Sep
25
Morton photos in today’s news
September 25, 2008 | Subscribe to this post
Posted by Elizabeth Hull in Celebrities, Events
Two of Hugh Morton’s most famous portraits popped up in NC newspapers today. The first is in a News & Observer column by Jim Jenkins, entitled “Walk the line to Grandfather’s top,” about Johnny Cash’s visit to Grandfather in June of 1974 to perform at “Singing on the Mountain.” Jim (with the help of Hugh’s grandson Jack Morton) recounts the events surrounding Morton’s portrait of the Man in Black holding aloft a tattered American flag. (Hugh also tells the story of Cash’s visit on pages 126-129 of Making a Difference in North Carolina). The online version of Jenkins’ column doesn’t include the photo, so here it is (uncropped):
The second is a reference in Wilmington’s Star News to Andy Griffith’s 1953 monologue, “What is was, was football,” the popular comedy routine that is generally credited with launching Griffith’s mainstream career. Morton’s photo of Griffith performing the monologue at halftime at UNC’s Kenan Stadium (below) has been widely published, including on page 130 of Hugh Morton’s North Carolina.
(Note: the Star News website doesn’t seem to be loading at the time of this posting).
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Links
- ArchivesNext - Blog examining archives and technology
- Biographical Conversations with . . . Hugh Morton - An episode from the UNC TV program featuring a one-on-one conversation with Hugh Morton
- Grandfather Mountain - Scenic attraction and nature preserve in Linville, NC owned by Morton from 1952 until his death in 2006
- Morton Biography from Grandfather Mountain website
- NC Collection Photographic Archives
- NC Miscellany Blog - Blog of the North Carolina Collection, Wilson Library, UNC-CH
- Posterity Project - Blog related to archives, history, civic responsibility, and open access to public records in Tennessee
- Southern Short Course in News Photography - America’s longest running photojournalism seminar, of which Morton was a founder
- UNC Libraries
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In a 1968 article in “The State” magazine, Author Jane Corey described Hugh Morton as “one of the South’s most talented and prolific photographers.” His pictures are still an important part of our day to day life in North Carolina as evidenced by these two newspaper stories.
Elizabeth, you are right on point when you say that the picture of Andy Griffith performing “What It Was, Was Football,” during halftime at a UNC football game in the fall of 1954, has been “widely published.” A few of those include:
“Making A Difference in North Carolina” (1988) by Hugh Morton and Ed Rankin Page 280
(Same shot as the one in the post)
“The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The First 200 Years” (1987) by Various Authors Pages 84-85
“Tar Heel Tradition: 100 Years of Sports at Carolina” (1988) by Phillip L. Ben Page 76
“Images of America: Chapel Hill” (1996) by James Vickers Page 113 (2 shot sequence)
(The shot in the above three books is a different angle and a slightly tighter shot)
The Duncan Brantley video that was mentioned in the “Star-News” story was released on VHS in 1998 and the second angle shot is on the cover of the box, along with another famous Hugh Morton photograph…the one of Charlie Justice running in the 1947 game with Tennessee in Kenan Stadium.
Finally, a tightly cropped version of the Johnny Cash picture is also in Hugh’s 2006 book on page 133.
The Andy Griffith performance of “What it Was, Was Football,” in the famous Kenan Stadium picture was taken on September 25, 1954 during halftime of the UNC - NC State game. I ran across that information this weekend while I was looking through Saturday’s game program. It’s part of an ad for the Herald-Sun papers on page 94.
That’s pretty funny, since I (unintentionally) posted the photo on September 25–exactly 54 years after it was taken. Thanks for the details, Jack!
A recent “NC Miscellany” post featured a Hugh Morton photo on a 1960 post card. Here is a link:
http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/index.php/2008/10/11/restaurant-menus-1960/
In the December, 2008 issue of “Tar Heel Monthly” magazine there is an interesting article on page 42 titled “Inside the Office.”
It’s a Q&A with UNC Athletic Director Dick Baddour describing the sports memorabilia in his office that he has collected over his 42 years at Carolina.
There is a segment about Hugh Morton, and since THM doesn’t publish their stories online, I’ll repeat it:
Item: Framed 16-by-20 photo of Charlie Justice being carried on the shoulders of his teammates.
Baddour: This is another one of my favorites. When I was appointed athletic director, I told Hugh Morton I had to have one of his pictures in my office. Hugh sent me five proofs and told me to pick one. In a couple of days, I called him and told him I’d looked them over. “I’ve got it right here,” Hugh said. This is before I had even told him which one I wanted. “Which one do you want?” he asked me. I told him I wanted the Charlie Justice photo, and he said, “I knew you’d want that one. I’ve got it right here and I will put it in the mail.” Somehow, he knew which one I’d pick. This photo is about teamwork and about being in the trenches and working together.