Bayard Wootten appreciated the American South as a photographic study. The region is geographically, racially, and culturally diverse, yet its people are connected and intertwined by common elements of a shared past. Wootten knew the South and she knew southerners. Her photographs reflect the breadth of this knowledge, and they tap the South’s rich visual landscape at numerous points.
A 1932 studio fire destroyed much of Wootten’s early photography. Fortunately, her period of greatest recognition occurred afterward, and the bulk of these later photographs survive. Charleston: Azaleas and Old Bricks (1937), New Castle, Delaware, 1651–1939 (1939), and Old Homes and Gardens of North Carolina (1939) document Wootten’s abilities as an architectural photographer. These volumes, as well as Backwoods America (1934), Cabins in the Laurel (1935, 1991), and From My Highest Hill (1941), also include landscapes.
It is not architectural and landscape photography, however, that continues to arouse most of the interest in Bayard Wootten. At the core of her appeal today are the photographs that provide insight into the lives of ordinary men, women, and children of a bygone era. These personal images first popularized Wootten as a photographer in the early 1930s, and they still beckon viewers from across the years. Consequently, such photographs compose the main body of images selected for this volume. A few of the photographs have appeared in earlier publications, but many others are presented for the first time here.
Wootten’s surviving exhibition prints are on matte-surface, silver-gelatin photographic papers, some with a grid-like texture, which helps give the photographs a soft and moody appearance. Most of the plates in this volume are from modern prints made using Wootten’s original negatives and do not have the same appearance as her exhibition photographs. The use of reprinted photographs is a presentation compromise made in order to escape the effects of deterioration in the original exhibition prints, to show previously unknown images, to include images for which Wootten studio prints do not exist, and to provide a degree of consistency in the appearance of the plates. Frederick N. Stipe of the Photographic Services Section of the University of North Carolina Library at Chapel Hill carried out most of this photographic work. The late L. C. Scarborough, also of the Section, made a few of the prints in 1988.
The arrangement of the photographs is topical and broadly chronological. Titles or captions found on Wootten’s prints or negative jackets appear in italics. Also included are the names of individuals and geographic locations, if known. Information thought to be in doubt is bracketed. Wootten occasionally used more than one title for the same photograph and at other times applied the same title to different photographs. When appropriate titles from negatives or original prints did not exist, captions previously published with some of the photographs have been used. Such captions appear inside quotation marks, and the list of credits includes their respective sources. All other captions have been provided by the author.
I know a land of Elizabethan ways, an America of
cavaliers and curtsies, a land of mystic allegiances and
enduring frontiers, where moods of yesterday touch
hands with the probable ways of tomorrow. Smooth,
timbered hills painted green-golden by the magic of
sunlight. Hillsides and green valleys, lost ravines and
forest lands. Clear rivers, fast running and gay. Farm
roads that smile in good fellowship. Fence-rows, open
fields, and a comforting, life-giving earth.
—Charles Morrow Wilson (Backwoods America, 1934)
PLATE I Rufus and Charles Wootten. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1914.
PLATE 2 Boys in a rowboat. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1915.
PLATE 3 [Playmates]. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1914.
PLATE 4 Children smoking Carolina Brights. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1912.
PLATE 5 Woodland stream. [New Bern, North Carolina], ca. 1915.
PLATE 6 An amateur photographer. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1915.
PLATE 7 Mother Nature’s Storm. Celia M. Lively and Celia W. Lively. New Bern, North Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 8 Charles S. Mangum Jr. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, ca. 1918.
PLATE 9 Dream. Douglas and Amanda Creech. New Bern, North Carolina, 1916.
PLATE 10 Thomas Wolfe in The Return of Buck Gavin. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1919.
PLATE 11 Watching the Passing World Go By. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 12 Group in a window. Western North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 13 Wilma McNabb’s porch. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 14 At a Boys’ Camp. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 15 Man with pipe and chair. Murphy, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 16 Portrait of an African American man. Murphy, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 17 A weaver of baskets. Penland, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 18 George Queen making baskets. Mitchell County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 19 A rural home. Mitchell or Yancey County, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 20 Eugene and Rebecca Jones making soap. Wake County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 21 Pearson’s Falls on Colt Creek. Polk County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 22 Children at a gristmill. Eastern Tennessee, 1930s.
PLATE 23 Covered bridge in the Smoky Mountains. North Carolina or Tennessee, 1930s.
PLATE 24 Evening landscape. Vicinity of Norris, Tennessee, 1930s.
PLATE 25 Governor Hensley. [Yancey County, North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 26 Governor Hensley. [Yancey County, North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 27 West Johnson cabin on Buck Creek Road. Mitchell County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 28 Porch of the West Johnson cabin. Mitchell County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 29 West Johnson family. Mitchell County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 30 Mrs. Will Carpenter. Penland, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 31 The cabin of Sam Cresawn, the snake doctor. Little Switzerland, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 32 Sam Cresawn sitting at his cabin door. Little Switzerland, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 33 Tom Sparks. Mitchell County, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 34 J. C. Dunsdal. Tryon, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 35 Clarissa Elizabeth Jane Holyfield. Turkey Cove, McDowell County, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 36 Polly Jane Wilson. [Mitchell or Yancey County, North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 37 Mae Gouge weaving. Penland, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 38 Rugmakers. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 39 Corn Fodder. [Western North Carolina], ca. 1940.
PLATE 40 Harvesting. Penland, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 41 Grinding Cane. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 42 Mountain Saw Mill. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 43 Ticket buyers at the Mayland Fair. Spruce Pine, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 44 Checker players at a store. Vicinity of Sevierville, Tennessee, 1930s.
PLATE 45 Mr. Hoppas Fiddling. Doc Hoppas. Penland, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 46 Zack McHone with his books. Spruce Pine, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 47 Abandoned cabin. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 48 “Boxwoods and Junipers.” Swain County, North Carolina, ca. 1940.
PLATE 49 A family at dinner. Swain County, North Carolina, ca. 1940.
PLATE 50 Horse Traders. Bryson City, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 51 A boy selling apples beside the road. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 52 A boy and his dog. Mitchell or Yancey County, North Carolina, ca. 1934.
PLATE 53 Haystacks at Celo Mountain. Yancey County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 54 Apple tree on Clarkson’s Knob. Little Switzerland, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 55 John Guess, peddler. [Western North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 56 Franklin Street. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1939.
PLATE 57 Waymon Cole making a vase. Steeds, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 58 Turning Hands. Ben Owen. Jugtown, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 59 The hands of Nell Cole Graves. Steeds, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 60 Edith Harwell. Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 61 Costume maker for The Lost Colony drama. Manteo, North Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 62 Cloth inspectors at a textile mill. Greensboro, North Carolina, ca. 1940.
PLATE 63 A toymaker. Tryon, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 64 A blacksmith. Greensboro, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 65 A farmer plowing. [Eastern North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 66 Tobacco planters. Durham County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 67 A tobacco farmer and his three sons. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 68 A tobacco farmer pausing for water. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 69 Harvesting tobacco. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 70 A tobacco laborer. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 71 A Southern Madonna. North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 72 Weighing cotton. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 73 Farmers waiting in line at a cotton gin. Vicinity of Columbia, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 74 A Picker in the Strawberry Fields at Chadbourn. North Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 75 Collecting Strawberries for Shipment in Chadbourn. North Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 76 A girl with strawberries. Chadbourn, North Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 77 Gathering tulips. Pinetown, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 78 Loading tulips for market. Pinetown, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 79 Aunt Kate. Orton Plantation. Brunswick County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 80 Orton Plantation. Brunswick County, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 81 Brown Marsh Presbyterian Church. Clarkton, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 82 A baptism. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 83 Fishermen going to sea. Southport, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 84 Reflections from the East. Ocean Drive, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 85 A fisherman mending nets. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 86 Fishermen dividing their catch. [North Carolina], ca. 1939.
PLATE 87 Spreading nets to dry. [North Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 88 Inland Waterway near Wilmington. North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 89 Woman with a boat. Morehead City, North Carolina, ca. 1939.
PLATE 90 Sand dunes on the coast. North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 91 A waiter serving drinks. [South Carolina], 1930s.
PLATE 92 Woman drying a plate. 1930s.
PLATE 93 “Sunset across the Ashley from the Battery.” Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 94 A Fishmonger in Old Charleston. South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 95 Woman with a burlap sack. South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 96 A seller of ferns and flowers. Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 97 “Wash Day.” Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 98 “Antique Shop.” Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 99 “Oak at Middleton Place.” Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 100 Low grounds at Middleton Place. Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 101 Oarsmen. Cypress Gardens. South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 102 Boat Mender. Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 103 Irons in the Fire. [North Carolina or South Carolina], ca. 1933.
PLATE 104 Slave cabin at Boone Hall Plantation. Charleston, South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 105 A woman churning and reading. [South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 106 Welcome Beese. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 107 Hagar Brown. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 108 Hagar Brown going home. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 109 Hagar Brown holding pomegranates. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 110 “Night” by Mario Korbel. Brookgreen Gardens. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 111 A woman at rest. [Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 112 Portrait of an African American woman. [Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 113 An old home. [Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 114 Woman on a bench. [Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 115 Winnowing Rice. Sandy Island, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 116 Grinding rice. Sandy Island, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 117 Boy in a doorway. [Sandy Island, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 118 A youth. Sandy Island, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 119 Children posing. [Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 120 A mother and children. Sandy Island, South Carolina, ca. 1937.
PLATE 121 [Margaret Bryant hoeing her garden. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 122 [Margaret Bryant with a hen. Murrells Inlet, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 123 Grazing sheep. Chicora Woods Plantation. South Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 124 Woman with an empty plate. [Sandy Island, South Carolina], ca. 1937.
PLATE 125 Storefronts. Wilsonville, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 126 Woman Clerk. Mrs. A. A. Gorman. Vincent, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 127 Dr. J. Buford Boyer. Wilsonville, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 128 “Will to Rule.” Mrs. S. J. Ackers. Montevallo, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 129 A miner. Roscoe Dennis. Aldrich, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 130 Miner’s Family. Shelby County, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 131 Convict laborers. Shelby County, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 132 Trouble I’se Seen. Shelby County, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 133 Boy Scouts. Shelby County, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 134 Girl on a swing. Shelby County, Alabama, 1930s.
PLATE 135 Moltz children. Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, 1930s.
PLATE 136 Two friends. [North Carolina or South Carolina], 1930s.
I have found excitement in the most commonplace
people and localities. True, they have been the same
kinds of people and places you see about you every
day. We all see them, but we do not think about the
beauty of a timeworn face, a workworn hand, or a
God-driven wind. I love people and places and they
have told me a lot about living.
— Bayard Wootten, 1948