Overview
| Title: | Ola Belle Reed collection |
| Call Number: | Coll122 |
| Creator: | Reed, Ola Belle, 1916-2002 |
| Dates: | 1888-1988 |
| Size: | 24 boxes (24 linear feet) |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The collection consists of audio, visual, and printed materials documenting the Appalachian migration to Maryland (1930s-1960s) and the career and family of musician Ola Belle Reed. The collection includes Reed’s autoharp, personal affects and clothing, as well as recorded sound, photographs, and material collected by Reed. |
| Citation: | Ola Belle Reed collection, Maryland Traditions Archives, Collection 122, Special Collections, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD) |
Administrative/Biographical Note
Ola Belle Reed (nee Campbell) (1916-2002) was a singer, songwriter and musician from Lansing, North Carolina. During the Great Depression, she moved with her family to Northeastern Maryland, where she lived until her death in 2002.
Reed’s grandfather Alexander Campbell was a Primitive Baptist preacher and fiddle player and her father played fiddle, banjo, guitar, and organ and formed a string band with his brother and sister Ellen. An uncle, Herb Osborne, sang mining songs from the coalfields of West Virginia. Her grandmother and mother sang ballads and topical songs in the Appalachian tradition. As a member of the North Carolina Ridge Runners with her brother Alex, Reed played oldtime banjo and sang for the Appalachian migrant audience in the Maryland-Delaware- Pennsylvania area.
From 1949-1960, local radio station WASA delivered a broadcast of “Campbell’s Corner,” a live broadcast from Campbell’s Corner – a general store located in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which was operated by Alex Campbell and Ola Belle (Campbell) Reed. The back of the store had a stage on which live music was played (typically bluegrass, including Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, and others) and a small number of seats for a live audience. Alex and Ola Belle and the New River Boys were the musical hosts and emcees of the program, which expanded from a 30 minute broadcast to a 3 hour broadcast between 1949-1960. Beginning in 1960, the “Campbell’s Corner” show was broadcast on WCOJ in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, before being picked up by WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia. In addition to performing and broadcasting, the family opened a country music park called the New River Ranch near Rising Sun, MD.
Through the years, Reed wrote a number of songs about her Appalachian past and her commitment to family traditions, religious values, and social justice. In 1978, the University of Maryland awarded her an honorary doctorate of letters for her contributions to the arts and culture of Maryland and the United States.
Scope & Content
Arrangement
Organized into two series: Series I. Manuscript materials, files, and personal correspondence, 1888-1988. Series II. Ephemera, circa 1950-1980.
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Series I. Manuscript materials, files, and personal correspondence
- Promotional Materials
- Personal documents and correspondence
- Media and Materials
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Series II: Ephemera
- Textiles
- Musical instruments
Note
Materials from the Ostend Street office consist of digitized copies and related printed material from selected audio tapes at the National Council for the Traditional Arts. Materials from the NCTA consist of other audio tapes. Materials at the Maryland State Archives include personal ephemera (musical instruments, stage outfits, crafts, letters, photo albums, etc.) donated by Ola Belle Reed to MSAC for use in museum exhibitions related to Maryland folklife.
Provenance Information
Provenance and Acquisition Information
Collection donated to the Maryland Folklife Program by Jason David Pate in the 1980s. The collection was donated by the Maryland State Arts Council in 2014 in three accessions: the first on January 14, 2014 from the NCTA; the second on March 5, 2014 from the Arts Council’s Ostend St. office; and the third in 2014 from the Maryland State Archives. Accessions: MSS 2013-06, MSS 2014-02, MSS 2014-08.
Related Collections
Ola Belle Reed duplication project, AFC 1970/020, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
Jason T. Pate Recording of Alex Campbell and Ola Belle Reed, AFC 1971/049, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
Henry Glassie collection of Ola Belle Reed and family recordings, AFC 1976/043, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
1977 Neptune Plaza Concert Series collection, AFC 1977/003, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
Henry Glassie duplication project, AFC 1979/085, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
1977 Inaugural folk dance and concert collection, AFC 1980/039, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
Mike Seeger collection, AFC 1995/004, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).
Processing Note
Processed primarily by Nichole Procopenko in 2015, with assistance from Yuri Zietz. Collection processing included reuniting a previously dispersed collection of materials that originated with the Reed family. Materials from the Maryland State Arts Council office consist of digitized copies and related printed material from selected audio tapes at the National Council for the Traditional Arts. Materials from the NCTA consist of other audio tapes. Materials at the Maryland State Archives include personal ephemera (musical instruments, stage outfits, crafts, letters, photo albums, etc.) donated by Ola Belle Reed to MSAC for use in museum exhibitions related to Maryland folklife.
Descriptive Rules Used
Describing Archives: a Content Standard (DACS)
Archives Processing Manual: Description (2015)
Access & Use
Finding Aids
Finding aid available.
Finding Aid: /specialcollections/finding-aids/coll122/
Access Conditions
No restrictions.
Conditions Governing Reproductions and Use
Reproductions allowed for research purposes. Copyright maintained by the creator.
Subject Headings
Creators
Reed, Ola Belle, 1916-2002
Pate, Jason Thomas
Subjects
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass musicians
Folk music — Appalachian Region, Southern
Folk musicians
Folk songs, English — Appalachian Region, Southern
Reed, Ola Belle, 1916-2002 — Archives
Series Description & Container List
Series I. Manuscript materials, files, and personal correspondence
This series collects files, handwritten notes, promotional materials, correspondence, and miscellaneous paper holdings from Ola Belle Reed. Series arranged by type of material.
Subseries I.A: Promotional Materials
This subseries collects posters and fliers, music programs, and other materials related to Ola Belle Reed’s professional career.
| Folder Title/Description | Date | Box # | Folder # | Additional Info. |
| Recognitions | 1982-1984 | 1 | 1 | |
| Correspondence from binder | 1935-1976 | 1 | 2 | |
| No Year (fliers + program materials) | undated | 1 | 3 | |
| 1970 – PA Civic Center programs | 1970 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1971 – PA Civic Center program materials | 1971 | 1 | 5 | |
| 1973 – Nat’l Folk Festival Assn. program | 1973 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1974 – various program materials | 1974 | 1 | 7 | |
| 1975 – ticket stub | 1975 | 1 | 8 | |
| 1977 – program materials | 1977 | 1 | 9 | |
| 1978 – fliers and program materials | 1978 | 1 | 10 | |
| 1979 – Delaware Bluegrass program | 1979 | 1 | 11 | |
| 1981 – fliers | 1981 | 1 | 12 | |
| 1982 – program materials | 1982 | 1 | 13 | |
| 1983 – fliers and program materials | 1983 | 1 | 14 | |
| 1988 – fliers | 1988 | 1 | 15 | |
| SAVES | undated | 1 | 16 | |
| newsletters/mailers/Ola Belle/J. Pate | ca. 1969-1971 | 1 | 17 | |
| newsletters/mailers/Ola Belle/J. Pate | ca. 1968-1975 | 1 | 18 | |
| Ola Belle photographs + ephemera | 1969-1972 | 1 | 19 | |
| MFPR C. Camp posters + ephemera | ca. 1970-1974 | 1 | 20 | |
| MFPR C. Camp posters + ephemera | undated | 1 | 21 | |
| concert fliers – Ola Belle or Jason Pate | ca. 1976-1978 | 1 | 22 | |
| [fliers and program materials] | ca. 1970-1974 | 1 | 23 | |
| [fliers and correspondence] | undated | 1 | 24 | |
| oversized fliers | 1968-1972 | 2 | 1 | |
| fliers and ephemera – Charley Camp | ca. 1971-1974 | 3 | 1 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1967-1975 | 4 | 1 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1975-1977 | 4 | 2 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1978-1980 | 4 | 3 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1982-1983 | 4 | 4 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1906-1962 | 5 | 1 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1963-1967 | 5 | 2 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1976-1978 | 5 | 3 | |
| music publications, songbooks, and programs | 1979-1982 | 5 | 4 | |
| press clippings + music publications | ca. 1965-1980 | 6 | 1 | |
| personal ephemera + framed photographs | ca. 1976-1977 | 7 | 1 | |
| Personal correspondence – Candlewood Elementary | 1977 | 8 | 1 | |
| news clippings: Ola Belle | ca. 1970-1983 | 9 | 1 | |
| Havre de Grace scrap book | 1951-1953 | 10 | ||
| concert fliers, Winter Folk Festival + Carousel Concerts | ca. 1971 | 11 | 1 |
Subseries I.B: personal documents and correspondence
This subseries collects files and correspondence from Ola Belle Reed’s personal collection.
| Folder Title/Description | Date | Box # | Folder # | Additional Info. |
| Correspondence, Agnes Thomas poetry | undated | 12 | 1 | |
| Travel Ephemera, brochures | undated | 12 | 2 | |
| Personal Correspondence – Glassie, Henry, 1 of 2 | 1966-1969 | 12 | 3 | |
| Personal Correspondence – Glassie, Henry | 1966-1969 | 12 | 4 | |
| Correspondence , accounts | 1977-1984 | 12 | 5 | |
| Business Correspondence | 1971-1982 | 12 | 6 | |
| Personal correspondence | 1975-1983 | 12 | 7 | |
| Personal Correspondence – N. Carolina Folklife Programs | 1980 | 12 | 8 | |
| Personal Correspondence – Wake Forest Elementary | 1980 | 12 | 9 | |
| Personal Correspondence – Phelps Luck Elemnetary School | 1980 | 12 | 10 | |
| Miscellaneous | undated | 12 | 11 | |
| Correspondence | 1971-1984 | 12 | 12 | |
| Ralph Reed – High School Reunion | undated | 12 | 13 | |
| Reed Family Songbook | 1974 | 12 | 14 | |
| Jerry Campbell | 1975 | 12 | 15 | |
| Misc. – Financial/ Business | 1975-1979 | 12 | 16 | |
| Stamp Saver Booklet | undated | 12 | 17 | |
| Correspondence, photocopies, To Lie down in Peace | 1980-1982 | 12 | 18 | |
| concert fliers, receipts, personal ephemera | ca. 1974-1983 | 13 | 1 | |
| personal calendars (with notes) | 1966-1984 | 14 | 1 | |
| vintage catalogs | 1904-1908 | 14 | 2 |
Subseries I.C: Media and Materials
Collected in this subseries are audiovisual materials from Ola Belle Reed’s personal collection, including family photographs and memoribilia from her career in music.
| Folder Title/Description | Date | Box # | Folder # | Additional Info. |
| Osborne family photo | undated | 15 | 1 | |
| Photographs – Reed family | 1939-1975 | 15 | 2 | |
| Photographs and postcards, Ola Belle and family | ca. 1938-1975 | 15 | 3 | |
| Photographs, postcards, slides | 1933-1975 | 15 | 4 | |
| Photographs ABC | undated | 15 | 5 | |
| Photographs D-Q | undated | 15 | 6 | |
| Photographs RST | undated | 15 | 7 | |
| Photographs XYZ | undated | 15 | 8 | |
| From Packet of loose images – photographs, pencil drawings, and postcards | ca. 1920-1980 | 15 | 9 | |
| Green Binder photos | ca. 1936-1970 | 15 | 10 | |
| The Campbell family | undated | 15 | 11 | |
| James Dennis Wallace, Carter family | undated | 15 | 12 | |
| Ola Belle Reed and unidentified | undated | 15 | 13 | |
| Ola Belle Reed photographs, album | undated | 15 | 14 | |
| Ola Belle Reed photographs, album (scanned | undated | 15 | 15 | |
| Umatic vidocassette | undated | |||
| vinyl LP and 78 RPM disc, Alex Campbell/New River Boys + Ola Belle | undated | 13 | 2 | |
| collection of hymnals and songbooks | 1888-1929 | 16 | 1 |
Series II: Ephemera
This series collects musical instruments from Ola Belle Reed’s personal collection as well as textiles made by Ola Belle herself. Dates are rough estimates as nearly all of the items in this series are undated.
Subseries II.A: textiles
Textiles made by Ola Belle Reed. These items are undated, and inclusive dates are a best estimate.
| Folder Title/Description | Date | Box # | Folder # | Additional Info. |
| Needlepoint | undated | 17 | ||
| Various textiles | undated | 18 | ||
| Hat and clothing | undated | 19 | ||
| Cushion/textile | undated | 20 | ||
| textiles | undated | 21 |
Subseries II.B: musical instruments
Musical instruments from Ola Belle’s personal collection. Exact dates are unavailable for either instruments’ manufacture or when Ms. Reed came to possess them.
| Folder Title/Description | Date | Box # | Folder # | Additional Info. |
| Toy banjo | undated | 22 | ||
| Five harmonicas belonging to Ola Belle | undated | 23 | ||
| Autoharp with note | undated | 24 |