Exhibits Archives - The Birthplace of Country Music

Toe-Tappin’ Terminology for Boot-Scootin’ History

Exhibits History

September 13, 2025

Posted on September 13, 2025September 11, 2025 by Guest Blogger

Lisa Sorrell is an award-winning master bootmaker and fine artist whose canvas is the cowboy boot. Based in Oklahoma, her works are inspired by the art of the cowboy boot and its heritage and tradition, and distinguished by intricate leather inlay, overlay, and topstitching.

This fall, the museum will host a cowboy boot exhibition featuring my work entitled Boot Scootin‘ History: The Craft and Stories of Cowboy Boots. In advance of the exhibit, let’s learn some cowboy boot-making terminology!

We’ll start with one of the most important phrases: BOOT TOPS. The upper part of a boot, where most of the decorative work happens, is the boot top. Each boot has one front panel and one back panel; together, they form the boot top. The boot tops are not called the Shaft.

The original embellishment to grace the tops of cowboy boots, the least expensive and the most common, is DECORATIVE STITCHING. The stitching can range from one single row to around ten rows. In my shop, the rows of stitching are done one row at a time on a single-needle, uncomputerized sewing machine. The machine that I personally use is a Singer from the 1940s. In this example, you can see ten rows of stitching, done on my old Singer.

The first design technique that includes additional pieces and colors of leather, in addition to stitching, is INLAY. If you cut out a hole, such as a star, a flower, or a butterfly, and you put a different color of leather behind that hole, that’s inlay. It wasn’t long before cowboy boots sprouted colorful inlaid flowers and butterflies. It’s important to note that flowers and butterflies are traditional themes for cowboy boot tops. They were not considered feminine; they were simply common and accepted boot designs.

OVERLAY is an alternate way to add different colors of leather to a design. Inlay involves cutting a hole into a piece of leather and laying another piece of leather behind; overlay is cutting a shape and laying it on top. Once you master stitching, inlay, and overlay, they can be combined to create incredibly intricate designs.

Since cowboy boots are pull-on boots, with no laces or buckles to adjust the fit once they’re on, there is resistance for the proper fit when pulling them on, so the heel doesn’t slide around once it’s inside the boot. You need something to grab as you’re pulling on your boots, and those are called PULLS or EARS.

A cowboy boot sole is PEGGED with small wood pegs. Have you ever heard the saying “A square peg in a round hole?” Perhaps you thought that referred to someone who’s out of place, but really, it’s a good thing. The awl that punches the hole is round, but the wood pegs are square and larger than the awl. When you drive a square peg into the slightly smaller round hole, the tension created holds them tightly.

In closing, let’s talk more about that high cowboy boot heel. Jay Griffith, my first boot-making mentor, was born in Texas around 1920, and he made his first pair of boots at age 13. He worked in multiple boot shops over the course of his career, for and with some of the original architects of the cowboy boot. In other words, he was closely

connected to the origin of cowboy boots. I remember one day when a would-be customer came into the shop and unwisely began explaining to Jay the function of the high heel on a cowboy boot. Jay didn’t suffer fools gladly. I can clearly recall him practically chasing the guy out of the shop while yelling, “The purpose of a high heel is to look purty! And that’s spelled P – U – R – T – Y — PURTY!”

The Special Exhibit, Boot Scootin‘ History: The Craft and Stories of Cowboy Boots, will be on display at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum from October 14, 2025 – April 6, 2026.

Medieval to Metal: A Look at the William King Museum of Art’s latest exhibit

Exhibits History Instruments

July 12, 2025

Posted on July 12, 2025July 21, 2025 by Guest Blogger

Anna Buchanan is the Head Curator at the William King Museum of Art located in Abingdon, Virginia. Buchanan is a graduate from Clemson University where she received her MFA with a concentration in drawing.

The exhibit “Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the GUITAR” is a touring exhibition by the National Guitar Museum. Copyright: The National Guitar Museum (NGM).

The William King Museum of Art (WKMA) is no stranger to the age-old question: What is art? It’s a question that art historians still grapple with today. At WKMA, we believe that museums have a responsibility to push the boundaries of that question in order to broaden our understanding of creativity and foster empathic connections across cultures and communities. One of my favorite quotes comes from Yolngu Aboriginal Australian artist Wandjuk Marika:

“There is no distinction between art and life.”

The Fralin Museum and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum reflected on this quote, noting how it challenges the distinctions often made in Western culture between “fine art” and “craft,” or “design” and “decoration.” As museums, I think that it’s important to recognize the traits and histories of each creative category, but question the hierarchy that is so often a part of the visual arts.

A Fender Telecaster, with Lake placid Blue furniture. — Fender Telecaster, Lake Placid Blue, Copyright: National Guitar Museum (NGM)

WKMA invites visitors to reconsider their definition of art through our current exhibition, “Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar,” on view from May 15 to August 17. This vibrant traveling exhibition–developed by the National Guitar Museum (NGM)–showcases 40 instruments that tell the story of the guitar’s artistic transformation over centuries. Spanning from medieval lutes to modern electric guitars, the exhibition highlights how creative engineering has driven the instrument’s evolution. Whether you’re a lifelong music fan or new to the guitar’s history, the diversity of designs and materials sparks curiosity.

Visitors will recognize some famous names–like Fender, one of the most iconic brands in music. Clarence Leonidas “Leo” Fender (1909-1991) was an American inventor and founder of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Based in Fullerton, California, Fender opened a repair shop in the 1940s that became a hub for local musicians. Local bands brought him music equipment and acoustic guitars for repair. Hearing all the complaints from the musicians about their instruments, Fender set out to create a guitar like no other. The result was the “Telecaster,” named in homage to the growing popularity of television.

Fender’s repair shop flourished in the 1950s and 60s, particularly in the SoCal hot rodding scene that erupted after WWII. Fender knew his clientele and his designs often drew inspiration from car culture, featuring chrome accents and bold colors like Fiesta Red and Lake Placid Blue–the same hues found on 1950s Cadillacs. Fender even partnered with auto paint manufacturers like DuPont. Ironically, despite revolutionizing the instrument, Leo Fender never learned to play or tune a guitar himself.

An artwork by the French Baroque painter Laurent de La Hyre. It depicts a woman in Greco-Roman clothing, tuning a theorbo, a 6-foot long instrument with 13 strings. On her chair, over her left shoulder is a small bird observing her tuning. Next to her is a table with various instruments including a lute, two flutes, and a violin, as well as sheet music. On the wall behind her is a pipe organ. — Allegory of Music by Laurent de la Hyre, 1649. Public domain image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A lesser known instrument that is sure to pique everyone’s interest is the theorbo. The theorbo is a larger than life Renaissance instrument that evolved from the lute. Often six feet long with up to 30 strings, the theorbo was developed to accompany the deep voices of male opera singers in Italy. Featuring a second, extended neck without frets and bass strings, it produced a rich, resonant sound that filled concert halls. Players strummed the upper strings while plucking melodies on the lower neck, creating music that was as visually dramatic as it was ethereal. Though it fell out of favor in the 18th century, the theorbo remains a powerful reminder of how function and artistry can intertwine.

So, what is art? Art can be a way of communication. Art is often used as a tool for the distribution of ideas and the guitar is no different. The guitar is a creative tool used to disseminate messages, thoughts, and even protests just as the visual arts have done for millennia. Alex Nygers, Director and CEO of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts notes that, “…the guitar holds not only an evergreen presence as a source of entertainment, but becomes a vehicle for these connections to our histories and our communities–-a way to share stories, express emotion, respond to politics…” At WKMA, we see the guitar as more than just an instrument–it’s a work of art, and by exploring its evolution, we hope visitors leave with a broader appreciation for how creativity shapes the world around us. In questioning the boundaries of “what counts” as art, we aim to open the door to deeper engagement, inclusivity, and inspiration.

Additional Links/Resources:

www.nationalguitarmuseum.com

International Guitar Month Part 2: Jimmie Rodgers’ Oscar Schmidt Guitar

Collections Exhibits Instruments

April 9, 2024

Posted on April 9, 2024March 28, 2024 by Guest Blogger

By Ed Hagen, volunteer gallery assistant and guest blogger at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia celebrates Bristol’s rich musical heritage surrounding the 1927 Bristol Sessions, a series of recordings that launched the careers of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. With April being “International Guitar Month”, this two part blog post will take a deep dive into the guitars of these famous musicians and stories surrounding these instruments.

Jimmie Rodgers’ Oscar Schmidt Guitar

*The three “Jimmie Rodgers guitars” at the BCMM: Martin 2-17, Oscar Schmidt, and Blue Yodel.*

Jimmie Rodgers was the biggest solo star to emerge from the 1927 Bristol sessions. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is proud to exhibit the three “Jimmie Rodgers” guitars pictured above. The most famous guitar by far is the one on the right, the “Blue Yodel” 1928 Martin 000-45 (read a previous blog post about this guitar here). The guitar on the left, a Martin 2-17 parlor guitar, was not owned by Rodgers but closely resembles the guitar Rodgers played at the Bristol sessions (the actual Bristol Sessions guitar is in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville). The one in the middle, an Oscar Schmidt model with fancy “tree of life” inlay on the fingerboard, is one of Rodgers’ guitars (it has his signature). It is no doubt the guitar with the best stories.

The original Oscar Schmidt company, founded in 1871, sold guitars at prices most people could afford. By the 1920s it was manufacturing 150 different instruments at five different manufacturing plants under its own and a number of other brand names (notably the Stella brand; Maybelle Carter played a Stella at the Bristol sessions). Rodgers’ Oscar Schmidt was a fancy one, likely purchased in 1928 after his career started to take off.

In February 1929 Jimmie Rodgers, headlining a tent show touring the South, played his hometown, Meridian, Mississippi. A 17-year-old Western Union messenger boy named Bill Bruner was in the audience. Bruner was a Jimmie Rodgers fanatic who bought all of Rodgers’ records when they came out. He would spend hours learning the songs note by note and copying Rodgers’ guitar and vocal style, and sometimes played them at a local café.

Rodgers suffered from the tuberculosis that would take his life just four short years later. There were good days and bad days, and this was one of the bad days. He collapsed in his dressing room and the owner of the show would have to tell an unhappy crowd that Rodgers was ill and could not perform.

But here is where things get interesting. It turns out that a tent show clown had heard Bruner play at the café, knew that he was in the audience, and told the show owner that the kid was pretty good. Much to Bruner’s (and his date’s) astonishment, Bruner was escorted backstage and given cab fare to go home and retrieve his guitar.

So after the audience was told about Rodgers being too sick to play, the show owner told them that “we have another Meridian boy who is also a fine entertainer. He sings and plays in Jimmie’s style, and we think he deserves a chance to show what he can do.” The crowd was restive. Then he told the crowd that anybody who wanted to could have their money back if they were dissatisfied after hearing “Bill Bruner, the Yodeling Messenger Boy.” This settled things down a bit.

You can guess the rest. Bruner gave a sensational performance, was called back for six encores, and nobody asked for a refund. The following evening he was invited to Rodgers’ dressing room, where Rodgers gave him $10, decent money in those days. Bruner started to leave but was summoned back, and Rodgers gave Bruner the autographed Oscar Schmidt guitar.

*Bill Bruner with Jimmie Rodgers Oscar Schmidt guitar, ca 1953.*

Bruner went on to have a minor vaudeville career and made a couple of records with his prized Jimmie Rodgers guitar. In 1953 Meridian put on a Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Day Gala. The concert featured performances by Country and Western stars Roy Acuff, the Carter Family, Lew Childre, Cowboy Copas, Jimmy Dickens, Jimmie Davis, Tommy Duncan, Lefty Frizzell, Bill Monroe, George Morgan, Moon Mullican, Minnie Pearl, Webb Pierce, Marty Robbins, Jimmie Skinner, Carl Smith, Hank Snow, and Charlie Walker. It was the final performance for the original Carter Family (A.P., Sara, and Maybelle).

Bruner appeared as well, playing the Jimmie Rodgers guitar. Caught up in the excitement of the event, Bruner presented the guitar to another 17-year-old singer, Jimmie Rodgers Snow, the son of country western star Hank Snow, “because I felt like that was what Jimmie would have wanted me to do.”

Jimmie Rodgers Snow went on to have a career as a country western star in the 1950s, palling around with folks like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, but gave it up in 1958 to study for the ministry. For many years he preached at the Evangel Temple in Nashville, often referred to as “The Church Of The Country Music Stars” (below is a short YouTube clip of Snow preaching about the connection between rock and roll and juvenile delinquency).

During all of this, the Oscar Schmidt guitar was displayed in the Snow home, nailed to a wall. Years later it was taken down, leaving an outline of the guitar on the painted wall.

The next time you stop by the Museum, take a close look through the sound hole at the back of the Oscar Schmidt. You will see a small shaft of light. The nail hole is still there!

This account was largely taken from Nolan Porterfield’s 1970s interview with Bill Bruner, recounted in Chapter 10 of Porterfield’s book, Jimmie Rodgers: The Life and Times of America’s Blue Yodeler.

Letterpress and The Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music

Education Exhibits History Museum

March 6, 2024

Posted on March 6, 2024March 7, 2024 by Guest Blogger

by David Winship, Guest Blogger

Getting the word out takes on a special significance when one talks about the method that the visual word is produced. Many have heard of the history of printing, that Gutenberg produced the first movable type in Europe. Some know that over the following five hundred years, printers used a variety of technologies, from monotype to linotype and letterpress to offset printing to our modern digital processes. Yet few recognize the threads that run through the centuries of printing that are reflected in the current exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum entitled, “A Cardboard History of Blue Ridge Music.”

A scene inside of a letterpress print shop. Posters are hung in a line against a brick wall. Wooden letters and type face are on a shelf under the posters. A black hand press and box full of type is on the table under the shelf. — *A variety of posters which have come from the Sign of the George Press at King University, Bristol, TN.*

A large black printing press inside of the print shop, a brick wall is surrounding the space. — *The Chandler and Price press, workhorse of the Sign of the George Press.*

These posters that anchor the exhibit were produced with handset and letterpress printed type, some from small local print shops and some from more established print shops, such as Hatch Show Print in Nashville. The posters used primarily wooden type, which could be up to 5” in height to grab your attention. Some of the smaller type up to 1” were metal. Both types would have been arranged and fastened together to be printed on presses that had their origins in the early days of printing, both presses that were flat bed operated manually and presses that were motorized.

In the early days of country music, hand bills that could be put up in stores and stations advertised the location of music shows. The posters of this collection are primarily from the 40s through the 70s and advertised concerts and small festivals. They were printed on thick cardboard, were cheap and easy to produce, and were expected only to last from the time of posting to the time of the show and then thrown away. The fact that many have survived is a tribute to both the stability of the printed form and the diligence of those who recognized their historical importance.

Letterpress printing is a trade that has gone out of favor with the coming of more modern techniques, but has reemerged as a craft in the art field. When many of the old shops closed or were converted, often the type was scrapped, the presses were sold for their weight in cast iron, and the typecases ended up as showcases for knick-knacks. For those materials and equipment that survived, the current recognition of hand-crafted art will prolong the legacy of the printing trade.

Letterpress refers to both the type of medium which is being printed, as well as the technique and presses which are used for printing. In this context, the letters are individual or monotype. This means that each letter has to be uniquely selected and arranged to form the words. These lines of type are then firmly locked into a frame, which is then printed on a press.

A closeup of a right hand is holding metal typeface letters. — *Composing a body of type before printing.*

Pictures that accompany the text can be made mechanically or by hand, cut from wood, linoleum or engraved. When the copy is set and prepared, ink is applied by rollers, either by hand or mechanically on the larger presses. Unique to this process is that the letters are created and set in reverse, essentially backward, so that when the impression is made it comes out right side up and readable.

Locally in Bristol at King University, the Sign of the George Press has had a resurgence with the support of the Digital Media Art and Design Department. The Press was started by Dr. George P. “Pat” Winship in the late 60s as a way to show his English students the methods that authors like William Shakespeare had to manage to get their literary works into print. Dr. Winship had a small press when he was growing up as the son of a rare books librarian and he continued the press by accumulating type and presses from the printshops that were going out of or away from the letterpress business as they modernized. The press at King is operated by Winship’s son David, a retired public-school educator who grew up with the press.

Four people are standing around a vintage printing press, looking at the press as one man operates it. — *Lee Jones, left, and Joe Strickland, right, at the press with students. Both are professors with the DMAD (Digital Media Art and Design) Department at King University.*

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will offer a hands-on workshop at the Museum on March 16, which will allow participants the opportunity to learn about letterpress printing, produce a poster of their own, and to tour the exhibit. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour the Sign of the George Press on King University campus to get a close up look at the printing process.