Land Where the Blues Began: Museum Object and Cultural History
Land Where the Blues Began: Date: 1979. Directed by: Alan Lomax, American, 1915 - 2002. Written by: Alan Lomax, American, 1915 - 2002.
The object in the museum catalogue
A documentary film with the title Land Where the Blues Began. It consists of two reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
The documentary is narrated by filmmaker Alan Lomax and, through a series of interviews with Mississippi residents, it explores the origins of Blues music. In addition to these residents engaging in short musical performances, the narrator also discusses the history of Blues by comparing the musical instruments used by people in the Mississippi delta to the musical instruments that Africans played. There are also demonstrations of how some of the musical instruments are made.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: 1979
- Directed by: Alan Lomax, American, 1915 - 2002
- Written by: Alan Lomax, American, 1915 - 2002
- Subject of: Johnny Brooks
- Subject of: Walter Brown
- Subject of: Belton Southerland
- Subject of: Lonnie Pitchford
- Subject of: Napolean Strickland
- Subject of: Clyde Maxwell
- Type: sound films
- Type: color films (visual works)
- Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
- Medium: acetate film
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 26 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 950 Feet
- Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 29 Minutes
- Dimensions: Length (Film): 1075 Feet
- Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Place filmed: Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Africa
- Topic: African diaspora
- Topic: American South
- Topic: Blues (Music)
- Topic: Documentary films
- Topic: Film
- Topic: Folklife
- Object number: 2017.55.61.1ab
- 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.
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