Manuscript
Collection
THE CENTER FOR POPULAR MUSIC
MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
UNIVERSITY, MURFREESBORO, TN
HAROLD L. BALDWIN 00-016
GRAND OLE OPRY COLLECTION
Creator:
Baldwin,
Harold L.
Type of Material:
Black
and white prints
Color
prints
Negatives
and contact sheets
Physical
Description:
3.75
l.f. of photographic materials
Dates:
1969-1971
Abstract (Descriptive Summary):
This
collection consists of photographic images taken by Harold L. Baldwin of the
Grand Ole Opry stage, backstage, audience, street crowds, and environs between
1969 and 1971 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Provenance
and Acquisition Information:
All
photographic images were taken and printed by Harold Baldwin. All materials were donated and
transferred to the Center the first week of May, 2001.
Subject/Index Terms:
Country
Music
Grand
ole opry (Radio program)
Ryman
Auditorium (Nashville, Tenn.)
Agency
History/Biographical Sketch:
Born February 1, 1927 in Denver, Colorado, Baldwin attended the
University of Northern Colorado for both undergraduate and graduate
degrees. He pursued doctorate coursework
at George Peabody (in Nashville), University of Maryland, and Texas A&M. After nine
years of teaching industrial technology in the Pueblo, Colorado public school
system, Baldwin taught at MTSU from the Fall of 1959
until he retired the Spring of 1991.
While he was teaching industrial technology at MTSU, he initiated the
development of a photography program. It
grew to such an extent that he eventually (by 1968) shifted over to teaching
photography full time. Baldwin received
the outstanding teacher award one year, and a photographic gallery on campus is
named after him.
Baldwin’s
general work, more than developing particular subject themes or motifs,
explored various darkroom techniques and possibilities: multi-exposures, superimposures, and other artistic experimentation. His mentors include Jerry Uelsmann
and Evon Streetman.
This collection of Grand Ole Opry photos, according to Baldwin himself,
represents his only major corpus of purely documentary images.
Scope
and Content:
Mounted
and unmounted photographic prints, contact sheets,
and negatives for color and black and white images. Negatives consist of large format color
negatives (5.5cm x 7cm), black and white negatives (2.25"x2.25"; 6cm
x 7cm), and 35mm black and white negatives.
About 130 prints consist of varying sizes from 1.5"x11" to
16"x20".
Images taken of the Grand Ole
Opry stage, backstage, audience, street crowds, and environs between 1969 and
1971. Artists represented include Dolly Parton,
Porter Wagoner, Roy Acuff & the Smoky Mountain
Boys, David Akeman (“Stringbean”),
Del Reeves, Ernest Tubb, and Jim & Jesse
McReynolds. Other images of interest include
various Music Row shots, shoe shiners and panhandlers, and telephone numbers on
the wall by a pay phone backstage. (See box lists for further details.)
Collection
Contents (Folder/Box List):
|
Box 1 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Mounted B/W Print Vito Pelletieri |
|
2 Mounted B/W Print Willis Brothers (2 of 3) Vic, Guy |
|
3 Mounted B/W Print Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds (Jim and Jesse) |
|
4 Mounted B/W Print (L to R) Charlie Collins (?), Howdy Forrester, unknown,
Arthur “Guitar
Boogie” Smith?), Crook Brothers (next three), Sam McGee (w/guitar), Ramona Jones (?), Beecher
Ray “Pete” Kirby (Bashful Brother
Oswald). |
|
5 Mounted B/W Print Del Reeves |
|
6 Mounted B/W Print Hank Locklin |
|
7 Mounted B/W Print Archie Campbell |
|
8 Mounted B/W Print Roy Acuff |
|
9 Mounted B/W Print Hal Rugg (steel), Spider
Wilson (guitar) |
|
10 Mounted B/W Print Unknown (guitar far left), Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass including Curtis.
McPeake (banjo), English P. “Jake” Tullock (bass), Paul
Warren (fiddle) |
|
11 Mounted B/W Print Ernest Tubb (?), Hal
Durham |
|
12 Mounted B/W Print Mac McGaha (?) (fiddle),
Porter Wagoner (guitar), unknown (drums) |
|
13 Mounted B/W Print Del Reeves |
|
14 Mounted B/W Print Unknown harmonica player (Onie
Wheeler?) |
|
15 Mounted B/W Print Unknown female singer in profile |
|
16 Mounted B/W Print Audience, Charles Wolfe (in background), Gary Scruggs (?) (bass), Randy
Scruggs (?) (guitar). |
|
17 Mounted B/W Print Audience laughing |
|
18 Mounted B/W Print Dancers – Stoney
Mountain Cloggers 19 Mounted B/W Print One of Willis Brothers (Guy?) 20 Mounted B/W Print Seated fiddler (Howdy Forrester?) 21 Mounted B/W Print Performers on stage 22 Mounted B/W Print Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb 23 Mounted B/W Print Gilbert “Speck” Rhodes (w/Porter Wagoner’s band?) 24 Mounted B/W Print Unknown(w/guitar), Joe Edwards (plaid sport coat, guitar)
unknown (plaid
shirt), unknown (w/guitar) 25 Mounted B/W Print Joe Edwards |
|
Box 2 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Mounted B/W Print Back stage clock |
|
2 Mounted B/W Print Audience in line with shoeshine kids |
|
3 Mounted B/W Print Joe and Rose Lee Maphis |
|
4 Mounted B/W Print Drawing |
|
5 Mounted B/W Print Reading on steps |
|
6 Mounted B/W Print Foot on piano – Del Reeves |
|
7 Mounted
B/W Print E.W. “Bud”
Wendell (Opry manager), Roy Acuff, Hal Durham, Bashful
Brother Oswald (Beecher “Pete” Kirby) |
|
8 Mounted B/W Print Waiting in line outside |
|
9 Mounted B/W Print Audience |
|
10 Mounted
B/W Print Musicians back
stage – unknown, (possibly Jim McReynolds second from
right with guitar) |
|
11 Mounted B/W Print Shoe shine kids |
|
12 Mounted B/W Print Through the window |
|
13 Mounted B/W Print Jesse McReynolds (Jim & Jesse) |
|
14 Mounted B/W Print Ernest Tubb |
|
15 Mounted B/W Print Beecher “Pete” Kirby (Bashful Brother Oswald) |
|
16 Mounted B/W Print Unknown male singer |
|
17 Mounted B/W Print Coming out |
|
18 Mounted B/W Print Roy Acuff & His Smoky
Mountain Boys on stage: Bashful Brother Oswald,
Charlie Collins (?) (w/guitar), Roy Acuff (singing),
Howard “Howdy”
Forrester (fiddle) |
|
19 Mounted B/W Print Audience outside |
|
20 Mounted B/W Print Ryman interior “Confederate Gallery” |
|
Box 3 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Mounted B/W Print Piano |
|
2 Mounted B/W Print Mens’ room |
|
3 Mounted B/W Print Backstage with broom |
|
4 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior (see #13) |
|
5 Mounted B/W Print Ladies’ room |
|
6 Mounted B/W Print Box office |
|
7 Mounted B/W Print Backstage, vending machine, water fountain |
|
8 Mounted B/W Print Backstage, air conditioner unit, “No Smoking” |
|
9 Mounted B/W Print Downstairs |
|
10 Mounted B/W Print Ropes |
|
11 Mounted B/W Print Sets |
|
12 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior, parking lot |
|
13 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior (same as #4, different crop) |
|
14 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior (similar to #4 and #13) |
|
15 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior, Renfro Valley Sign |
|
16 Mounted B/W Print Ryman from above |
|
17 Mounted B/W Print Pews, “No Visitors” |
|
18 Mounted B/W Print Ryman exterior, Gospel Tabernacle sign |
|
19 Mounted B/W Print Backstage, cables |
|
20 Mounted B/W Print Piano legs |
|
21 Mounted B/W Print Cars crossing on street (same as OS #4
& Box 5 #5 & #6) |
|
22 Mounted B/W Print Ryman interior – “Confederate Gallery” (see Box #2,
#20 – same shot?) |
|
23 Mounted B/W Print In line, outside |
|
24 Mounted B/W Print In line, montage |
|
Box 4 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Mounted B/W Print Cheering audience |
|
2 Mounted B/W Print Lower Broad, Tootsie’s (same as OS #1 & Box 5
#1& #2) |
|
3 Mounted B/W Print Pawn Shop |
|
4 Mounted B/W Print Box office |
|
5 Mounted B/W Print Unknown performer onstage – Stonewall Jackson? |
|
6 Mounted B/W Print Dolly Parton |
|
7 Mounted B/W Print Looking downstairs |
|
8 Mounted B/W Print Leaning security guard |
|
9 Mounted B/W Print Radiator |
|
10 Mounted B/W Print “Johnny Cash is Here” |
|
11 Mounted B/W Print Cleaning up |
|
12 Mounted B/W Print Clearing out audience |
|
13 Mounted B/W Print Street (same
as OS #3 & Box 5 #2) |
|
14 Mounted B/W Print Balcony, looking down steps |
|
15 Mounted B/W Print Full house, balcony |
|
16 Mounted B/W Print Street, night line |
|
17 Mounted B/W Print Photographers in audience |
|
18 Mounted B/W Print Mail boxes |
|
19 Mounted B/W Print Broad street with Renfro Valley sign |
|
20 Mounted B/W Print Grammar guitar close-up |
|
Box 5 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Unmounted B/W Print Tootsie’s outside (same
as OS #1 & Box 4 #2) |
|
2 Unmounted B/W Print In the street waiting
(same as OS #3 & Box 4 #13) |
|
3 Unmounted B/W Print Tootsie’s outside (same
as Box 5 #1; OS #1; & Box 4 #2) |
|
4 Unmounted B/W Print A break outside |
|
5 Unmounted B/W Print Waiting (same as OS #4
& Box 3 #21) |
|
6 Unmounted B/W Print Waiting 2 (same as
above) |
|
7 Mounted B/W Print Roy Acuff and
His Smokey Mountain Boys on stage |
|
8 Mounted B/W Print Cables |
|
9 Mounted B/W Print Unknown performer on stage |
|
10 Mounted Color Print Ryman exterior |
|
11 Mounted Color Print Phone on wall |
|
12 Mounted Color Print Ryman exterior |
|
13 Mounted Color Print Kids’ band |
|
14 Mounted Color Print Emmons guitars |
|
15 Mounted Color Print Broad street scene |
|
16 Mounted Color Print Ryman exterior, Renfro Valley sign |
|
17 Mounted Color Print Wax Museum |
|
18 Mounted Color Print Night scene |
|
19 Mounted Color Print Unknown performer on stage |
|
Box 6 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 (6)
Color contact sheets |
|
2 (6) Unmounted
black & white prints [rejected] |
|
3 (2) Color prints; (1) strip
[rejected] |
|
4 [loose] (8) Black and
white prints and (2) color prints |
|
Box 7 Format Description |
|
Item # |
|
1 Negatives
and contact sheets--Large format color print |
|
2 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
3 Negatives and contact
sheets--35 mm black and white |
|
4 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
5 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
6 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
7 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
8 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
9 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
10 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
11 Negatives and contact
sheets--Large format black and white |
|
12 Negatives and contact
sheets--35 mm black and white |
Oversize Manuscript Drawer List
(All oversize are mounted black and white prints.)
1. Street
scene of lower Broad and Tootsie’s (same as Box 4 #2 and Box 5 #1 & 3)
Oversize cropped horizontally.
2. Waiting
outside the Ryman with Tennessee Gift Shop sign.
3. Night
scene outside Ryman with Rebel Trading Post (same as Box 4 #13 & 5 #2.
4. Waiting
outside the Ryman with cars passing by (same as Box 3 #21).
Location:
All
materials are located in the manuscripts collections by accession number. Four
(4) mounted black and white prints are located in the manuscript oversize
drawer.