Archives Collection


YORK, ALVIN C.                                         97-011
RECORDINGS AND EPHEMERA
 

Physical Description:

.3 l.f. including
4 audio tapes (TTA-0217 A-D)
2 photograph print
copies
1 hymn book with signature
 

Dates:

April 1942-March 1952
 

RESTRICTIONS:

These recordings are restricted from all commercial use without expressed permission of the York heirs and the Sgt. York Historical Association.
 

Provenance:

Forty-four (44) instantaneous discs were loaned to the Center for preservation copying by the Alvin C. York Historic Site through Dr. Michael E. Birdwell of the Tennessee Technological University History Department in April, 1997. The two photo copy prints and the hymn book were donated at the same time.
 

Biographical Sketch:

Alvin C. York (1887-1964), soldier, was born in Pall Mall, Tennessee, was raised a conscientious objector but ironically earned nation-wide fame as a World War I hero for single-handedly killing 25 Germans and capturing 132. His life was spent bringing schools and public services to his home community.
 

Scope and Content:

Four (4) reel-to-reel audio tape transfers (4 hours) of instantaneous discs (home recordings or acetates), recorded between April 1942 and March 1952, documenting the music of the York family. Their music includes sacred and secular songs. Within the collection are some selections that may have been recorded from radio broadcasts of Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Farmer Quartet, Roy Acuff, and the Delmore Brothers. Besides the musical selections there are some remarks during Bible school proceedings and two speeches by Alvin York.

Included with the donation are a sacred song book with Alvin York's signature, and two copy prints of photos of York at home.
 

Location:

Audio tapes are filed by tape number with other archival audio-visual materials. The song book (Perfect Hearts, 1947) is among the sacred song books in the stacks and accessible through the database. The two photos are in the manuscripts section and filed by accession number.