansas Studies where 20,000 books were published each Pool, Otis Echols, and Oliver Cooper, Institute building, and the finding aid is year. Other branches were in Fort Smith who moved it to Hot Springs (Garland available online here. n Cont. from Steve Stephens, p. 1 business people, and philanthropists. He erman and also hosted Eye on Arkansas, retired in 1998 but continues to serve as an early talk show. He interviewed such a voice talent for numerous local and na- entertainment icons as Liberace, Patti tional radio and television commercials. Page, the Four Aces, Angie Dickinson, He has hosted the “Biography Arkansas” Bob Crosby, Mickey Rooney, the casts segment for KUAR radio since the seg- of TV’s The Beverly Hillbillies and Pon- ment’s debut in 2005. Read more about derosa, Roy Rogers, Douglas Fairbanks Stephens on the EOA here. Jr., and Ronald Reagan. This collection includes approximately Stephens married Ellen Beede of New- 15.5 linear feet of correspondence, pub- port on April 21, 1957, and the couple licity materials, photographs, audio and had two sons, Stanton (now deceased) video recordings, scrapbooks, and mem- and Steele; the couple divorced after thir- orabilia related to Stephens’s various ca- ty years of marriage. reers and philanthropic work from 1951 Stephens’s career included working for through 2011. The finding aid is avail- Senator John McClellan in Washington able online here. DC, developer Jess Odom in Little Rock, Orval Faubus presenting Steve Stephens Steve Stephens also donated a collec- and Jack Stephens (no relation) at Ste- with a proclamation declaring October tion (BC.KWP.19) to the Butler Center’s phens, Inc. At Stephens, Inc., he helped 7, 1959, Teenagers Against Birth De- Forgotten: The Arkansas Korean War Proj- develop the Entertainment Division, fects, Arthritis, and Polio (TABDAP) ect. The collection includes photographs which included clients Harry Thomason, Day. and documents related to his service as a Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, and Burt was active in several philanthropic ef- marine during the Korean War, as well as Reynolds. forts, including the March of Dimes, Li- an oral history interview with Stephens Stephens also worked in real estate, ons World Services for the Blind, and the from June 2, 2009. Both collections can investment services, advertising, and Arkansas Cancer Research Center. Dur- be accessed in the Research Room of the other ventures with his own company, ing his long and diverse career, he has Arkansas Studies Institute building, and Stephens International. Additionally, he come into contact with many celebrities, the BC.KWP.19 finding aid ishere . n Legacies & Lunch Noon – 1 p.m. Wed., Sept. 2 The Arkansas Traveler, to be performed at this David Bailin—artist and teacher to discuss the special musical presentation. exhibition Disparate Acts Redux (on view in Main Library’s Darragh Center Wed., Aug. 5 Butler Center Galleries Aug. 14–Oct. 31) and Marcie Cohen Ferris—author of The Edible the importance of being part of a community of Finding Family Facts South and professor of American Studies at artists. A free genealogy course the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Library’s Darragh Center will discuss Southern foodways.