Cheryl Thurber is an interdisciplinary scholar, cultural historian, folklorist, and photographer. During the 1970s and 1980s, Thurber traveled with fellow folklorist and music historian David Evans through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, and California, documenting African American communities, local musicians, and local musical traditions. The collection includes images documenting southern musical traditions that were taken by Cheryl Thurber during research trips, circa 1969-1989. Most of the photographs document African American communities in rural Mississippi and highlight the musicians and musical and cultural traditions found in local communities. Subjects include musicians, musical instruments, music festivals and picnics, recording sessions, church services, and gospel programs. Other locations include Prairieville, Ala.; Los Angeles, San Raphael, and Yosemite National Park, Calif.; Savannah, Statesboro, and Thomson, Ga.; Bogalusa, La.; and Memphis, Tenn. There are also photographs of Thurber's daughters, Phoebe Evans Letocha and Chloe Evans O'Hearn, and related activities such as Girl Scouts. Related Materials consist of an excel spreadsheet with descriptive information about Cheryl Thurber's photographs, including reel numbers for corresponding field tape recordings held by David Evans; a notebook and loose notes with original descriptions of selected photographs; correspondence concerning publication and reprint requests; and an exhibit description.
