While many collections come to a repository in one deposit, others tend to trickle in bit by bit. Still others seem complete until a donor pops up with a few more things to add to his/her collection. Just this month, we have had very interesting collection additions from two different donors.
One of our most heavily used collections is the Hood-Williamson Archives on the Serpent Handlers of Southern Appalachia. The collection consists of 184 DVDs with over 400 hours of footage documenting the contemporary serpent handlers of Southern Appalachia, with extensive footage of entire services and interviews with church members of the major Jesus Name serpent handling churches of Appalachia from 1975-2004. We have held these materials for the last 12 years, thinking the collection to be complete. However, during a recent visit with Dr. Hood I discovered a large collection of photographs taken during Drs. Hood and Williamson’s research. I simply inquired about the future of the images and indicated we would love to add them to the collection and voila–2,500 photographs acquired!
The second collection to receive new materials is the Robert S. Davis Papers which, until the addition, was comprised of research material and correspondence on Hamilton County outlaw, Joseph Ritchey (1840 – 1876). Earlier this month Prof. Davis donated research materials relating to another scholarly paper that he produced. The newly donated material includes information on self-proclaimed Indian-fighter, war veteran, author, and accused murderer Harrison E. Lewis. Col. Lewis, who reportedly fought under Gen. Custer, slashed a man’s throat, supposedly in self defense, in an argument over “home brew” in Chattanooga in 1931. Lewis was 90-years old when the murder took place (his victim was 20) and was promptly acquitted for lack of evidence.
New materials arrive regularly in the Special Collections and we would love to have you drop in and check them out. Give us a call at 423-425-2186 or email at archives@utc.edu .