Issue 90, Fall 2008

The image appears to be the cover of a magazine titled “Alabama Heritage.” Here are the details: The magazine’s title, “Alabama Heritage,” is displayed prominently at the top in white text against a dark background. Below the title, there’s an illustration or photograph of an antique judge’s gavel viewed from above. The gavel’s head is centered, and the handle points upwards. The gavel is set against a lighter background. Additional white text at the bottom reads: “Published by The University of Alabama & The University of Alabama at Birmingham & The Alabama Department of Archives and History.” A rectangular brownish-red block partially obscures part of the gavel’s head and some background details.

Issue 90, Fall 2008

On the cover: Picture of Me (detail) by Mose T, circa 1975, 13 x 25 inches, house paint on wood paneling. [Collection of Anton Haardt]

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Features

The image portrays a room filled with expressive and abstract artworks. Paintings and objects adorn the walls and are scattered throughout the space. In the center, an individual sits on a red chair, surrounded by this creative environment. Overall, it appears to be a studio or collection where art is both created and exhibited.
Mose T, surrounded by his creations. [Henry Cadenhead]

Lilies, Jaybirds, and George: The Art in Mose T’s Trees

By Anton Haardt

A man of humble beginnings, Mose Tolliver—better known as Mose T—rose from obscurity to become one of America’s most celebrated folk artists. Tolliver’s paintings were fresh and unconventional. Before his fame reached its peak in 1982, they hung from trees outside his home in Montgomery and often sold (if they sold at all) for no more than three to four dollars a piece. Inspired by nature, this self-taught artist painted works that remain sought-after collectors’ items to this day.

From the humble beginnings of painting on salvaged surfaces like birdhouses and scrap metal to a train ride to the nation’s capital where his work was displayed for First Lady Nancy Reagan in an illustrious gallery, Mose T became an iconic figure in the world of folk art. Collector Anton Haardt describes the life of the extraordinary man and the seminal exhibit that propelled Mose T to fame and helped solidify the importance of folk art to American culture. 

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Honorary Degrees for the Alabama Corps of Cadets

By Matthew C. Edmonds 

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, the duty-bound and rather “gung ho” Alabama Corps of Cadets of the University of Alabama itched to join the fight. Although denied formal permission by the University to suspend all their educational responsibilities, these cadets left en masse, eager to “see the elephant.” Many would never return, and those who did found only ash and rubble where their university had once stood. Some fifty years after the Civil War’s end, with the efforts of local members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, these soldiers were not only memorialized by a bronze plaque on a “handsome monolith of Georgia granite” on the UA campus, but with the help of UA President George H. Denny, they were also awarded honorary degrees for their sacrifice. The Alabama Corps of Cadets—some in person and some posthumously—received academic closure at last.

The image appears to be a black and white photograph taken in a historical context. It features a group of individuals dressed in military uniforms. These uniforms consist of dark jackets with buttons and light-colored trousers. Each person wears a tall, ornate hat adorned with a plume on top. The group stands in formation on grass, with trees and a large multi-story building with balconies visible in the background. The aged appearance of the photograph suggests it has historical significance.
Ten years after the Civil War, a group of cadets pose on the campus quad. [W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama]
The image appears to be a black and white photograph from an earlier time period. It shows a group of individuals in an indoor setting. In the foreground, there’s a table with bottles lined up, and a person wearing a white apron or coat stands behind it. To the right, another table displays papers, and people examine them. The room has high ceilings and large windows.
Children attend a nutrition class given by the National Tuberculosis Association. [Library of Congress]

Captives of Consumption: Alabama’s Battle with Tuberculosis 

By Alissa Nutting

Long known for its stubborn persistence and a staggering ninety-percent fatality rate, tuberculosis had claimed countless lives by the start of the twentieth century, indiscriminately affecting rich and poor, young and old, celebrities and common men. In the late 1800s, the sickness had claimed so many lives in Alabama that it was recorded as the leading cause of death in the state. Despite its seeming invincibility, Alabama health officials, medical practitioners, and civic organizations became committed to eradicating it somehow—or at least minimizing its impact.

Over the decades, hopes were elevated by the construction of TB clinics and sanatoriums, aggressive public education programs, and the eventual identification of the disease’s source. By the mid-twentieth century, a vaccine for children at last set the coming generations free and rendered the horrors of “consumption” a relic of darker times. Former Alabama Heritage staff member Alissa Nutting looks at Alabama’s long journey from helplessness to empowerment over the indiscriminate air-borne killer.

Places in Peril 2008: Alabama’s Endangered Historic Landmarks

By Melanie Betz Gregory 

The rich history represented in the beautiful, yet crumbling, remains of many historic buildings in Alabama is in perpetual danger of being demolished and erased from memory. In this latest addition of “Places in Peril,” The Alabama Historic Commission, the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation and Alabama Heritage have collaborated to highlight homes, business structures, forts, churches, and schoolhouses that stand at risk from neglect, underfunding, or development. From sites that provide an understanding of Alabama’s colonial beginnings to structures integral to the civil rights movement, these endangered properties tell the Alabama story. With much-needed preservation, these structures will survive to educate, inform, and inspire future generations.

The image portrays a three-story corner building that appears to be in a state of disrepair. Its red brick facade shows signs of wear and aging, with numerous broken or boarded-up windows. Architectural details, such as the cornice, exhibit visible damage, including missing or crumbling sections. On the ground floor, there are two sets of doors—one on each visible side. Unfortunately, the faded signs above the doors are illegible in the image. Power lines stretch across the sky above the building, which stands against a clear blue sky with minimal clouds. The surrounding area suggests an urban setting, with a street in front of the building and no visible vegetation.
The largest of the five “Gateway to Anniston” buildings. [Robin McDonald]

Departments

The image depicts a vintage black and white photograph of a small, two-story structure with an unusual design. The building appears to be a narrow, standalone tower with a steeply pitched roof and is situated beside railroad tracks. There is an external staircase leading to the second floor, which has a single door without an accompanying landing or balcony. The ground level also features one door and at least one window. Adjacent to the building are utility poles with multiple crossbeams and wires, indicative of early to mid-20th-century construction. The surrounding area looks industrial or utilitarian in nature, with other nondescript buildings in the background and no visible vegetation. This image may be interesting due to the unique architecture of the structure, its historical context as part of railroad infrastructure, or as an example of period-specific industrial photography.
An M&O Railroad ice house. [National Archives & Records Administration]

Southern Architecture and Preservation

The Workaday Alabama Landscape

By W. Andrew Waldo

While perusing collections at the National Archives, Andrew Waldo encountered a remarkable treasure. In an early twentieth-century project to inventory the holdings of U. S. railroad companies, thousands of photographs documenting the “workaday” life near the tracks were captured and are now stored and available to the public. In this brief photographic piece, Waldo provides a “sneak peek” at what this archival wonder holds for the lovers of Alabama history. 

The image appears to be a sepia-toned photograph from the early to mid-20th century. It features five individuals sitting on the running board of an old-fashioned car with large spoked wheels.
The author and her sisters and cousins. [Jane Kilgore Hinton]

Recollections

Cedar Cove: A Town That Disappeared

By Aileen Kilgore Henderson

Of all the places that have been torn down and nearly forgotten in Tuscaloosa County, the lost coal mining town of Cedar Cove remains one of the most enigmatic, as only a pair of tombstones remained to mark its location as late as 1973. Now even those are missing. Built in 1916 on the site of the Reed Plantation cemetery, the town was sustained by tight-knit families, community-mindedness, fun, games, hard work, coal dust, and hot baths. Cedar Cove thrived until the Great Depression forced these proud Alabamians to disperse, leaving their beloved town to be scrapped, plowed over, and all but forgotten. Aileen Henderson reflects on daily life in the small mining camp that seemed like a palace to her as a small girl.

The Nature Journal

Union Chapel Mine: Or, When Salamanders Slimed the Earth

By Larry Davenport 

Several million years ago, prehistoric reptilian creatures slithered in the shallow surf covering much of what is now central Alabama. The footprints etched into sandy beaches, the fossils of organisms long extinct, and even the curving trails where fish tails grazed the shallow sandy bottom are forever preserved in sheets of gray shale fortuitously unearthed by strip mining. Dr. Larry Davenport chronicles the efforts of a team of scientists who visited Union Chapel Mine to search for relics of Alabama’s primeval past—evidence of the salamanders that slimed the earth.

The image portrays an individual in a field setting, likely engaged in geological or paleontological work. The person wears a light-colored hat, a short-sleeved shirt, and cargo pants. Kneeling on rocky ground, they wield a tool—possibly a hammer or chisel—on a large rock or fossil. The rugged terrain, scattered stone fragments, and focused attention suggest scientific exploration or specimen collection.
Carl Sloan splits shale. [L.J. Davenport]
The image you uploaded is the cover of the book titled “Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice” by Raymond Arsenault. The cover features a black and white photograph in the background, depicting a group of people standing near a bus that appears to be emitting smoke, suggesting it may be on fire or has been attacked. Overlaid on top of this photograph, in bold white letters, is the title “Freedom Riders.” Below that, in smaller white font, reads “1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice.” The author’s name appears at the bottom in white font against a blue background. This image represents an important historical event related to civil rights and social activism in American history.
The image depicts the cover of a book titled “The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation.” The authors, Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff, explore the intersection of journalism and the civil rights movement. The book won the Pulitzer Prize.
The image appears to be the cover of a book titled “CRADLE of FREEDOM: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America” by Frye Gaillard. The cover features a black and white photograph capturing a historical event. Multiple individuals are lying on the ground, while others stand around them. Some seem to be in motion, suggesting a protest or confrontation. Given the title, it likely relates to civil rights history.

Reading the Southern Past

Freedom Riders, the Race Beat, and Alabama 

By Stephen Goldfarb

At the height of the civil rights movement, numerous groups and individuals worked to advance the cause. In this latest addition to “Reading the Southern Past,” Stephen Goldfarb reviews three books that chronicle these efforts. Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault (Oxford University Press, 2006) explores the people who traveled—often at great risk—the interstates of the South, registering black voters and defying the segregation of public transportation. The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation by Gene Roberts and Hank Kilbanoff (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007) explores the role of news journalists in the movement. And Frye Gaillard’s Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America (University of Alabama Press, 2004) describes the epicenter of the civil rights showdown of the 1960s—the towns and cities of Alabama.

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