Thomas G. Burton-Ambrose N. Manning Collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: AppMs-0025

Staff Only

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

1899 - 1989
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

Additional Description

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.

Subjects

Ashley, Thomas Clarence, b. 1895
Baird, Bertha
Barker, Horton, b. 1889
Davidson, Homer L.
George, Franklin
McGee, Sam, b. 1894
Ward, Marshall
Ward, Tab
Watson, Doc
African Americans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Agriculture--Appalachian Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Animals--Folklore Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Appalachian Region -- Economic conditions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Appalachian Region -- Social conditions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Ballads Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Banjo music Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Bees (Cooperative gatherings) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Big Mary (Elephant) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Children -- Appalachian Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Distilling, Illicit--Appalachian Region, Southern Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Dulcimer Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Education -- Appalachian Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Fiddle tunes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Folklore Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Funeral rites and ceremonies Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Games -- Appalachian Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Ghosts Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Gospel music Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Guitar music--Appalachian Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Handicraft Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Herbs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Hicks, Buna Vesta Presnell, 1888-1984
Hicks, Ray, 1922-2003
Hunting Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Logging Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Marriage Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
McDermitt, Barbara Rice Damron
Midwives Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Negatives (photographic) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Old-time music Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Personal papers Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Railroads--Songs and lore Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Religion Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Storytelling Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Superstition Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Traditional medicine Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Weather--Folklore Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Wit and humor Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Witchcraft Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source