From March 16 to July 6, the National Archives will display a new exhibit entitled “Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey.” It features more than 200 photographs taken by documentary photographer Russell Lee.
Coal mining has long served a place of importance in Appalachian history. But a new exhibit in Washington, D.C. will help the region’s industrial past reach a wider audience later this week.
From March 16 to July 6, the National Archives will display a new exhibit entitled “Power & Light: Russell Lee’s Coal Survey.” It features more than 200 photographs taken by documentary photographer Russell Lee.
In 1946, Lee conducted a survey across 13 U.S. states, documenting the inner workings of the coal industry and its impact on miners and their families.
Alongside his wife Jean, Lee captioned the collection of works slated for display. His survey followed a series of strikes from coal miners that had originally been met with national skepticism, according to the National Archives website.
The exhibit spans 3,000 square feet of the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery. It also features a handwritten note from President Harry Truman on the strikes, and several other primary sources.
The exhibit is free and open to members of the public.
A photography project called “America’s Coal Miners” was recently donated to the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History. The project includes life-size images of West Virginia coal miners in high quality photographs.
Photographer Thorney Lieberman has kept some of the images of coal miners in his own home in Charleston since 2007. Some hang on Lieberman’s walls and others even hang from the ceiling and among his coat rack.
Jessica Lilly
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Several life size photos hang in photographer Thorney Lieberman’s home in Charleston.
In 2007, two photographs won awards from the West Virginia Division of Arts Culture and History. The only image of a female coal miner in the project won a Merit Award. The subject of that image was Anita Cecil-McBride.
Lieberman says he’ll never forget the first time he met Cecil-McBride at a church in Boone County.
“She jumped out of her car and she was driving like a tiny little Geo Metro,” Thorney said, “ and across the windshield in huge letters, it said ‘COAL DIGGER.’ She jumped out in her mining clothes, filthy. And I was so stunned. I didn’t take a picture but it’s burned in my memory of her jumping out of this coal digger car, and ‘here I am!’”
Lieberman photographed Anita in those mining clothes for a black and white photo, put together with mosaic images.
Six pieces of Lieberman’s coal miner series are already on display for the public in Moundsville at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex.
While he can’t know how every person has reacted to the images, he’s aware of a certain group.
“Especially West Virginians,” he said. “Very proud to have seen them. It makes them proud to be West Virginians. It makes them proud of their culture.”
Jessica Lilly
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Thorney Lieberman has kept some photographs in his home in Charleston, WV. John Freeman was one of the first miners he photographed.
The photographs are life-size portraits from the tops of the miner’s helmets to the tips of their boots. Most of the portraits are shot in black and white and mounted on steel sheets. The final pieces are almost 7-feet tall.
The project was meant to “put a human face on energy.”
The exhibit was originally sponsored by some pro-industry groups such as coal companies and Appalachian Power along with the United Mine Workers of America, and private donors like the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.
Lieberman is not from “coal country.” Even when he moved to Charleston, he didn’t have much ties to the state’s coal fields. But he’s used to being an outsider to the subjects of his portraits. He photographed Native Americans in Colorado for 15 years.
“I’m very proud,” he said. “This kind of New Yorker, you know, came into West Virginia and was able to contribute.”
Initially, he was inspired to take the photos after watching the terror of the 2006 Sago Mine Disaster unfold, shortly after moving to West Virginia. Thirteen miners were trapped for two days underground in the Sago Mine Disaster. All but one eventually died.
Jessica Lilly
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The lifesize image of Coy and Corissa Daniels hangs in photographer Thorney Liebermans’ home by his coat rack.
“The explosion at the Sago mine happened and it was big in the news,” he said. “And it shocked me into realizing that I lived in the middle of, even though I live in town and there isn’t much evidence of it, but I live in the middle of coal country. And so I sought out some subjects to photograph.”
Throughout working on the project since 2006, Lieberman learned more about the coal miners’ values and sense of self.
“They all wanted to be photographed with their kids, which is telling. These coal miners are very family-oriented,” Lieberman said with a chuckle.
Lieberman said that familial pride is evident not just in the photos but in the reactions to his exhibit that’s on display.
“The kids of these miners are just absolutely thrilled to see their dads immortalized like this,” he said. “I mean, they come to the exhibits and they stand in front of them and they’re beaming from ear to ear and they’re so proud. And and the wives and the kids really are. And the miners themselves are extremely happy that these things are being shown.”
Lieberman says 16 pieces, including most of the ones from his house, will find a permanent home at Chief Logan State Park. The exhibit will become a permanent part of the West Virginia State Museum collection.
The exhibit is expected to be picked up from Lieberman’s home in Charleston, on Aug. 23. He’s thrilled to know more people will see it — and understand a bit more about those who do this often dangerous but important job.
“My work in these portraits had really been sort of a celebration,” he said. These were sort of heroic figures. I mean, they, you know, they work very hard under terrible conditions, but they powered America.”
Photographer Arnout “Sonny” Hyde Jr. died on August 9, 2005, at age 67. The Bluefield native was best known for his work with Wonderful West Virginia magazine. His stunning images have appeared in calendars, books, and magazines, including Life, National Geographic, Readers Digest, Southern Living, and National Wildlife.
Hyde became interested in photography while attending West Virginia University. In the 1960s, he was an Army photographer for three years, with his work appearing in the Stars and Stripes service newspaper. After his Army stint, Hyde went to work for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, and then the state Department of Natural Resources. At the DNR, he worked on the magazine Outdoor West Virginia, which was renamed Wonderful West Virginia in 1970. Hyde helped transform the magazine into one of the finest outdoor publications in the nation, with a circulation in the tens of thousands. He edited Wonderful West Virginia from 1982 until his retirement in 1988, and again from 1997 until his death.
“Sonny” Hyde also published five books that coupled his brilliant imagery with his love of West Virginia nature and history.
A professional photographer from West Virginia who is an Army veteran is working on a project about female veterans from the state.
Stephanie Ferrell plans to photograph the veterans in their home environments. The Register-Herald reports the project is expected to exhibit in January.
Ferrell says she has been in contact with veterans in the past year and found that they have finished their service with the military to come home and continue battling, against disabilities and disease.
Ferrell wants female veterans to contact her via email at StephanieRFerrell@gmail.com.
Since the show began almost two years ago, A Change of Tune has highlighted some of the best up-and-coming artists out of these West Virginia hills with podcast-y chats ranging from Tyler Childers to Bud Carroll, Ona to Bishops and beyond.
But those interviews have been a bit infrequent, and since West Virginia Day was this month (and with A Change of Tune’s second birthday on the horizon), we thought we’d do something special: 30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews that range from Morgantown alt-rockers and Parkersburg singer-songwriters to West Virginia music venues and regional artist management and beyond, all of which contribute to this state’s wild and wonderful music scene.
And today, we are chatting with a West Virginia native who’s been able to capture the look and sound of #WVmusic with just a click of his camera. As Charleston-based photographer (and Mountain Stage web producer) Josh Saul tells us, band photography might not be as important as the band’s music itself, but it does play a crucial role in getting the band’s music in front of as many eyes and ears as possible. So let’s dive in, shall we?
Credit David Grinstead
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Josh Saul stands in front of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Where are you from originally?
I’m from Lincoln County. It’s a great place to be from if you’re really into high school sports, ATV riding, and hunting, in that order. Those are all wonderful and rewarding activities (I really mean that!), but they weren’t for me at that time, so I was a bit of an artsy outsider. Thanks to my high school art teacher Terry Wiley, I was accepted into the very first Governor’s School for the Arts class in 1994, which was a defining experience for me. It’s also where I first met Larry Groce and learned about Mountain Stage. I had other teachers too: Rebecca Wiley, Sandy Lawson, and Julian Martin. They went to great lengths to show me that there was a different world out there waiting for me.
Did you listen to #WVmusic growing up? If so, what?
All of my earliest musical memories are of my dad playing and practicing songs around the house. Like, really practicing, and in a way that a person is practicing if they’re trying to improve, and not just doing it for fun. He played in bands of all different types, from country to rock to bluegrass. Later when I was old enough to drive, I started going to Mountain Stage shows regularly. I think it was the first thing in Charleston I ever drove to by myself. I saw Todd Snider play the show for the first time, and I saw Townes Van Zandt’s last appearance before his death. In college, when I was old enough to get into 123 Pleasant Street, I went to shows at least every weekend. I think there was a period of years where I never missed a Cheap Truckers’ Speed gig, and I tried to see everything that Todd Burge and Mark Pool were doing.
How about you? Did you play music growing up?
I played (and still play) guitar. I’m not great, but it does give me some insight into how musicians (and guitarists in particular) think, and it continues to be a great way to break the ice with someone if I’m trying to rapidly build a rapport. One of the great music photographers of our time, Danny Clinch, is an accomplished musician himself, and has said that he’s been able to use that to earn trust with his subjects quickly. It really helps if you speak their language.
Credit Josh Saul
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An original portrait by Josh Saul.
How did you get into photography, specifically music/show photography?
OK, bear with me. My background is in painting. That was my studio concentration in college, but nearly all of my paintings relied heavily on photographs. I saw Chuck Close’s work in 1994, and it made an impression that’s with me still. All of my opinions on portraiture start with the way his paintings made me feel. But I was taking a lot of pictures, too, even if they were just source material for paintings.
In college, I finally took a photography class… and kind of hated it. I was the only person in the class who wasn’t a graphic designer, and I felt like there was a lot of fundamental type stuff that wasn’t being covered (years later, I discovered how right I was about that). I walked away with a “C” in the class, and I didn’t do anything serious with a camera for a long time. Fast forward many years, and I’m working for Mountain Stage. I finally get an iPhone, and suddenly I have a halfway decent camera with me at all times.
Credit Josh Saul
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Marty Stuart’s historic Telecaster, as seen backstage during this 2012 Mountain Stage.
I was really into taking picture of the gear that artists bring with them, and there was one moment in particular where I was taking photos of this legendary guitar that belongs to Marty Stuart. I decided that with this kind of access and opportunity, I needed to invest in a better camera to document things. So I started shooting the live show too, alongside the show’s real photographer Brian Blauser, who is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a professional mentor. I’ve learned so much from him. And after that, I started drifting back in to portraits more and more, which, funny thing, is exactly where I started. But this time, instead of trying to get a photo that I could use as the basis of a painting, I put all of my effort into nailing really awesome photographs. I won’t lie: part of me wonders if that’s where I should have been all along.
When I moved a couple years ago, I found a box of photos that I had taken as a teenager. So many of them were just simple head and shoulders shots of my friends, similar to what I do now. I realized in that moment that I’d never really given this thing up.
Credit Josh Saul
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Josh Saul designed the packaging for Mountain Stage host Larry Groce’s newest record Live Forever.
Where have you taken photographs in West Virginia?
I stick to Mountain Stage mostly, because of my schedule. I’ve joked about how taking pro DSLR and a 70-200mm 2.8 to a summer festival sounds like a great way to ruin a perfectly good time. But I do like to take my camera to bars and club shows every once in a while, especially for friends. There are so many musicians around here who have meant so much to me over the years, and it’s nice to be able to use my creativity to finally give something back to them.
Credit Josh Saul
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Legendary jazz pianist and Mountain Stage band member Bob Thompson.
Back to Mountain Stage though – it is a challenge to keep my photos fresh and interesting show after show. I always fall back on the quote by the great war photographer Robert Capa, who said, “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”
So I try to move around the stage and use the access I have to capture something that you might not be able to see even if you were sitting in the front row. More and more though, I’ve been trying to get closer in other ways, by photographing certain artists backstage under simple studio lighting. I don’t always do it though. So much of it hinges on that thing I mentioned at earlier, being able to quickly build a rapport with the subject, who probably isn’t in the mood to have a camera pointed at them no matter what they say. I’m also leveraging the trust that artists have in the show, which is something I do not take for granted. And finally, it’s on me to use whatever talent I have and skills I have developed up to this point to capture a piece of the artist in a very short period of time. There’s some chatting, and about 10 clicks of the shutter, and that is it. It’s very intense for me.
Credit Josh Saul
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Grammy award-winning blues musician Keb Mo’, as seen on Mountain Stage.
What’s been the highlight of your #WVmusic journey (in terms of seeing/working shows or taking photos)?
There’s a picture of Keb’ Mo’ I shot from the side of the stage that blew up on Tumblr without me even realizing it. I think that’s when I first realized that I can use the access I have to make something that can’t be seen from the audience.
I shot James McMurtry backstage the last time he was here. He’s a musical giant to the show, and to me personally. It’s not the best photo I’ve ever taken, but it’s pretty good, and whenever I look at it I think of the trust he has in the show, and me personally. It means a lot.
Credit Josh Saul
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Malcolm Holcombe backstage at a 2015 Mountain Stage.
And there’s a portrait I shot of Malcolm Holcombe where, for just a split second, he was giving me a part of himself. And I got it. It’s my favorite thing about portraiture, that when it’s really working, it’s like part of the subject is forever trapped on my camera’s sensor.
And finally, I’ve done some promo shoots for people like Todd Burge and Bob Thompson, and I designed all the packaging for Larry’s albumLive Forever. If you could go back in time and tell 16-year-old me that one day I’d get to do any of that, there is no way he would believe you.
Why is a good band photo important? I mean, shouldn’t the music matter more?
The music absolutely matters more! Obviously. But think about it: it is impossible to imagine a single note from Born to Run without thinking about that cover photo of Bruce and Clarence. I can’t do it.
You’re not always going to be able to represent yourself through your music alone. A lot of people are going to see your photos before they ever hear you. How you choose to present yourself matters. It’s part of your art. And finally, almost no newspaper will do a story about you unless you have a photo. A good photo. And “good” to the newspaper means high resolution, so they can print it, and almost always color. They love color. So if you want press, you need photos.
Credit Josh Saul
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Parkersburg singer-songwriter Todd Burge on Mountain Stage.
What are the basics of a solid band photo?
Because my work for Mountain Stage, I have to use photos that artists send us for promotion on a regular basis. So I’m in a unique position, having knowledge on both the creator and end user side. In many ways the difficulties with band photo are the same as with any group portrait. It’s hard enough to take a good picture of 1 person, much less 5 people at the same time. The problem I run into over and over again is that the photographer isn’t thinking about how the photos are going to be used. An artist’s promo pictures will be all portrait orientation when, I need at least one landscape shot for web use, one where there’s room to put copy, etc. There’s a reason why shots against grey, black, and especially white have never gone out of style. See again: Born to Run.
What tips would you give to bands who are looking for professional photos or album covers?
Don’t let your photographer take a picture of your band against a brick wall. There used to be a website called “Hall of Douchebags” that was nothing but a collection photos of bands against brick walls. You deserve more from your photographer. Also, make sure you have photos sized for both web and print use, and make sure someone on your team knows which ones to send to people, depending on the end use.
Credit Josh Saul
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Music in motion: William Matheny and Bud Carroll rock out at The Empty Glass at a March 2016 gig.
Do you feel held back by being in West Virginia, or does it feel like a musically-inclusive place?
I do not feel held back by living here at all. There are challenges. Magical opportunities do not fall out of the sky here like they seem to in big cities. But this is a land of short ladders, and if you decide you want to do something, you can just go out and do it, and people will take you seriously, at least in the beginning. The only problem here is one common to all small towns, and it’s that first tier work is not always recognized as such. But this is a very inclusive place. I was invited to Bud Carroll’s house once to help his friends shoot some video of a band he was working with. I knew him, but not as well as I do now. And when I had to leave, he walked out to my car and gave me a big bear hug and said something like, “I’m really glad you came, man.” You don’t get any more musically inclusive than that.
Credit Josh Saul
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The late, great Allen Toussaint played a special set during this spring 2015 Mountain Stage in Huntington, West Virginia.
Josh Saul is the web producer of Mountain Stage, the home of music discovery on public radio, which you can find and follow online @mountainstage. You can also find Josh’s photography business and book a session with him through his website. To hear more #WVmusic (some of which he’s taken photos for), tune in to A Change of Tune, airing Saturday nights at 10 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. And for more #WVmusic chats, make sure to go to wvpublic.org/wvmusic.
Okay, I didn’t come from the kind of Appalachia that’s often associated with the stereotype of ignorant, welfare check-collecting “hicks” living “up the holler.” I grew up in Charleston, WV, which is and was much like “Suburban Anywhere, USA.”
Even so, I’ve always been sensitive about the “dumb hillbilly” stereotype. I remember the first time I traveled outside of my region and heard people tease me about my hillbilly accent. This is a big reason you don’t hear much of a ‘mountain twang’ in my speech anymore.
To this day, I still wince when I hear the jokes about toothless rednecks swilling moonshine and shacking up with their kinfolk. I politely smile when I hear this, but truthfully, I often find some people’s attitudes about Appalachia to be cruel and condescending.
That’s how I feel based on my suburban Appalachian experience. Imagine how people feel who live in “real Appalachia.”
Back in August, my West Virginia Public Broadcasting colleagues Jessica Lilly and Roxy Todd, who produce the program Inside Appalachia, put out a wonderful episode that focused on what happens when strangers with cameras go to Appalachia.
This show gets into these hillbilly stereotypes and how some Appalachians feel the outsiders view them like animals they see on a safari or even worse, human oddities at a carnival freak show. The way that Jessica and Roxy focus on this gets right to the heart of what we try to consider with Us & Them. I liked it so much I just had to share it with our show’s growing audience.
