Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Cabinet Card, circa 1900: Labor, Class, and Railroad Building in East Tennessee
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This paper is an artifact analysis of a photograph located in the Archives of Appalachia on East Tennessee State University’s campus. The photo is a snapshot of an important moment in history, providing a cross-section of labor and class divisions, illustrating the incursion of the railroad into the mountains, and documenting some of the history of resource extraction in the region. This photo stood out from the rest of the collection because it appears to be very old and, although there is no information about the photo in the archives, there is a partial list of names attached to it. Information from the Getty Conservation Institute and historical documents provided enough background information to date the photo based on photographic technology and the men’s clothing styles. Archival documents from the CC&O offices during the 1920s provided contextual information that may help identify the men. The purpose of this research is to place this photograph in an historical context by learning as much as possible about the people who were involved in building and working on the railroad at a time when major changes were occurring in the culture and economy of East Tennessee, illustrating the social and economic shifts that were occurring nationally during the period of rapid industrialization in the early twentieth century. This photo represents an important moment in history for East Tennessee, the larger Appalachian region, and the nation as a whole.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Rebecca Proffitt is a Master of Arts candidate in Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University. Building her third career as a folklorist, Rebecca is an artist and classically trained musician, and was formerly a teacher and an Arts Integration Specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools, where she earned the Mayor’s Award for Performance Art Teaching.
Cabinet Card, circa 1900: Labor, Class, and Railroad Building in East Tennessee
This paper is an artifact analysis of a photograph located in the Archives of Appalachia on East Tennessee State University’s campus. The photo is a snapshot of an important moment in history, providing a cross-section of labor and class divisions, illustrating the incursion of the railroad into the mountains, and documenting some of the history of resource extraction in the region. This photo stood out from the rest of the collection because it appears to be very old and, although there is no information about the photo in the archives, there is a partial list of names attached to it. Information from the Getty Conservation Institute and historical documents provided enough background information to date the photo based on photographic technology and the men’s clothing styles. Archival documents from the CC&O offices during the 1920s provided contextual information that may help identify the men. The purpose of this research is to place this photograph in an historical context by learning as much as possible about the people who were involved in building and working on the railroad at a time when major changes were occurring in the culture and economy of East Tennessee, illustrating the social and economic shifts that were occurring nationally during the period of rapid industrialization in the early twentieth century. This photo represents an important moment in history for East Tennessee, the larger Appalachian region, and the nation as a whole.
