Mary Johnson Blackburn Poetry Book, after 1924

File — Box: 4265.003, Case: 1

Scope and Contents

This file contains a 134-page looseleaf volume of typed works by Georgia folklorist and poet Mary Johnson Blackburn called How Fairies Are Made and Other Verse for the Youngest to the Oldest. The book includes 117 poems that are primarily about childhood, as well as numerous hand-drawn illustrations by Blackburn. The first page of the looseleaf volume contains an address label that reads: "Mary Johnson Blackburn (Mrs. Robt.) 972 Virginia Ave. N.E. Atlanta, Georgia." There are also several newspaper clippings pertaining to Blackburn and her activities interspersed throughout the book, including an undated review of her 1924 book Folk Lore from Mammy Days.

Dates

Creation: after 1924

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Access to portions of this collection has been restricted by Archives and Special Collections in order to preserve the original materials. Contact University Libraries Special Collections at archives@ua.edu or 205.348.0500 for information on access to the restricted portions of this collection.

The rest of the collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.

Biographical / Historical

Mary Johnson Blackburn was a late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century Georgia folklorist and poet. According to an online site containing Daughters of the American Revolution information (http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/pike/history/dar.txt, accessed on 5 December 2006), she was born in Bronwood, Georgia, the daughter of Elam and Permelia Ravens Johnson, and she married Robert B. Blackburn. In 1924 she published a book of African American folklore (though she was Caucasian) titled Folk Lore from Mammy Days (Boston: Walter H. Baker Co.).

Extent

From the Collection: 3.8 Linear Feet

Additional Description

Related Materials

The University of Georgia manuscripts library holds a small collection of Blackburn’s papers. See MS 2136, http://fax.libs.uga.edu/hmans/1f/hargrett_manuscripts_Bh.pdf