Predominant Dates:1937-1991
Primary Creator: Ward, Ed
Extent: 4.0 Boxes (General)
Subjects: Country music -- History., Folk music., Harlan County (Ky.).
Languages: English
Ed Ward was a private record and tape collector, poet, prose writer, and community historian who lived at Bledsoe in Harlan County, Kentucky.
The digitized material in this collection includes recordings of interviews with Ed Ward, his reading from his writings such as Tall Tales of the Hills, musician interviews he recorded, and selected tape copies from Ward’s record collection of commercial recordings of Kentucky old time and early country music artists.
The collection’s interviews and music performances document such historically significant Kentucky old time musicians as Blind Dick Burnett, John V. Walker, Arthur Johnson, Ernest Martin, W.L. Gregory, the Jones Creek Quartet, and others including the widow of Blind James Howard whose ballads and fiddle tunes were recorded for the Library of Congress in 1937.
The substantial portion of the collection that is not yet digitized is comprised of taped copies of several dozen 78 rpm discs that document many lesser known traditional recording artists of the 1920s and 1930s representing areas beyond Kentucky. These recordings can be accessed in the Special Collections reading room.
Repository: Berea College Special Collections and Archives Catalog
Access Restrictions: Records can be accessed through the Reading Room, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Hutchins Library, Berea College. Some recordings are available online.
Use Restrictions: There are no restrictions on use of this material other than federal copyright regulations.
Acquisition Source: Ed Ward donated the collection to the Berea College Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation: [Object identification], Ed Ward Collection, Berea College Special Collections and Archives, Berea, KY.
Processing Information: The collection was arranged by Harry Rice, Sound Archivist. The finding aid was created in August 2015 by Collections Archivist, Lori Myers-Steele, and Harry Rice. Links to digital recordings added 2019.
Other Note: Collection Number: BCA 0137 SAA 137
Ed Ward: INTERVIEW recorded by Stephen Green 2-20-91 @ Bledsoe, KY, Pt. 1
Ed Ward: INTERVIEW recorded by Stephen Green 2-20-91 @ Bledsoe, KY, Pt. 2
Ed Ward: INTERVIEW recorded by Stephen Green 2-20-91 @ Bledsoe, KY, Pt. 3
Ed Ward reads his own poetry recorded by Stephen Green
Ward, Ed reads his own poetry recorded by Stephen Green @ Bledsoe, KY
Listen Part One Read Part One Play List Listen Part Two Read Part Two Play List
Ward, Ed "The Hills of Home" compiled poems of Ed Ward, prepared by Stephen Green
Ed Ward reads his own prose tales from "Tall Tales of the Hills": "Ashes to Ashes" (1937) and others.
78 rpm dubs ( Corbin, KY vicinity artists: Walker's Corbin Ramblers, B. F. Shelton, Alex Hood, Alfred G. Karnes, Turner Brothers, Jo & Alma the Kentucky Girls, Jones Creek Quartet.)
Home recordings (Corbin, Kentucky area musicians, John Walker, Raymond Perry, Jock Belew, Alex Hood.; Slim Rinehart); 78 rpm dubs (Collier Trio)
INTERVIEW with Dick Burnett by Ed Ward 1-2-[75] / Asher Sizemore & Little Jimmie radio shows [See Also EW-CT-001-030-A]
Home recordings (Harlan County area musicians, Len Ward, Arthur Johnson, Charlie Hamlin)
Home recordings of Karl Davis family (Karl & Harty) / Radio broadcasts of Karl & Harty / 78 rpm dubs (Leake County Revelers, A. Tanner, etc.)
Home recordings (Len Ward, Valerie Saylor) / 78 rpm dubs (Kentucky Ramblers, etc.)
Crazy Water Crystals Radio Transcriptions
Library of Congress Recordings of James Howard in Harlan Co., KY / 78 rpm dubs
INTERVIEW with Mrs. Jim Howard by Ed Ward / Library of Congress Recordings
INTERVIEW with Mrs. Jim Howard by Ed Ward / Howard Library of Congress Recordings / Commercial recordings of group known as Howard and Peak.
Home recordings of Ray & Ina Patterson
INTERVIEW and home recordings of Ernest Martin / 78 rpm dubs (Leake County Revelers, Arthur Tanner) See Also Ernest Martin Collection SAA 144
Home recordings of W.L. Gregory in Monticello, KY. (w/ Arthur Johnson & Charles Hamlin) / 78 rpm dubs (Murphy, Luther)
INTERVIEW with Dick Burnett by Ed Ward with Arthur Johnson & Charles Hamlin [1977] [Side A SAME AS EW-CT-001-006-A (better sound quality)
LP dubs - Harold Hausenfluck & Abe Horton LP "Cornbread, Molasses, and Sassafras Tea" [Heritage Records HR23]/ Buddy Starcher LP "Me and My Guitar" [Old Homestead 320]
INTERVIEW with Elmer Hopkins [brother of Doc Hopkins]; Emma Hopkins [sister of Harty Taylor (Karl & Harty)] / 78 rpm dubs of Karl & Harty
Side A - 78 rpm dubs of Kelly Harrell / Side B - Radio Transcriptions of Happy Johnny (John Albert Zufall) & Band' Radio Roundup program. (Probably came to Ed Ward from Joe Bussard) Band members included in varying combinations, Happy Johnny, Hip Hoover, Lefty Bucher, Lloyd Carter; Dan Martin, Bob Mason, Flash or Hip Hoover. [Track 20, "Wreck of Old Number 9," may not be a Happy Johnny program performance]
"Live" recording of A.P. Carter & the Phipps Family in Manchester, KY
Home recordings of Bob Coltman, Joe Bussard & Ted Cragg[tape squealing on 2nd half of Side A. Edited for reference file - jb]
INTERVIEW and home recordings of Ray & Ina Patterson by Ed Ward & Marrion Herrera
INTERVIEW with Ray & Ina Patterson by Ed Ward & Marrion Herrera
Home recordings of Ray & Ina Patterson [recordings made for "Folk Voice" overseas tape service - jb]
Home recordings of Arthur Johnson & Paul Hall
"Live" recordings of Ted Lundy / INTERVIEWS with Esker Harper & Ted Lundy
Home recordings of James Roberts & Arthur Johnson / James Roberts & Texas Anderson
INTERVIEW with Ernest Stoneman
INTERVIEW with Ernest Stoneman [songs at end of Side A, possible radio transcriptions-jb] / Interview with Ray & Ina Patterson
INTERVIEW with Ernest Martin [contains duplicate material of EW-CT-001-024 - jb] See Also Ernest Martin Collection SAA 144
INTERVIEW with Cliff Carlisle & Wilbur Ball by Ray & Ina PattersonINTERVIEW with Patsy Montana by Ray & Ina Patterson
INTERVIEW with John V. Walker