John Rice Irwin

The life story of John Rice Irwin, a man of myriad interests who, somewhat by chance, started collecting memorabilia from his Southern Appalachian culture. The gathering of these cherished relics, tied to his colorful and beloved kin and acquaintances, became a passion. He acquired an authentic log structure to display these artifacts and this collection grew into a museum of international note. Over 140 vivid photos help tell the story. From boyhood days on the farm through his adult years, John Rice Irwin’s life is inextricably entwined with the founding and development of the Museum of Appalachia.

The story behind the story of American country music goes back to Appalachian roots and the people who sang for local audiences and early radios in the early 20th century. No matter what you call the songs now--country, folk, traditional, old-time, hillbilly, and bluegrass--it is the music of a special breed of talented people who were part of one of the most interesting musical and entertainment stories in America's history. In their own words and those of family members, these tales relate the hard work, luck, and do-it-yourself independence of the pioneers of this music. Some became household names while others were important but remained almost totally unknown to the general public. Here you meet the Carter family, Jack Jackson, Bob Douglas, Grandpa Jones, Bashful Brother Oswald, Mac Wiseman, Earl Scruggs, Raymond Fairchild, and other greats of the field. Their touching personal stories and 190 photographs showing the artists with their instruments, families, and audiences, bring this musical heritage to life for modern listeners.

The Kentucky rifle has become a famous part of the history of American development, and here is the story of its own development. The people of the isolated mountain valleys of Appalachia tell how they make and use the Kentucky and related firearms and the supplies that go with them, both in the past and today as tradition continues.

A visual look at American baskets made by people in Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and their surroundings, along with steps in the basket making process, from the time the tree is cut until the time the basket is completed. This is perhaps the country's most authentic and colorful book on American baskets and the interesting people who made them. Although this in-depth people-oriented book is centered on basketry in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and the surrounding area, basketmaking in Europe, New England, Pennsylvania, and other parts of the country is examined as a means of comparing and contrasting forms, materials and designs. Native American baskets, especially Cherokee, are also included.

In his own words, this is the story of Alex Stewart, a remarkable Tennessee mountain character whose life epitomizes the pioneer development in America. Alex Stewart was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship Award in 1983 by the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington which recognized him as a living national treasure. Over a twenty-year period of friendship, the author developed a profound respect and great love for Alex Stewart, a truly remarkable Tennessee mountain character. The best of hundreds of hours of recorded conversations with Stewart are compiled into a moving portrait of this cooper, father of 13, farmer, logger, railroad man, and do-it-yourself interpreter of his rugged homeland. Through his own account of the people around him, Alex describes his rural life in the late 19th and 20th centuries through stories such as when he was bit by a rabid dog, when neighbor children begged for food, or how people gathered honey and made marbles, moonshine, or furniture. Throughout his 94 years, Alex, who died in 1985, depended upon his own good sense to direct him and it led him through a rich and fascinating life. This book is a genuine labor of love.