Author Topic: Heard but Not Seen (Read 6167 times)

SpikeDriver · « **on:** November 29, 2007, 04:38:56 PM »

It may be hard for some newer/younger fans to believe, but at one point in the not so distant past, blues listeners had no idea what Robert Johnson looked like. The two now famous photos were first published in the 1980s. If you're a country/pre-war blues fan you've seen many familiar photos (Blake, Lemon, etc.) over and over again. Over the years, new discoveries have shown up (the Luke Jordan photo in 78 Quarterly, the pre-war photo of Skip James with the 20's auto, the 1950 shot of Washington Phillips on his farm, and of course Tefteller's find of the full Patton photo with guitar).

My question is, who would make up a top list of blues artists who we've heard...but have never seen?

Rivers · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2007, 04:51:03 PM »

Weenie Campbell of course. He was scheduled for several shoots over the years but never turned up.

Mike Brosnan · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2007, 04:54:53 PM »

anyone ever seen rabbit brown or julius daniels?

dj · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2007, 05:01:04 PM »

Willie Brown, and a young Son House. And I'd like to see good pictures of Texas Alexander, Ed Bell, and Sam Collins.

Johnm · « **Reply #4 on:** November 29, 2007, 05:08:33 PM »

Hi all,
I'd like very much to see photos of Joe Holmes (King Solomon Hill), Smith Casey, Marshall Owens, Edward Thompson, Geeshie Wiley, Elvie Thomas, Poochie Chatmon (youngest brother of Sam and Bo) and a many more. Great topic idea, Spike Driver.
All best,
Johnm

dj · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2007, 05:24:09 PM »

A few minor figures I'd like to see pictures of: Lane Hardin and Henry Spaulding from the St. Louis scene, and Eddie Mapp, the Atlanta harmonica player who was murdered after making only a few recordings.

Bricktown Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2007, 05:01:47 AM »

Quote from: dj on November 29, 2007, 05:01:04 PM

Willie Brown, and a young Son House.

Both Willie Browns. Or is it all three Willie Browns?

GhostRider · « **Reply #7 on:** November 30, 2007, 05:40:51 AM »

Spike:

That's an interesting topic, made me think. Here's my top 5 (in order):

1. Funny Papa Smith (album photo isn't him)
2. Willie Brown (any of them $:-\$ ) (to help resolve ID problems)
3. A young ('20's-'30's) Little Hat Jones
4. Marshall Owens (Such a voice)
5. Gene Campbell (most prolific Texas pre-war Bluesman outside BLJ)

I feel a "list" comin' on.

Alex

banjochris · « **Reply #8 on:** November 30, 2007, 02:47:51 PM »

There is a splendid recently discovered photo of Buddy Boy Hawkins in the liner notes to one of the Yazoo Times Ain't Like They Used to Be CD's -- I'm pretty sure volumes 5 and 6, which I'll double check when I get home.

Amusingly (at least amusingly for a former copy editor), the notes say "how pleasant it is to finally see his continence." Glad to know he had no problems in that area.
Chris

dj · « **Reply #9 on:** November 30, 2007, 04:07:07 PM »

Kid Prince Moore and Willie Walker. And a personal favorite of mine, the Cincinnati pianist Jesse James.

Actually, there are dozens of fairly minor figures that intrigue me partly because they came and went so quickly: One song wonders like Freezone and Kid Brown, people who recorded a bit more, like "Blue Coat" Tom Nelson and Tommy Settlers (with his kazoo, please!). I'd love to know what these people looked like.

And if it's not asking too much, every string band that ever recorded.

LoneWolf · « **Reply #10 on:** November 30, 2007, 04:14:00 PM »

Garfield Akers, Henry Thomas, Kid Prince Moore, Geeshie Wiley... I'd love to know what they looked like.

Had anybody seen the photo of Tommie Bradley and James Cole? I've seen it somewhere on the internet and LOST IT. Can't find it anymore.

MTJ3 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 02, 2007, 10:50:22 PM »

Quote from: LoneWolf on November 30, 2007, 04:14:00 PM

Had anybody seen the photo of Tommie Bradley and James Cole? I've seen it somewhere on the internet and LOST IT. Can't find it anymore.

1. If you find a picture of Bradley or Cole, I'll buy you a fish sandwich and a beer.
2. Forget the picture. I would just like to know something about Gene Campbell, about whom "enigmatic" is not sufficiently descriptive.
3. Just to further my flip-flopping between the analytic and the not:
From a historical/academic standpoint, would a picture make any difference in terms of our enjoyment? I think not. But I still want them too.

downthedirtroad · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2007, 06:19:43 PM »

Buddy Boy Hawkins in a high defenition photo? Does anyone have this? I am willing to contribute scans of the photos of jaybird coleman and bo weavil jackson that are in the "times aint like..." vol. 7 liner notes to this tread.

Any takers? I'd really like to see a scan of that one, as all the previous examples of buddy boy that i've seen are pretty lo-fi.

dj · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2007, 05:03:51 AM »

Pine Top Smith

Beans Hambone with his cigar box guitar

A young Pink Anderson with Simmie Dooley

mississippijohnhurt1928 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2007, 05:40:51 PM »

Quote from: GhostRider on November 30, 2007, 05:40:51 AM

Spike:
1. Funny Papa Smith (album photo isn't him)

Really?? When was that discovered?

Here's My List
1. Hambone Willie Newbern
2. A Young Robert Lockwood (Anywhere from 1930s-1940s)
3. Papa Harvey Hull
4. Cryin' Sam Collins
5. Willie Walker

CF · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2007, 05:42:28 PM »

That photo (i.e. of Funny Papa) is actually of Black Ace isn't it?

mississippijohnhurt1928 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2007, 05:51:08 PM »

I don't want to make a whole new topic out of this, so I'll post it here in a picture thread.

Although it certainly is poor quality, I can tell I've never seen this picture of Leroy Carr before. Has anybody else?

mississippijohnhurt1928 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2007, 05:52:41 PM »

Quote from: cheapfeet on December 05, 2007, 05:42:28 PM

That photo (i.e. of Funny Papa) is actually of Black Ace isn't it?

I doubt it, he's definitely not playing that guitar lap-style, or with a slide.

But if it is, that's purty darn cool, I don't know of any photos of a young Black Ace.

banjochris · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2007, 09:01:02 PM »

Here's Buddy Boy:

GhostRider · « **Reply #19 on:** December 06, 2007, 05:11:24 AM »

Thanks, Chris. I hadn't seen that one before.

Alex

geechie · « **Reply #20 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:14:54 AM »

Lonewolf and MTJ3, here is the photo of Tommie Bradley and James Cole. downthedirtroad, I'd love to see that photo of Bo Weavil Jackson.

dj · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:20:05 AM »

Anybody know where these new pictures were found? Were they part of the Paramount promo material that turned up a few years ago?

uncle bud · « **Reply #22 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:31:13 AM »

Hi geechie, and welcome to Weenie Campbell! Thanks for the photo. Do you know what the source of this photo is, where it came from and the like?

cheers,
andrew

downthedirtroad · « **Reply #23 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:38:01 AM »

Here's the picture of Bo Weavil Jackson from the booklet that I promised in return, if this is of help to anyone:

downthedirtroad · « **Reply #24 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:41:39 AM »

And jaybird.
Question - are these pictures part of John Tefteller's stash that is being used for the blues images calendars?

geechie · « **Reply #25 on:** December 06, 2007, 09:51:09 AM »

Thanks for the welcome andrew. As for the photo, I saved it to my computer a couple of years ago. I vaguely remember finding it on the Old Hat Records website. They had scanned
a booklet from one of their releases, and put it up on the site. But I can't remember what Album it's from.

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #26 on:** December 06, 2007, 09:59:10 AM »

Quote from: mississippijohnhurt1928 on December 05, 2007, 05:51:08 PM

Although it certainly is poor quality, I can tell I've never seen this picture of Leroy Carr before. Has anybody else?

Yep it appeared in a Chicago Defender Columbia advertisment for the release of Aggravating Papa and those who own Story Of The Blues (1969 edition) can view it in its original context on page 94.

uncle bud · « **Reply #27 on:** December 06, 2007, 10:51:13 AM »

Quote from: geechie on December 06, 2007, 09:51:09 AM

Thanks for the welcome andrew. As for the photo, I saved it to my computer a couple of years ago. I vaguely remember finding it on the Old Hat Records website. They had scanned
a booklet from one of their releases, and put it up on the site. But I can't remember what Album it's from.

Found the photo (easy enough since Old Hat have so few releases - here's hoping for more!). It's in the booklet for Violin, Sing the Blues for Me. Alas, it is not Tommie Bradley and James Cole. The two are identified as Billy Smith (banjo) and Billy Russell (fiddle), circa 1912. Caption says Smith "was a former slave, with whips scars on his back to prove it." From the collection of Jim Bollman.

For dj, while they don't include Simmie Dooley, there are two photos of a young Pink Anderson in the booklet for Old Hat's set Good for What Ails You, both taken while Pink was touring with WR Kerr's medicine show. One of the photos is of Pink in blackface.

CF · « **Reply #28 on:** December 06, 2007, 10:55:13 AM »

Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings' entry on J. T. 'Funny Papa' Smith mentions the photo on the Yazoo album is in fact of Black Ace. I've read this elsewhere as well.

geechie · « **Reply #29 on:** December 06, 2007, 11:36:47 AM »

Quote

Found the photo (easy enough since Old Hat have so few releases - here's hoping for more!). It's in the booklet for Violin, Sing the Blues for Me. Alas, it is not Tommie Bradley and James Cole. The two are identified as Billy Smith (banjo) and Billy Russell (fiddle), circa 1912. Caption says Smith "was a former slave, with whips scars on his back to prove it." From the collection of Jim Bollman.

Thanks for the correction andrew.

mississippijohnhurt1928 · « **Reply #30 on:** December 06, 2007, 12:44:47 PM »

BanjoChris, Down the Dirt Road, & Geechie. Those photos are amazing!! Thanks for posting them.

CF · « **Reply #31 on:** January 23, 2008, 07:59:24 PM »

Neil Slaven mentioned Big Bill Broonzy took a photo of Elmore James, Rice Miller, Little Walter & Tommy McClennan walking down the street . . . anyone ever see this or know where I could catch a glimpse?

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #32 on:** January 23, 2008, 11:26:39 PM »

Quote from: cheapfeet on January 23, 2008, 07:59:24 PM

Neil Slaven mentioned Big Bill Broonzy took a photo of Elmore James, Rice Miller, Little Walter & Tommy McClennan walking down the street . . . anyone ever see this or know where I could catch a glimpse?

Yes, first published in the French magazine Soul Bag in 1983 and later reproduced in a Living Blues. Probably been reproduced since. A couple of years back I was asked to scan for a similar enquiry on the web. I'll look to see if I still have it.

waxwing · « **Reply #33 on:** January 24, 2008, 08:28:47 AM »

LoneWolf has a pretty blurry version of it on his McClennan/Petway Myspace page:

BTW, "photos" would be a good Tag on any Topic that has one or more.

All for now.
John C.

CF · « **Reply #34 on:** January 24, 2008, 08:57:49 AM »

Thanks for that Wax . . . Tommy was a little fella eh?
I wonder if BH has a better resolution version?

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #35 on:** January 24, 2008, 11:56:17 AM »

Quote from: cheapfeet on January 24, 2008, 08:57:49 AM

Thanks for that Wax . . . Tommy was a little fella eh?
I wonder if BH has a better resolution version?

I don't think it's a case of resolution more one of severe camera shake by the photographer.

However this weekend I'll see what I can do with the Soul Bag photo....

TMC was said to have been a "little fella" by both Frank Edwards and Eddie Taylor.

Bunker Hill · « **Reply #36 on:** January 26, 2008, 02:11:38 AM »

Sorry I can't do much better. Increasing the resolution just seems to increase the text "show through" from other side of the page. Click image to zoom in.

CF · « **Reply #37 on:** January 26, 2008, 05:13:46 AM »

Hey that's a bit better, thanks BH. Looking at this photo has made me realize 2 things: as I've already stated, Tommy was a little fella -
& second: men's fashion has gone way down since the '50s!

Randy Meadows · « **Reply #38 on:** March 22, 2020, 09:38:58 PM »

Left to right.
Willie Moore, Willie Brown, Fiddlin Joe Martin.

jostber · « **Reply #39 on:** March 23, 2020, 02:58:17 PM »

Quote from: Randy Meadows on March 22, 2020, 09:38:58 PM

Left to right.
Willie Moore, Willie Brown, Fiddlin Joe Martin.

Wow, this is quite special. Is this the Willie Brown of Future Blues? Do you know more of the provenance of this picture?

Randy Meadows · « **Reply #40 on:** March 23, 2020, 05:54:46 PM »

It was published in Frog Blues and Jazz Annual #4
And more recently in "Up Jumped the Devil" The Real Life of Robert Johnson " book
By Wardlow and Conforth...
Yes the "Future Blues " musician...
I have my Willie Brown information included in
Living Blues #229...

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Author Topic: Heard but Not Seen (Read 6167 times)

LoneWolf

downthedirtroad

mississippijohnhurt1928

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