A Well-Spent Life: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A documentary film with the title A Well Spent Life. It consists of a single reel of color polyester film with optical sound. The documentary profiles Texas guitarist, husband and sharecropper Mance Lipscomb. In addition to his commentary on various subjects, Lipscomb also performs songs such as "Asked My Captain," "Tom Moore's farm," "Big Boss Man," "Doorbell Blues," and "Baby Take Me Back."

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1971
• Directed by: Les Blank, American, 1935 - 2013
• Produced by: Flower Films, American, founded 1967
• Subject of: Mance Lipscomb, American, 1895 - 1976
• Subject of: Elnora Lipscomb, American, 1897 - 1976
• Owned by: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: polyester film
• Dimensions: Duration: 39 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1400 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place filmed: Navasota, Grimes County, Texas, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Agriculture
• Topic: Blues (Music)
• Topic: Documentary films
• Topic: Families
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Folk (Music)
• Topic: Folklife
• Object number: 2017.55.84.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.