]
]
This collection has use restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
Expand/collapse
Collection Overview
| Size | 38.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 25,000 items) |
| Abstract | The Independent Weekly is a free, alternative, weekly newspaper serving the Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and surrounding communities in central North Carolina. It was founded in 1983 in Durham by Steve Schewel, David Birkhead, and Katherine Fulton. The Independent Weekly is perhaps best known for its coverage of local music, film, visual arts, theater, dance, and pop culture, as well as for its strong focus on progressive politics and social activism. The collection is chiefly photographs, 1982-2004, from the Independent Weekly, including images published in the newspaper; unpublished production images of scenes, events, subjects, and organizations throughout North Carolina; images of individuals--chiefly politicians, artists, musicians, local activists, and civic leaders--such as Mike Easley, John Edwards, Harvey Gantt, Jesse Helms, Jim Hunt, Bill Bell, and others; images created by staff photographer Sadie Bridger; photographs of the newspaper's staff; and other images. There is also one slide reel (with slides) and a transcript for an Independent Weekly promotional slideshow. The collection also contains papers relating to early efforts to establish a statewide progressive newspaper in North Carolina and the founding of the Independent Weekly (first as the North Carolina Independent, then as the Independent) in the early 1980s, along with correspondence, notes, clippings, and other business and financial materials of the paper. Also included are notes, clippings, printed material, correspondence, and other materials relating to local, state, and national elections, chiefly 1994-2004. In addition, there are photographs and other materials, 1950s-1980, relating to New York photojournalist Ruth Sondak. These items--many photographs of Sondak's daughter, Cary Carmel; photographs taken by Sondak of people, street scenes, and celebrities; her journal, 1976-1980; a publicity scrapbook; and clippings featuring Sondak's photography--may have been acquired by newspaper staff for an exhibit on Sondak and her work. |
| Creator | Independent weekly. |
| Language | English |
Expand/collapse
Information For Users
Expand/collapse
Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Expand/collapse
Related Collections
Expand/collapse
Historical Information
The Independent Weekly (also known as The Indy) is a free, alternative, weekly newspaper serving the Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and surrounding communities in central North Carolina. It was founded in 1983 in Durham, N.C., by Steve Schewel, David Birkhead, and Katherine Fulton. Throughout its history, it has remained a locally owned and independently published tabloid-format newspaper. The Independent Weekly is perhaps most well-known for its extensive coverage of local music, film, visual arts, theater, dance, pop culture, as well as for its strong focus on progressive politics and social activism. In addition to basic weekly coverage, the Independent Weekly offers special editions and guides to area restaurants, area homes, a "Best of the Triangle" edition, a guide to local elections, and an "ACC Basketball Preview."
| 1978 | Duke University graduates and long-time Durham, N.C., residents Steve Schewel and David Birkhead decide to start a statewide alternative newspaper |
| 1982-1983 | With Schewel as publisher, Birkhead as production designer, and Katherine Fulton as editor, Carolina Independent Publications Inc. founded as the private, for-profit publishing company behind what was to become the Independent Weekly |
| 1983 | 15 April: First issue of the North Carolina Independent published |
| 1984 | A Lot of Human Beings Have Been Born Bums: 20 Years of the Words of Senator No, Jesse Helms published by Carolina Independent Publications Inc. |
| 1985 | 1 March: Newspaper name changed from the North Carolina Independent to the Independent |
| 1987 | Independent wins Investigative Reporters and Editors Award |
| 1989 | Newspaper moves from bi-weekly to weekly format and is renamed the Independent Weekly |
| 1990 | Independent Weekly wins George Polk Award |
| 1998 | Independent Weekly records first year operating at a profit |
| 1999 | June: Schewel steps down as publisher, but continues as Carolina Independent Publications Inc. business head; Sioux Watson assumes publisher role |
| 2001 | October: David Madison becomes editor |
| 2002 | Richard Hart becomes editor |
| 2002 | Carolina Independent Publications Inc. purchases Raleigh-based competitor the Spectator from Creative Loafing Inc. |
| 2006 | December: Newspaper moves its offices from long-time 2810 Hillsborough Street, Durham, location to the refurbished Venable Tobacco Company Building at Pettigrew and Roxboro streets in downtown Durham |
| 2007 | August: Lisa Sorg becomes editor |
| 2007 | Journalist Mosi Secret wins Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for his Independent Weekly story Dreams Deferred |
Expand/collapse
Scope and Content
The collection contains images and other materials documenting the work of the Independent Weekly, an alternative weekly newspaper published in Durham, N.C. The collection is arranged in five main series: Photographs, 1983-2004; Subject Files, 1977-2000; Election Materials, 1994-2004; Independent Weekly Slideshow; and Ruth Sondak Photographs and Other Materials, 1950s-1980. Note that original groupings (now series and subseries) and folder titles have, for the most part, been retained. Note also that images in many series are represented by both photographic prints and photographic negatives. Note further that folder numbers are not necessarily in numerical order.
The bulk of the items are images in Series 1, which is further divided into seven subseries: Oldie Files; Specifics; General; Individuals; By Issue, circa 1992-2002; Sadie Bridger Photographs; and Other Photographs.
The Oldie Files subseries (1.1) contains images published in, or otherwised used in the production of, the first seven years of the newspaper. There are images for nearly a full run beginning with Volume I #1 and going through Volume VII #24. There are also a few general subject files interspersed.
The Specifics subseries (1.2) includes images of specific scenes, events, subjects, and organizations throughout North Carolina. The General subseries (1.3) includes images of general subjects, scenes, events, and organizations throughout North Carolina.
The Individuals subseries (1.4) consists of images of many identified people, chiefly North Carolinians. Included are local and statewide politicians, artists and musicians, local activists and civic leaders, and others. Also included are some nationally prominent figures, among them Mike Easley, John Edwards, Harvey Gantt, Jesse Helms, Jim Hunt, and Bill Bell.
The By Issue subseries (1.5) contains images published in, or otherwised used in the production of, a number of issues of the Independent Weekly, about 1992-2002.
The Sadie Bridger Photographs subseries (1.6) contains images created by photographer Sadie Bridger. Note that some of these images are duplicated elsewhere in the collection.
The Other Photographs subseries (1.7) includes published images, other production images, and images documenting newspaper staff, operations, and other topics.
The Subject Files series (2) consists of correspondence, notes, clippings, business and financial materials, and other papers. Included are files relating to early efforts to establish a statewide progressive newspaper in North Carolina, the founding in the early 1980s of what became the Independent Weekly, and business operations from the newspaper's inception until about 2000.
The Election Materials series (3) contains notes, clippings, printed material, correspondence, and other items relating to local, state, and national elections. Materials in this series were compiled by newspaper staff while writing individual election candidate profiles and other articles about elections, 1994-2004.
Series 4 consists of a slide reel (with slides) and a transcript for an Independent Weekly promotional slideshow.
The Ruth Sondak Photographs and Other Materials series (5) contains materials relating to New York photojournalist Ruth Sondak. Sondak's work appeared in several magazines from the 1940s to the 1970s, including The New York Times Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Playboy. Materials in this series are thought to have been acquired by Independent Weekly staff for an exhibit on Sondak and her work. Included are many photographs of her daughter, Cary Carmel; photographs taken by Sondak of people, street scenes, and celebrities; her journal, 1976-1980; a publicity scrapbook; and clippings featuring Sondak's photography.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Series Quick Links
Expand/collapse
Series 1. Photographs, 1983-2004.
Note that orginial subseries groupings and folder titles have, for the most part, been retained.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.1. Oldie Files.
Arrangement: chronological by volume and issue.
Images published in (or otherwised used in the production of) the first seven years of issues of the newspaper. Folders are listed in the order in which they were received. Folders occur in near-sequential order from Volume I #1 through Volume VII #24 (with nearly a full run represented). Interspersed are files with general subject-based images. It is safe to assume that the position in this list of each of these subject files signifies a relationship to the files surrounding it.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.2. Specifics.
Arrangement: file order is as received and not strictly alphabetical.
Photographs and negatives depicting specific scenes, events, subjects, and organizations throughout North Carolina. For the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.3. General.
Arrangement: file order is as received and not strictly alphabetical.
Photographs and negatives depicting general subjects, scenes, events, and organizations throughout North Carolina. For the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.4. Individuals.
Photographs and negatives depicting a wide variety of identified individuals, chiefly North Carolinians, including local and statewide politicians, artists and musicians, local activists and civic leaders, and others. Also included are some nationally prominent figures, among them Mike Easley, John Edwards, Harvey Gantt, Jesse Helms, Jim Hunt, and Bill Bell. Folder titles are usually the name of the individual depicted in the photographs and negatives contained in that folder. For the most part, original folder titles have been retained.