Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to Art Thieme Folk Music Slides

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1239
Creators:
Thieme, Art, 1941-2015
Dates:
circa 1960s-1990
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
459 Slides
0.3 Cubic feet
1 box
Repository:
Art Thieme was a noted folk singer who recorded many traditional ballads and folk songs from midwestern states. This collection is a series of 459 color slides documenting folk musicians and folk music, in both concert settings and informal portraiture, all taken by the donor.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
459 35mm color slides documenting folk musicians and folk music, in both concert settings and informal portraiture, all taken by the donor, Art Thieme, a noted folksinger. Subjects include such well-known performers as Stephen Wade, the New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, Pete Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Jack Elliott, Ike Everly, B.B. King, Dave Edmonson, Ray Harris, Kenny Baker, Tom Paxton, John Hammond, Bill Monroe, Justin Bishop, Steve Goodman, Cathy Fink, Wes Asbury, Ron F. Kirkpatrick, Doc Watson, Jim Kweskin, and Lightnin' Hopkins, and other notables such as oral historian Studs Terkel. The collection also contains a CD with Thieme's recordings and a folder of newspaper clippings, a program, and a map of local folk singers across the country. The slides are unarranged, but most slides have names, places, and dates.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Art Thieme was born on July 9, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. He becamea noted folk singer. He launched his career at a Hyde Park, Chicago club, the Limelight, in 1959 and went on to perform for many years at a coffeehouse called No Exit, also in Chicago. Touring all over the country, he photographed and recorded many folk singers and concerts, documented in this collection. At the end of his career, he performed on the steamboats Julia Belle Swain, Twilight on the Mississippi, and Illinois Rivers. He has recorded traditional folk songs rendered by himself for Folk Legacy Records. Thieme died on May 26, 2015.

Administration

Author
David Haberstich, Doug Stephany, and Corey Schmidt
Processing Information
Slides received in plastic storage sheets, many of which were damaged, although the slides did not seem to be physically damaged. Those that were damaged were replaced. The plastic storage sheets were contained in a red vinyl three-ring binder that has since been replaced with an acid-free binder box. The slides did not appear to be in any order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by Art Thieme in 2012.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
Preferred Citation
Art Theime Folk Music Slides, circa 1960s-1990, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Michael Cuscuna.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Musical instruments -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Concerts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk music -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk musicians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk songs -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk music -- Appalachian Region, Southern Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- Color transparencies -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk festivals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chromogenic processes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Slides (photographs) -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk music Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Musicians -- 1950-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu