Letter from Bradley Reeves to the Carter Family Fold Board

----- Original Message -----
From: Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound
To: howiebear1@embarqmail.com ; josephsmd@aol.com ; rita_j_forrester@wellmont.org ; vicki.virts@vdot.virginia.gov ; info@bryantlabel.com ; localfleur@comcast.net ; mclain@mail.etsu.edu
Cc: friends.fold@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 8:09 PM
Subject: Carter Fold Archive Tapes at Southern Folklife Collection - A Plea

March 22, 2008

To the Carter Family Fold Board Members,

Of the two years I spent living and working in Johnson City, Tennessee, some of my fondest and most unforgettable memories are my experiences attending the Carter Family Fold. I was privileged enough to have visited the Fold between the years 2004-2005, a time in which both Joe and Janette Carter were still with us. What I experienced was indeed a revelation, not only because of the great music, but to share that wonderful music with folks of all ages, and from all over the globe – all of us bound together in one place (in the middle of nowhere at that!) by our love of the music.

During one on my trips to the Fold, I took a fascinating tour of the old A.P. Carter Grocery store, and much to my surprise, found a cache of cassette and DAT tapes housed in what appeared to be a glass case. Further investigation revealed that these tapes, then stored in one of the worst environments possible for magnetic media, contained the recorded legacy of the Carter Fold. I immediately located one of the members of the Carter family in the hopes that I could convince them that something should be done with this material. At this time, I was employed as an archivist at the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, so I felt it my “duty” to give my opinion on the matter. I was much relieved when, several months later, I heard that Maxine Kenny had begun working with the Carter Fold to find ways to preserve these historically valuable recordings.

The recent news of Dale Jett's resignation from the Carter Family Fold board, and the board’s request for the return of the donated and endangered Fold tapes from the Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina was indeed a shock

It seems that the Carter Family Fold would be missing a golden opportunity in asking for these tapes to be returned. The Board has been given the deal of a lifetime, but appear unwilling, or unable, to accept it. Very few archives would offer to preserve and store such a large collection of material at no cost to the Carter Fold. I can relate to Steve Weiss of the Southern Folklife Center at UNC. He has the desire, passion, and drive needed to pursue this project. Weiss understands the importance of this material, and the dire urgency to preserve the collection as quickly as possible. Most importantly, he has the skill, experience, and knowledge that is absolutely essential for preserving the Fold recordings. He will not change the nature of the original recordings. He is well respected within the archive field.

What does the Carter Family Fold stand to lose if the recordings stay at UNC? Good question. On the other hand, what would the Carter Fold gain if the material stays at UNC? Preserved digital masters at no cost, top-notch preservation work by a respected, trustworthy, and qualified professional, and free and clear copyright ownership, to name a few.

Whatever plans are in the works by the board for this material, it is likely that the material could sit and languish in a vault for a number of years before another opportunity for preservation arises. By then it may be too late. The board should take advantage of this offer for a speedy and free preservation of the Carter Fold tapes.

Respectfully,

Bradley Reeves
Co-Director
Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound
Knoxville, Tennessee

Bradley Reeves is Media Archivist and Co-president of the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound, Knoxville, TN. A native of Knoxville TN, he has a background in audio-visual archiving. A graduate of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at the George Eastman House in Rochester NY, Reeves has worked on film collections at the National Archives, Library of Congress, and the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. While employed at the Archives of Appalachia, Reeves assisted with the preservation of the regional television show The Jim Walter Jubilee with Bonnie Lou and Buster, funded by a grant from the Grammy Foundation. Reeves has worked on preserving silent films made during Hollywood’s first golden era in the 1920s, regional home movies, military and government film, educational and industrial film, television news film, lost regional television shows, and all types of recorded audio media. Reeves is currently reformatting and cataloguing an extensive 50-year collection of 16mm news film and obsolete video formats originating from a local Knoxville television station. The Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound, located within the East Tennessee History Center, is dedicated to locating, preserving, and making available to the public the historic film, video and audio heritage of the region. Reeves specializes in transferring old media to modern digital formats and has been able to reformat this material and bring it back to life for researchers, historians, and the public.