The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com.
This is the third installment in a five-part interview; in this part Lynda Stafford shares her knowledge of tatting, a method of handcrafting durable lace. Stafford begins by explaining that her grandmother taught her tatting four years ago and that it makes a great pastime when vacationing, due to its portability. She says that she prefers linear stitch patterns over circular ones. At 2:38 she recalls her friends father, a victim of mustard gas in World War I who used tatting to relieve his anxiety. Next, Stafford names a store in Shelby, North Carolina, called Lily Mills, which sells a wide assortment of thread colors. At 4:30, she remembers Mrs. Smith, a woman who she met on the bus and exchanged pattern samples with, as well as a book that taught her how to tat using two shuttles. Stafford then shares her experience teaching others to tat, and claims that crocheting is easier to pick-up than tatting. Next at 9:23, she details her methods for fastening tatting to a garment, a current sewing project, and her preference for the thread color ecru. At 11:11, she explains that she prefers to tat when conversing or riding the bus, and that she has never used more than one thread color at once. After a brief silence, at 12:27, the interview concludes with Stafford reminiscing about the weekend when she learned to tat.
Katie L. Hooks (1884-?) was born in an unknown city in Georgia; by 1950, she had relocated to Atlanta, where she lived with her husband Lucis H. Hooks. Lydia Stafford (1945-?) was born in an unknown city in Georgia. By 1950, she lived in Laurens, Georgia, with her parents Alfred L. Stafford and Louise Stafford. Lily D. Smith (1895-?) was born in Norman, North Carolina, and lived in Richmond by 1935. She married Wiley Smith, with whom she had five children: Franklin, Nellie, Lily May, Roberta, and Nell. Rebecca Becky Y. Plunkett (1951-2001) was born to William Hugh Young (1918-1982) and Alma Lucille Young (1918-2009) in Birmingham, Alabama. She married Daniel Plunkett (1950- ) and had three children. Plunkett graduated from Georgia State University. Additional biographical information has not been determined.
No transcript exists for this recording.
Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions.
As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.