John Jacob Niles materials, c.1978

Sub-Series (ap.afc.05.01)

Extent
24 Film containers
55 Audio tapes
6 Video tapes
8 Photo prints
1 Boxes
Part of
Appalshop Films Collection, 1969-2015 > Series V. Appalshop Films, 1978-1983 > John Jacob Niles materials, c.1978
Scope and Contents
Contains material related to the color documentary John Jacob Niles, a 1978 release. The film is a biography of the life and work of 85-year-old folk ballad singer John Jacob Niles, who played a role in the national “discovery” of Appalachian folk music and the music’s revival.  In interviews he describes how, during the 1920s and '30s, he and photographer Doris Ulmann travelled mountain regions, taking pictures of people and learning their songs.  The film shows Niles in concert, at home, at work arranging his music, and explaining the historical place of balladry in American music.  Subjects include ballads and folk music of the Appalachian region