Edward Babel Collection Inventory (#20020)

unc seal
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
block Descriptive Summary Including Abstract
block Administrative Information
block Online Catalog Terms
block Biographical Note
block Collection Overview
block Organization of Collection
plus Series Descriptions
block Items Separated
Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
Processed by
William Lewis
Date Completed
June 2000
Encoded by
Amy Davis
Back to Top

Descriptive Summary Including Abstract

Title
Edward Babel Collection (#20020) 1959-1980 (bulk 1975)
Creator
Babel, Edward.
Extent
About 90 items
Repository
Southern Folklife Collection
Abstract
Edward Babel began studying folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. In 1975, Babel began conducting research for his thesis on the hammered dulcimer tradition, particularly that of Randolph County, N.C. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, audio tapes, and other materials, 1959-1980, relating to Edward Babel's research on the hammered dulcimer. Most of the items relate to dulcimers belonging to individuals, some of them musicians, or to museums. Included are a manuscript, audio recordings, and photographs, 1975-1977, relating to Harvey Jones, a hammered dulcimer player from Ramseur, N.C.; a manuscript and photographs, 1975, relating to Mrs. James P. Johnson's dulcimer, which had belonged to her father, William Butler; a manuscript and photographs, 1975, of a dulcimer belonging to the Old Salem, Inc., collection in Winston-Salem, N.C.; a manuscript and photograph, 1959-1975, relating to the dulcimer belonging to Mrs. Artemus Ward; a manuscript and photographs, undated, relating to the hammered dulcimer from the mid-19th century that was purchased by folklorist Alan Jabbour from a woman in Coleridge, N.C.; a manuscript, photographs, and audio recordings, 1975-1976, relating to Virgil Craven; and a manuscript and photographs, 1975, of a dulcimer on display at the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, N.C. The Virgil Craven audio recordings are of jam sessions held at Craven's home in Randolph County, N.C. They feature Virgil on hammered dulcimer, Lauchlin Shaw on fiddle, Fred Olson on guitar, and Glenn Glass on banjo.
Back to Top

Administrative Information

Access
Use of audio materials may require production of listening copies.
Usage Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Provenance
Received from Daniel Patterson prior to 1990.
Back to Top

Online Catalog Terms

Babel, Edward.
Cedar Falls (N.C.)--History.
Craven, Virgil, 1902-1980.
Dulcimer music.
Folk music--North Carolina.
Glass, Glenn.
Jabbour, Alan.
Johnson, James P., Mrs.
Jones, Harvey (Musician).
Musicians--North Carolina.
North Carolina--Songs and music.
Olson, Fred (Musician).
Ramseur (N.C.)--History.
Randolph County (N.C.)--History.
Shaw, Lauchlin, 1912- .
Ward, Artemus, Mrs.
Back to Top

Biographical Note

Edward Babel grew up in Norwood, Mass., and attended Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. He began studying folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. In 1975, Babel began conducting research for his thesis on the hammered dulcimer tradition, particularly that of Randolph County, N.C. Babel's thesis and hammered dulcimer project was left unfinished when he withdrew from the Curriculum and enrolled in nursing school.

Back to Top

Collection Overview

Correspondence, photographs, audio tapes, and other materials, 1959-1980, relating to Edward Babel's research on the hammered dulcimer. Most of the items relate to dulcimers belonging to individuals, some of them musicians, or to museums. Included are a manuscript, audio recordings, and photographs, 1975-1977, relating to Harvey Jones, a hammered dulcimer player from Ramseur, N.C.; a manuscript and photographs, 1975, relating to Mrs. James P. Johnson's dulcimer, which had belonged to her father, William Butler; a manuscript and photographs, 1975, of a dulcimer belonging to the Old Salem, Inc., collection in Winston-Salem, N.C.; a manuscript and photograph, 1959-1975, relating to the dulcimer belonging to Mrs. Artemus Ward; a manuscript and photographs, undated, relating to the hammered dulcimer from the mid-19th century that was purchased by folklorist Alan Jabbour from a woman in Coleridge, N.C.; a manuscript, photographs, and audio recordings, 1975-1976, relating to Virgil Craven; and a manuscript and photographs, 1975, of a dulcimer on display at the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, N.C. The Virgil Craven audio recordings are of jam sessions held at Craven's home in Randolph County, N.C.. They feature Virgil on hammered dulcimer, Lauchlin Shaw on fiddle, Fred Olson on guitar, and Glenn Glass on banjo.

Back to Top

Organization of Collection

1. Correspondence and Smith Fund Material
2. Dulcimer Research
2.1. Harvey Jones
2.2. Mrs. James P. Johnson
2.3. Old Salem, Inc.
2.4. Mrs. Artemus Ward
2.5. Alan Jabbour
2.6. Virgil Craven
2.7. North Carolina Division of Archives and History
Back to Top

Series Descriptions

1. Correspondence and Smith Fund Material, 1959-1981.

8 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Materials include a flyer designed by Ed Babel and correspondence concerning the Smith Fund, which supported Babel's research; Babel and Daniel Patterson's letters about the donation of materials to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; letters from Fred Olson to Babel; and a letter from Barry Poss of County Records to Babel.
   Folder 1
Correspondence and Smith Fund material

Back to Top

2. Hammered Dulcimer Research, 1959-1977.

87 items.
Edward Babel's hammered dulcimer research includes biographical and descriptive manuscripts and photographs (with negatives) of dulcimers belonging to individuals or museums. Also included are audio tapes of musicians playing dulcimers.
Back to Top
2.1. Harvey Jones, 1975-1977.
11 items.
Manuscript, audio recordings, and photographs relating to Harvey Jones, a hammered dulcimer player from Ramseur, N.C.
FT-6266 Harvey Jones on dulcimer, recorded in Ramseur, N.C., 11 October 1977.
   Folder 2
Harvey Jones manuscript and photographs (P-3765-3774)
   Folder 3
Photographic negatives
Back to Top
2.2. Mrs. James P. Johnson, 1975.
13 items.
Manuscript and photographs relating to Mrs. James P. Johnson's dulcimer, which had belonged to her father, William Butler. A few photographs feature both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson with the dulcimer.
   Folder 4
Mrs. James P. Johnson manuscript and photographs (P-3775-3786)
Back to Top
2.3. Old Salem, Inc., 1975.
7 items.
Manuscript and photographs of a dulcimer belonging to the Old Salem, Inc., collection in Winston-Salem, N.C., while on display in a music exhibit at the Wachovia museum.
   Folder 5
Old Salem dulcimer manuscript and photographs (P-3787-3792)
Back to Top
2.4. Mrs. Artemus Ward, 1959-1975.
3 items.
Manuscript and photograph relating to the dulcimer belonging to Mrs. Artemus Ward. The photograph of Mrs. Ward playing the hammered dulcimer is a copy of a photo featured in "The State" magazine in February 1959. Mrs. Ward lived near Seagrove, N.C., and had died by the time that Babel did his research. Babel gathered information from her son.
   Folder 6
Mrs. Artemus Ward manuscript and photograph (P-3823)
Back to Top
2.5. Alan Jabbour, undated.
8 items.
Manuscript and photographs relating to the hammered dulcimer from the mid-19th century that was purchased by folklorist Alan Jabbour from a woman in Coleridge, N.C.
   Folder 7
Alan Jabbour manuscript and photographs (P-3793-3799)
Back to Top
2.6. Virgil Craven, 1975-1976.
About 30 items.
Manuscript, photographs, and audio recordings relating to Virgil Craven. The audio recordings are of jam sessions held at Craven's home in Randolph County, N.C.. They feature Virgil on hammered dulcimer, Lauchlin Shaw on fiddle, Fred Olson on guitar, and Glenn Glass on banjo. Photographs are of these sessions, Virgil Craven playing solo dulcimer, his dulcimer, his songbook, and his grandfather's dulcimer.
FT-837 Dance tunes, songs, hymns performed by Virgil Craven, hammered dulcimer; Glenn Glass, banjo; Fred Olson, guitar; Lauchlin Shaw, fiddle. Recorded in Craven's home in Cedar Falls, N.C. 29 February 1976. Tape 1 of 4.
FT-838 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Fred Olson, Lauchlin Shaw. 29 February 1976. Tape 2 of 4.
FT-839 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Fred Olson, Lauchlin Shaw. 29 February 1976. Tape 3 of 4.
FT-840 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Fred Olson, Lauchlin Shaw. 29 February 1976. Tape 4 of 4.
FT-1270 Tunes performed by Virgil Craven, hammered dulcimer; Glenn Glass, banjo; Fred Olson, guitar; Lauchlin Shaw, fiddle; Howard Saunders, second fiddle. Recorded in Craven's home in Cedar Falls, N.C. 9 May 1976. Tape 1 of 4.
FT-1271 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Lauchlin Shaw, Fred Olson, Howard Saunders. 9 May 1976. Tape 2 of 4.
FT-1272 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Lauchlin Shaw, Fred Olson, Howard Saunders. 9 May 1976. Tape 3 of 4.
FT-1273 Virgil Craven, Glenn Glass, Lauchlin Shaw, Fred Olson, Howard Saunders. 9 May 1976. Tape 4 of 4.
   Folder 8
Virgil Craven manuscript and photographs (P-3800-3822)
   Folder 9
Photographic negatives
Back to Top
2.7. North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1975.
15 items.
Manuscript and photographs of a dulcimer on display at the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in Raleigh, N.C. The dulcimer was made by Jim Jennings of Cedar Falls, N.C., and donated to the museum by Mrs. Rainey Hawkins of Mebane, N.C.
   Folder 10
North Carolina Division of Archives and History manuscript and photographs (P-3824-3836)
   Folder 11
Photographic negatives

Back to Top
Back to Top

Items Separated

Items separated include sound recordings (FT 836-839, 1270-1273, 6266) and notes to sound recordings placed in SFC Field Notes vertical files.