Thomas G. Burton-Ambrose N. Manning Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection resulted from Dr. Burton’s and Mr. Manning’s interests in Appalachian folklore and related teaching, research, and service activities. A central component of the collection consists of reel-to-reel audio recordings, dub sheets, transcripts, and indices created as part of the professors' efforts to gather ballads, instrumental music, stories, superstitions and beliefs, folk remedies, and accounts of everyday life from individuals in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Interviews were conducted by the two professors and their students as part of class assignments.
The collection also includes correspondence concerning ballads, folk festivals, and taping of songs; lists and photographs of informants; newspaper clippings from the "Singing Out" column; plans for the folk festivals; and musical notations of traditional ballads, manuscripts, and publicity for the books which Professors Burton and Manning co-authored.
Dates
- Creation: 1899 - 1989
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1967 - 1971
Creator
- Manning, Ambrose N. (Person)
- Burton, Thomas G. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Digital access copies to audiovisual material are available for onsite use.
Conditions Governing Use
Recordings from the collection may not be used in commercial productions without the permission of Thomas Burton. With the permission of the archives, recordings may be duplicated or loaned for educational purposes. Recordings may be duplicated to provide copies for speakers and performers or their families. Photographs may not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Burton. Two photos in Series IX taken by Kenneth Murray may not be duplicated without Murray's permission
Extent
37.50 linear feet (28 boxes, 2 oversized folders, 201 audiotapes, 12 video tapes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is divided into ten series as follows: Series 1, Correspondence, 1965-74; Series 2, Dub Sheets and Transcripts, 1964-79; Series 3, Indices, 1932, 1965-71 and undated; Series 4, Project Publications and Project Publicity, 1966-71; Series 5, Research Materials, ca. 1969; Series 6, Community Contributions, ca. 1966-74; Series 7, Folk Festivals, 1966-74; Series 8, Tapes: Audiotapes 1-157 and Videotapes BMV 3-6, 9-10, 1964-70; Series 8, Photographic Materials, 1925, 1932, 1956, 1968-1974 and undated; and Series 10, General Subject Files, 1899-1989. Oversized items have been removed and placed in an oversized box and two oversized folders.
Source of Acquisition
Thomas Burton and Ambrose Manning
Method of Acquisition
This research formed the core of East Tennessee State University's Oral History Archives, founded by Thomas Burton and Ambrose Manning in 1968. Later, Burton and Manning were integral to the establishment of the Archives of Appalachia at ETSU in 1979. They donated these tapes and related materials to the archives in January 1979 and the papers were opened for research in May 1979. Burton donated additional materials to the collection in 1989, 1990, 1993, and 2002.
Processing Information
In 1979, Kay Anders processed the original collection. In 1993 and 2001, additional materials were processed and incorporated into the collection by Marie Tedesco and Thomas Sneed.
Subject
- Ashley, Thomas Clarence, b. 1895 (Person)
- Baird, Bertha (Person)
- Barker, Horton, b. 1889 (Person)
- Davidson, Homer L. (Person)
- George, Franklin (Person)
- Hicks, Buna Vesta Presnell, 1888-1984 (Person)
- Hicks, Ray, 1922-2003 (Person)
- McDermitt, Barbara Rice Damron (Person)
- McGee, Sam, b. 1894 (Person)
- Ward, Marshall (Person)
- Ward, Tab (Person)
- Watson, Doc (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
- Appalachian Region -- Economic conditions
- Appalachian Region -- Social conditions
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Topical
- African Americans
- Agriculture--Appalachian Region
- Animals--Folklore
- Ballads
- Banjo music
- Bees (Cooperative gatherings)
- Big Mary (Elephant)
- Children -- Appalachian Region
- Distilling, Illicit--Appalachian Region, Southern
- Dulcimer
- Education -- Appalachian Region
- Fiddle tunes
- Folklore
- Funeral rites and ceremonies
- Games -- Appalachian Region
- Ghosts
- Gospel music
- Guitar music--Appalachian Region
- Handicraft
- Herbs
- Hunting
- Logging
- Marriage
- Midwives
- Old-time music
- Railroads--Songs and lore
- Religion
- Storytelling
- Superstition
- Traditional medicine
- Weather--Folklore
- Wit and humor
- Witchcraft
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Archives of Appalachia Repository
PO Box 70295
344 J.L. Seehorn Jr. Rd.
Johnson City TN 37614 USA
423-439-4338
423/439-4338
archives@etsu.edu