John A. Blakemore Papers, 1928-1980

Collection Number: 04189

Collection Title: John A. Blakemore Papers, 1928-1980

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 Duplication Policy section for more information.

This collection was rehoused and a summary created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities; this finding aid was created with support from NC ECHO.

Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size	2.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 2500 items)
Abstract	John A. (John Augustus) Blakemore (1894-1986) of Washington County, Va., was co-founder and business manager of the White Top Folk Festival, held on White Top Mountain, Grayson County, Va., 1931-1936 and 1938-1939. The festival featured traditional singers, musicians, and dancers. The collection includes correspondence, lists of performers and visitors, clippings and printed material, legal and financial papers, writings, photographs, and other material relating to the White Top Folk Festival. Correspondents include performers Annabel Morris Buchanan (born 1888), John Powell (1882-1963), and Richard Chase (1904-1988). Also included is material relating to a visit to the festival by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) in 1933.
Creator	Blakemore, John A. (John Augustus), 1894-1986.
Curatorial Unit	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language	English

Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access: No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use: No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice: Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], in the John A. Blakemore Papers, #4189, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information: Received from John A. Blakemore of Emory, Va., 1979.

Additional Descriptive Resources: A copy of the original finding aid for this collection is filed in folder 1a.

Sensitive Materials Statement: Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Expand/collapse Processing Information

Original processing and finding aid creation by Lyn Wolz, 1980.

Encoded by: Noah Huffman, December 2007

Updated by: Adam Fielding, Kate Stratton, and Jodi Berkowitz, February 2011

This collection was rehoused and a summary created with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This finding aid was created with support from NC ECHO.

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

Annabel Morris Buchanan Papers (#4020).

Expand/collapse Biographical Information

John A. Blakemore (1894-1986) of Washington County, Va., was co-founder and business manager of the White Top Folk Festival, held on White Top Mountain, Grayson County, Va., 1931-1936 and 1938-1939. The festival featured traditional singers, musicians, and dancers.

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection includes correspondence, lists of performers and visitors, clippings and printed material, legal and financial papers, writings, photographs, and other material relating to the White Top Folk Festival. Correspondents include performers Annabel Morris Buchanan (born 1888), John Powell (1882-1963), and Richard Chase (1904-1988). Also included is material relating to a visit to the festival in 1933 by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962).

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

1. Correspondence, 1929-1980.
2. Planning and Publicity Materials, 1929-1954.
3. Clippings and Printed Materials, 1928-1964.
4. Financial and Legal Papers, 1930-1964.
5. Writings, 1892-1933 and undated.
6. Pictures, 1926-1939 and undated.

Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1929-1980.

Arrangement: chronological.

The correspondence chiefly regards John A. Blakemore's efforts in the production and management of the White Top Folk Festival, and contains letters to and from event organizers, musicians, singers, dancers, and spectators. The most frequent correspondent is co-organizer and performer Annabel Morris Buchanan, and there are also letters from John Powell and Richard Chase. Subjects include information requests, registration of performers, obtaining judges and prizes, equipment rentals, hiring workers, concessions, lodging, requests for tax-exempt status, recording and broadcast of performances, funding, and the history of the festival.

Folder 1a	Original finding aid
Folder 1	1929
Folder 2-9 Folder 2 Folder 3 Folder 4 Folder 5 Folder 6 Folder 7 Folder 8 Folder 9	1931
Folder 10-21 Folder 10 Folder 11 Folder 12 Folder 13 Folder 14 Folder 15 Folder 16 Folder 17 Folder 18 Folder 19 Folder 20 Folder 21	1932
Folder 22-38 Folder 22 Folder 23 Folder 24 Folder 25 Folder 26 Folder 27 Folder 28 Folder 29 Folder 30 Folder 31 Folder 32 Folder 33 Folder 34 Folder 35 Folder 36 Folder 37 Folder 38	1933
Folder 39-46 Folder 39 Folder 40 Folder 41 Folder 42 Folder 43 Folder 44 Folder 45 Folder 46	1934
Folder 47-57 Folder 47 Folder 48 Folder 49 Folder 50 Folder 51 Folder 52 Folder 53 Folder 54 Folder 55 Folder 56 Folder 57	1935
Folder 58-64 Folder 58 Folder 59 Folder 60 Folder 61 Folder 62 Folder 63 Folder 64	1936
Folder 65-77 Folder 65 Folder 66 Folder 67 Folder 68 Folder 69 Folder 70 Folder 71 Folder 72 Folder 73 Folder 74 Folder 75 Folder 76 Folder 77	1938
Folder 78-90 Folder 78 Folder 79 Folder 80 Folder 81 Folder 82 Folder 83 Folder 84 Folder 85 Folder 86 Folder 87 Folder 88 Folder 89 Folder 90	1939
Folder 91-103 Folder 91 Folder 92 Folder 93 Folder 94 Folder 95 Folder 96 Folder 97 Folder 98 Folder 99 Folder 100 Folder 101 Folder 102 Folder 103	1940
Folder 104	1964-1971; 1980

Expand/collapse Series 2. Planning and Publicity Materials, 1929-1954.

Arrangement: alphabetical by type of material, and chronological within type.

This series consists of lists of performers and visitors to the White Top Folk Festival, press releases and other festival-related materials. The lists of performers include information such as instruments played and songs performed. The lists of visitors consist of names and addresses of those who drove automobiles to the festival grounds. There are also lists of newspapers and magazines contacted for publicity. The additional festival-related materials are chiefly memoranda concerning food supplies, menus, arrangements for Eleanor Roosevelt's visit in 1933, police officers, gatekeepers, concessions, and other aspects of festival production.

Folder 105	List of contestants, 1931
Folder 106	Lists of contestants and judges, 1932
Folder 107	List of contestants, 1933
Folder 108	Lists of contestants and judges, 1934
Folder 109	Lists of contestants and judges, 1935
Folder 110	Lists of contestants and winners, 1936
Folder 111	Lists of contestants and winners, 1938
Folder 112	Lists of contestants and winners, 1939
Folder 113	List of contestants, 1940
Folder 114	List of visitors, 1929-4 July 1931
Folder 115	List of visitors, 4 July 1931-13 August 1932
Folder 116	List of visitors, 1 August 1932-21 October 1932
Folder 117	List of visitors, 14 January-11 October 1933
Folder 118	List of visitors, 1934
Folder 119	List of visitors, 1935
Folder 120	Press releases, 1931-1933
Folder 121	Press releases, 1938-1940; 1949-1954
Folder 122	Notes and memoranda, 1931-1934
Folder 123	Notes and memoranda, 1935
Folder 124	Notes and memoranda, 1936-1939
Folder 125	Notes and memoranda, 1940

Expand/collapse Series 3. Clippings and Printed Materials, 1928-1964.

Arrangement: alphabetical by type of material, and chronological within type.

Materials in this series include clippings, handbills, brochures, and other printed items relating to White Top Folk Festival, White Top Mountain, and other Southern musical events. Many of these items are in the oversize paper folders.

Folder 126	Clippings, 1928-1929
Folder 127	Clippings, 1931
Folder 128	Clippings, 1932
Folder 129	Clippings, 1933
Folder 130	Clippings, 1934
Folder 131	Clippings, 1935
Folder 132	Clippings, 1936
Folder 133	Clippings, 1938
Folder 134	Clippings, 1939
Folder 135-138 Folder 135 Folder 136 Folder 137 Folder 138	Clippings, 1940
Folder 139	Clippings, 1947; 1964
Folder 140	Printed material, 1931
Folder 141	Printed material, 1932
Folder 142	Printed material, 1933
Folder 143	Printed material, 1934
Folder 144	Printed material, 1935
Folder 145	Printed material, 1936
Folder 146	Printed material, 1938
Folder 147	Printed material, 1939
Folder 148	Printed material, 1940
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-4189/1b	Clippings and printed materials
Extra Oversize Paper Folder XOPF-4189/1a	Clippings and printed materials

Expand/collapse Series 4. Financial and Legal Papers, 1930-1964.

The papers are chiefly insurance policies, business agreements, income tax returns, and lists of receipts and expenditures of the White Top Folk Festival.

Folder 149	Financial papers, 1931-1940
Folder 150	Legal papers, 1930-1964

Expand/collapse Series 5. Writings, 1892-1933 and undated.

Arrangement: topical.

Fiction, poetry, and essays written about the White Top Folk Festival.

Folder 151	"White Top Panorama" by "Chucky Joe," 1892
Folder 152	"Report to the White Top Company," 1933
Folder 153	Descriptions of White Top Mountain, undated
Folder 154	Fictional writings about White Top Mountain, undated

Expand/collapse Series 6. Pictures, 1926-1939 and undated.

60 items.

Pictures include black and white photographs chiefly of views of the White Top Mountain area, along with buildings, performers and spectators, and Eleanor Roosevelt's visit to the festival in 1933.

Image P-4189/1-10

P-4189/1

P-4189/2

P-4189/3

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P-4189/5

P-4189/6

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P-4189/8

P-4189/9

P-4189/10

Performers and spectators, White Top Folk Festival, 1939 and undated

Image P-4189/11-14

P-4189/11

P-4189/12

P-4189/13

P-4189/14

Elenear Roosevelt's visit to the White Top Folk Festival, 1933

Image P-4189/15-22

P-4189/15

P-4189/16

P-4189/17

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P-4189/20

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P-4189/22

White Top Mountain area buildings and other structures, 1926 and undated

Image P-4189/23-58

P-4189/23

P-4189/24

P-4189/25

P-4189/26

P-4189/27

P-4189/28

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P-4189/38

P-4189/39

P-4189/40

P-4189/41

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P-4189/56

P-4189/57

P-4189/58

White Top Mountain area views, 1926-1927 and undated

Image P-4189/59-60

P-4189/59

P-4189/60

Other subjects

John Powell addressing the Hot Springs, Va., Chamber of Commerce, undated; "Tent School" pupils and teachers, Lansing, N.C., 1934

Expand/collapse Items Separated

Photographs (PF-4189/1-4)
Oversize Paper Folder (OPF-4189/1b)
Extra Oversize Paper Folder (XOPF-4189/1a)

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Collection Number: 04189 Collection Title: John A. Blakemore Papers, 1928-1980

Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Expand/collapse Information For Users

Expand/collapse Processing Information

Expand/collapse Subject Headings

Expand/collapse Related Collections

Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1929-1980.

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Folder 68

Collection Number: 04189

Collection Title: John A. Blakemore Papers, 1928-1980