Issue 14, Fall 1989

The image features an artistic and vintage design with a light beige background. A humanoid figure, seemingly in motion, occupies the central part of the cover. The overall aesthetic evokes nostalgia and curiosity. Specific Elements or Objects: Text: At the top, in elegant cursive lettering, we see the title: “Alabama HERITAGE.” The word “Alabama” is smaller and in a script font and positioned above “HERITAGE.” The word "HERITAGE" is in a serif font. Illustration: The central figure is dark and shadowy, suggesting mystery. It appears to be dancing or in some dynamic movement. The figure has human-like limbs but with exaggerated proportions and curves. Notably, it possesses animal-like features, including what seems to be horns on its head and a tail. Although the face isn’t clearly visible, it appears to have similarly exaggerated features. Graphic Art Image Prompt: The cover invites us to explore Alabama’s cultural heritage and its connection to nature. The blend of human and animal characteristics symbolizes unity between mankind and the natural world. Warm earth tones evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the past.

Issue 14, Fall 1989

On the cover: Female Drinker by Bill Traylor. [Courtesy Charles Shannon]

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Features

This black and white photo appears to be from the 19th or 20th century. A white male is posed looking off to the left-hand side, presenting more of a profile of his face than the full face. He has short, dark colored hair that looks to have some form of product in his hair. He has a small mustache and glasses chained around his head, similar to a monocle's chain. He is wearing a dark colored suit and tie.
Bohemian-born Joseph Cadek (1868-1927) established the Cadek conservatory of Music in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1904. His daughter, Lillian, pianist and violist, and his son Harold, a cellist, served on the faculty, while his eldest son, Ottokar, pursued a careeer with the New York String Quartet.

Bohemia in America: Ottokar Čadek and the New York String Quartet

By Caroline Cepin Benser

Throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, Americans looked almost exclusively to Europe for musical inspiration and for musicians. American orchestras, quartets, and music schools invariably filled their ranks either with European performers or Americans who had been trained in the musical centers in Europe. Bohemia, with its capital Prague, was one of Europe’s richest musical centers, and from this small, independent country came numerous musicians who were to leave their marks on American musical tastes and American music. Ottokar Čadek was the son of one musician who came to America to found the Čadek Conservatory of Music in Chattanooga. Čadek would follow in his father’s footsteps. Among his many accomplishments would be the founding of the University of Alabama String Quartet and serving as concertmaster for the Birmingham Civic Symphony Orchestra. Thus, the musical heritage of Bohemia, with considerable help from the Čadeks, has filtered into every

Additional information

The Ottokar Čadek  Family Collection is located in the William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library, University of Alabama. Among the materials in this collection are numerous scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings that Čadek saved while on tour with the New York String Quartet, and clippings documenting his work in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Most notable among his personal letters are several from Percy Grainger, Ethel Leginska, and the composers Daniel Gregory Mason and Sidney Homer, and a postcard from Otakar Sevcik. Also included in the collection are numerous photographs and programs from throughout Čadek career.

Bill Traylor: Freed Slave and Folk Artist

By Maridith Walker

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 captivating black and white photograph portrays a manl deeply engrossed in a creative endeavor. Let’s delve into the details: Person: The man is a middle-to-elderly Black man. Clad in a light-colored, long-sleeve shirt adorned with scattered dark spots. His hands are actively engaged in an activity on the table. He has a full beard and mustache that appears to be salt-and-pepper colored. He is bald on top of his head, but has some shorter hair along the sides. Table and Surroundings: The person is seated at a table, which holds various items. Papers are scattered across the table, some displaying markings suggestive of drawings or writings. Notably, one sheet prominently features an illustration of a bird. The individual holds a drawing tool (possibly a pen or pencil), indicating their creative pursuit. The background reveals part of a building structure, with visible bricks and wooden elements.
Bill Traylor, 1854-1947. [Courtesy Charles Shannon]

Excerpts from the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture

Charles Reagan Wilson and William Ferris, coeditors

What defines the American South? Was the region shaped primarily by historical events or is its character a natural outgrowth of climate and geography? Is southern culture an accumulation of specific regional characteristics or is it something else? And what? The search for answers to questions such as these led two professors, Charles Reagan Wilson and William Ferris, into a ten-year collaborative project involving mroe than 800 scholars. The result of their efforts is the 1,600-page Encyclopedia of Southern Culture (University of North Carolina Press, 1989).

Alabama Heritage is proud to present a sampling of the entries found in the Encyclopedia, including discussions of Air-Conditioning, Alcohol, Maiden Aunts, and many other topics.

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