Issue 13, Summer 1989

The image appears to be a cover of a magazine titled “Alabama HERITAGE,” with the subheading “PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA.” The overall design is elegant and nostalgic, evoking a sense of cultural richness. Specific Elements or Objects: Text: At the top, in an elegant, cursive font, we see the title “Alabama HERITAGE.” Just below the title, in smaller, non-cursive font, there’s a subheading that reads “Published Quarterly by The University of Alabama” In the bottom left corner, the text “Summer 1989” indicates that this edition was published during that season and year. The bottom right corner displays “.50" as the purchase price. Fiddle: Prominently featured in the center of the image is a large, brown fiddle. The fiddle is intricately detailed, with visible strings, f-holes, and other typical features. Countryside Scene: Surrounding and blending with the violin, we see an illustrated rural landscape. Rolling green hills stretch under a light blue sky adorned with fluffy white clouds. A charming red barn with white doors sits atop one of the hills, featuring an X-shaped design on its doors. Small human figures engage in various activities: riding horses, walking, and enjoying the countryside. Scattered trees add greenery to the open spaces, creating a serene and idyllic setting.

Issue 13, Summer 1989

On the cover: An illustration of a farm scene and a fiddle. [Illustration by Laura Woelfel-Madison]

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Features

This vintage black and white photograph captures a moment of musical preparation. One man is sitting on an ornate sofa. The sitting man: Wearing a dark suit with a white shirt and bow tie. Holding a violin and bow, ready to play. He is an older white male. Sofa: Ornate design visible on its upper part; it appears to be upholstered and well-cushioned.
Y.Z. Hamilton (1888-1936), would remove his false teeth and suck in his cheeks, transforming himself into a very old fiddler to get a laugh from the crowd. [Courtesy Olen Mayes]

…And Bring Your Fiddle
The Fiddler in Alabama Community Life

By Joyce Cauthen

The history of Alabama is closely tied to the art of fiddling. Early historians of the state observed the preponderance of fiddlers in the territory. The popularity of the form is easy to explain; with paved roads, electricity, and their attendant pleasures unavailable to most rural communities until the late 1940s, entertainment was necessarily a local product. Fiddlers furnished music for logrollings, cornshuckings, peanut shellings, quilting bees, and other work parties. They were ubiquitous. This article examines the history of the fiddle in the life of ordinary Alabamians.

Alabama Collections: Anatomical Manikins and Diagnostic Dolls

By Mary Claire Britt Cowen

Housed within the Reynolds Historical Library at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is a collection of intricately carved ivory figures, each from seven to eight inches in length. Three of the figures are male, two depicted without skin to display the physiology of human musculature. Of the six female figures, all are recumbent, and all have a tiny fetus attached to the manikin’s uterus with a red silk umbilical cord. The figures or manikins, displayed in a specially built case, prompt many questions from visitors: Who made them? When were they made? This article seeks to answer these questions, exploring the history and mystery of these curious figures.

This image showcases a collection of intricately detailed anatomical models against a dark red background. Anatomical Model 1: Depicts a person with the skin removed, revealing underlying muscles. The model strikes a dynamic pose, with one hand on the head and another on the hip. Muscles are meticulously defined, providing an educational view of human musculature. Anatomical Model 2: Similar to the first model, it showcases muscles. This model stands upright, offering a static view of musculature. Torso Model: A bisected torso exposes internal organs, including lungs and intestines. This provides insight into the intricate structures within the human body. Brain Model: Positioned at the bottom left corner, it highlights the detailed structure of the brain. The overall composition is interesting due to its educational value, emphasizing the complexity of human anatomy.
These male manikins of Italian craftsmanship were designed to show the muscles of the body. Originally, the muscles were tinted red. [Photography by Chip Cooper]
Additional information

The manikin collection in the Reynolds Historical Library was given to the University of Alabama Medical Center in 1958 by Dr. Lawrence Reynolds, a native of Ozark, Alabama, who received degrees from the University of Alabama (1912) and Johns Hopkins Medical School (1916). Reynolds, a pioneer in the field of radiology, was also a bibliophile and an avid collector of medical artifacts. He acquired his manikin collection from another collector, Dr. Amo B. Luckhardt, well known in medical circles for his discovery of the anesthetic properties of ethylene. Luckhardt purchased the majority of his manikins through a dealer in Amsterdam.

Other manikin collections can be found in the Howard Dittrick Museum in Cleveland; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the Trent Collection at Duke University; the History of Medicine Museum in Copenhagen; the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest; Bologna’s Rizzoli Institute; the Germanisches Nationalmuseum of Murnber; and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich. The largest collection, fifty-two manikins, is housed in the Wellcome Institute of the History of Medicine in London.

Joseph Glover Baldwin: Antebellum Wit

By Eugene Current-Garcia

James Glover Baldwin wanted to be remembered as a social historian and a political theorist; perhaps, as his wife and brother later predicted, he might even become the historian of the Civil War. But none of that was to be. By the time of his death in 1864, forty-nine-year-old Baldwin had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams as a lawyer and a jurist, and in the last ten years of his life had written what he considered the best work of his promising literary career. After his death, however, the writings of those later years were quickly forgotten by the public and ignored by the critics. As a consequence, Baldwin is known to us today primarily as an antebellum wit. 

For many writers, such a legacy would have been enough, but James Glover Baldwin would have had it otherwise.

The scene unfolds indoors, creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere. A central figure, seated, is engrossed in playing a violin. Surrounding the musician are several children, their eyes wide with wonder and attention fixed on the music. The setting exudes a rustic and homely vibe. Specific Elements: Seated Person (Musician): Positioned at the center. Clad in dark clothing. Fingers deftly moving across the violin strings. Children: Gathered around the musician. Their expressions reveal fascination and captivation. Violin: Grasped by the musician, producing soulful melodies. Indoor Setting: Wooden textures form the backdrop, suggesting a cozy room. Portraits on the Wall: Two oval-shaped portraits hang behind the musician, hinting at family history and memories.
“The Schoolmaster Abroad”: Tom Edmundson, “gay, witty, dashing, vain, proud, handsome and volatile, and, withal, a dandy and lady’s man,” was one of the young Virginians who “sought the alluring fields of South-Western adventure.” Living too fast for his means, he was reduced to teaching school before he found his fortune by marrying a rich French widow from Louisiana. [From The Flush Times of Alabama and Mississippi, 1853]
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