Near Goochland in Goochland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The 1936 Virginia Prison Recordings
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, April 26, 2009
1. The 1936 Virginia Prison Recordings Marker
Inscription.
The 1936 Virginia Prison Recordings. . In 1936 famed folklorist John A. Lomax visited the Virginia State Prison Farm here and at the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond. Working for the Library of Congress's Archive of Folk Song, Lomax canvassed southern prisons in search of traditional African American music. On 13 and 14 June 1936, Lomax, assisted by Harold Spivacke, recorded quartets, banjo tunes, work songs, spirituals, and blues at the State Farm. Among the notable performers were inmates Jimmie Strother and Joe Lee. The Library of Congress first released songs from the sessions in the 1940s and they have appeared on many recordings since. These sessions are among the earliest aural records of Virginia's black folk-song tradition.
In 1936 famed folklorist John A. Lomax visited the Virginia State Prison Farm here and at the Virginia State Penitentiary in Richmond. Working for the Library of Congress's Archive of Folk Song, Lomax canvassed southern prisons in search of traditional African American music. On 13 and 14 June 1936, Lomax, assisted by Harold Spivacke, recorded quartets, banjo tunes, work songs, spirituals, and blues at the State Farm. Among the notable performers were inmates Jimmie Strother and Joe Lee. The Library of Congress first released songs from the sessions in the 1940s and they have appeared on many recordings since. These sessions are among the earliest aural records of Virginia's black folk-song tradition.
Erected 2005 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number SA-70.)
Location. 37° 38.896′ N, 77° 50.126′ W. Marker is near Goochland, Virginia, in Goochland County. Marker is at the intersection of River Road West (Virginia
Click or scan to see this page online
Route 6) and State Farm Road, on the right when traveling east on River Road West. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Maidens VA 23102, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. River Road West & State Farm Road (facing east).
Credits. This page was last revised on January 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,153 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 27, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
