[Baptising in Olde Towne Creek (1)]

One of 5,145 photographs in the series: Joe Clark, HBSS, 1939-1989 available on this site.

Description

Photograph of Reverend Hugh Vancel performing a baptism in Olde Town Creek near Red Hill, Tennessee. The reverend is standing in the creek and facing a large crowd of people on the bank, and holding the arm of a young girl standing next to him; several other girls, a woman and a man are also standing in the creek, on the left. A building with wood siding is visible in the background.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 16 x 20 in.

Creation Information

Clark, Joe 1938.

Context

This photograph is part of the collection entitled: Clark Family Photography Collection and was provided by the UNT Libraries Special Collections to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 79 times. More information about this photograph can be viewed below.

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UNT Libraries Special Collections

The Special Collections Department collects and preserves rare and unique materials including rare books, oral histories, university archives, historical manuscripts, maps, microfilm, photographs, art and artifacts. The department is located in UNT's Willis Library in the fourth floor Reading Room.

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Description

Photograph of Reverend Hugh Vancel performing a baptism in Olde Town Creek near Red Hill, Tennessee. The reverend is standing in the creek and facing a large crowd of people on the bank, and holding the arm of a young girl standing next to him; several other girls, a woman and a man are also standing in the creek, on the left. A building with wood siding is visible in the background.

Physical Description

1 photograph : b&w ; 16 x 20 in.

Notes

Digitization of this item was sponsored by a grant from The Headliners Foundation.

Narrative by Junebug Clark: Baptising in Olde Town Creek. Red Hill, Tennessee. 1938. One of the first photos made by Joe has endured to become a favorite and meaningful to many. It bears close scrutiny because of the differing expressions and attitudes of those attending.
People have said that they have counted fifty-one people in this picture and I’ve listened to many a controversy about a TV antenna* appearing in this 1938 photo.
The Reverend Hugh Vancel, officiating in this photo, was still performing baptisms in 1995, but the ceremony moved indoors.
Olde Towne Creek empties into Keg Branch, a creek about three miles to the left in this picture. To the right, about a mile, is the Clark/Sharp Family Cemetery where Joe was laid to rest, high on a hill, in December 1989.
In 1981 the Smithsonian Institute acquired a print of this photo for use in the exhibit, “Rights of Passage.” It also appears on Dolly Parton’s autobiography and as a poster for the Wolf Trap Music Festival.
Jb.
*lightning rod Photo by: Joe Clark, HBSS. Clark PhotoFile: 0004-46

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Collections

This photograph is part of the following collection of related materials.

Clark Family Photography Collection

This seminal work of visual storytelling represents the extensive Clark family archives from the golden age of American photography. Their work has featured in Life Magazine, National Geographic, Look and Newsweek.

Related Items

Baptising in Olde Towne Creek (Photograph)

Baptising in Olde Towne Creek

Photograph of Reverend Hugh Vancel performing a baptism in Olde Town Creek near Red Hill, Tennessee. The reverend is standing in the creek and facing a large crowd of people on the bank, and holding the arm of a young girl (Ivana Wright) standing next to him; several other girls (identified as Hester Welch, Minnie Hicks, Cleo McCurey, Lilian Hicks, and Lenore Treece), a woman and a man are also standing in the creek, on the left. A building with wood siding is visible in the background.

Relationship to this item: (Is Version Of)

Baptising in Olde Towne Creek, UNTA_AR0749-164-033, ark:/67531/metadc286374/

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Creation Date

  • 1938

Added to The Portal to Texas History

  • May 22, 2015, 9:33 a.m.

Description Last Updated

  • Oct. 19, 2016, 1:38 p.m.

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Clark, Joe. [Baptising in Olde Towne Creek (1)], photograph, 1938; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc505052/: accessed May 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.

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