Berea College Appalachian Museum Oral History Collection, 1975-1980

This collection consists of interviews recorded between 1975 and 1980 documenting a wide variety of Appalachian traditional crafts, occupations, and expressive culture from areas of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

Listen To Interviews, Read Transcripts, View Photographs

The recordings were for use in the production of audio-visual exhibits at the then Berea College Appalachian Museum.  Subject areas include blacksmithing, carpentry, chair making, coal mining, corn shuck doll making, dulcimer building, gardening, herb lore, logging, pottery making, quilting, religion, spinning, vegetable dying, and weaving.

There are also interviews relating to the Pine Mountain Settlement School's interest in preserving various aspects of traditional crafts and expressive culture, the school's founding, its founders, and educational philosophy.