Doris Ulmann Series

Based on photographs of Appalachian women working with fibers: weaving, spinning, making baskets, stitching., caning, etc. The original glass negatives and photographs are housed in the Berea College Art Collection in Kentucky.

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During the 1920s and 30s Doris Ulmann (1882-1934) travelled from New York City to the Appalachian regions of North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina, making a photographic record of the people who lived lifestyles that she believed were disappearing. She took thousands of photographs. Her interest in documenting the people of the Southern Highlands stemmed from her belief in the worth of all people without regard for their socioeconomic background. She did not view her work as a commentary on social status, but rather as a record of a way of life that was being lost. 

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Supported by: United Arts Council of Raleigh & Wake County, NCSU College of Art & Design, The Oriole Mill, North Carolina State University, Cotton Incorporated