Charlotte Ross papers
Scope and Contents
The Charlotte Ross Papers contains Ross's collection of research note cards, as well as personal files, music recordings, and photographs relevant to the Appalachian region, American history and folklore studies. The reseach note cards include indexed bibliographic citations from Ross's research; note cards recording various subject areas and scholars or experts who specialize in those areas; a subject index to the Appalachian Oral History Project recordings (AC.111); and note cards with the contact information for various scholars, experts, and writers. Ross compiles the bibliographic citations to form her 1976 Bibliography of Southern Appalachia. Ross's personal files, arranged by subject, include articles, syllabi, notes, brochures, maps and other materials collected by Ross. There is a great deal about traditional Appalachian culture, especially in North Carolina. Audiovisual materials include nine cassette tapes containing examples of folk songs throughout world history, ten black and white photographs, two black and white negatives, two color polaroid photographs, and five color slides.
Dates
- Creation: undated [circa late 20th century]
Creator
- Ross, Charlotte Tanksley (Person)
Access Restrictions
An appointment for research is required. No restrictions to access. No Interlibrary Loan.
Color photographs and slides are housed separately within a cold storage unit and advanced notice is required to view. Use of audiovisual materials may require the creation of a user copy before being available for research.
Copyright Notice
Standard federal copyright laws apply.
Biographical/Historical note
Charlotte Tanksley Ross is also known as the Legend Lady. Ross has collected about 4,000 folk tales. She is a noted storyteller, folklorist and Appalachian State University communications adjunct professor. She has performed at the American Folklore Society, Smithsonian Institution Folklore Festival, Opryland and the Ulster (Ireland) Folklife Festival. In 1969, Charlotte Ross was hired as the Appalachian Room's first Librarian. In 1976, Charlotte Ross published Bibliography of Southern Appalachia. She was co-author of From my grandmother's grandmother unto me with her daughter Clarinda. She and her husband Carl Ross had two children: Clarinda and Tyler.
Missing Title
- Ross, Carl
- Ross, Charlotte
Extent
10.51 Linear Feet (18 index card file boxes, 7 boxes, 2 half-sized manuscript boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 folder in cold storage)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Charlotte Ross Papers contains her Appalachian bibliography note card collection as well as personal files relevant to the Appalachian region, American history and folklore studies. Charlotte Ross's bibliography is a comprehensive bibliography of Appalachian books up to 1976.
Arrangement Note
The collection is arranged in three series: Series I: Note Cards, Series II: Subject Files, and Series III: Audiovisual Materials. Series I is devided into four subseries: Bibliography Note Cards, Subject Area Specialist Note Cards, Appalachian Oral History Project Index Note Cards, and Contact Information Note Cards. Series III is devided into three subseries: Folksong Cassettes, Black and White Photographs and Polaroids, and Color Slides.
Location
A45.20.2 through A45.23.2; E3.2; Cold Storage
Acquisitions Information
Carl A. Ross donated six tapes of Delmas Parker's interviews for his book, "The Development of Black Education in Ashe County" in 1975. Clarinda Ross Gress, daughter of Charlotte Ross, donated photographs, correspondence, and programs for this collection in August 2010. This collection was opened to the public in December, 2005.
Processing Information
Processed by Rachel Critzer, December 2005, March 2007; Encoded by Kathryn Staley, Rachel Critzer; December 2005, March 2007; Reprocessed by David Funderburk, February 2013. This collection was reprocessed as part of a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The grant funded extensive processing of the backlog within the W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection between 2012 and 2014.
- Title
- AC.271: Charlotte Ross Papers, undated
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Processed by: Rachel "Critter" Crtizer; machine-readable finding aid created by: Kathryn Staley; Rachel "Critter" Crtizer
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center Repository
