Augusta Heritage Center Store

We started producing the Augusta Heritage Recordings in 1982 as an effort to document West Virginia’s traditional music. We now document traditional music and crafts of other cultures, as well as West Virginia folklore.

From the first solo fiddle recording of John Johnson to the latest video documentary on the West Virginia Old-Time Storyteller, Kent Lilly, Augusta Heritage Center recordings are unique, authentic, and respectful. Our goal is to capture traditional culture in its many expressive forms and make it available to a wider audience.

While on campus, you’re always welcome to visit the Augusta Heritage Center Store. The store features various productions of traditional music CDs and cassettes, VHS videos and DVDs, books and prints. Our caps, clothing, and other apparel also make wonderful gifts for the entire family.

DVDs

NEW Augusta Master Series DVD

Old-Time Music on the Augusta Stage

Performances by Art Stamper, Boyd Phillips, George Gibson, Elmer Rich, Benton Flippen, Jimmy Triplett, Jim Costa, James Bryan, Joe Newberry, Gandydancer, Wayne Henderson, Eddie Pennington, Robin Kessinger, New Dixie Entertainers, Lester McCumbers, Roy Harper, Paul David Smith, Riley Baugus, Glen Smith, Murrell Hamrick, Melvin Wine, Soup Kitchen, and many others.

Filmed and produced by Gerald Milnes.
AHCMS-11 DVD – 90 minutes – $20

Augusta Master Series DVD

Kent Lilly - I'm Tellin' Nothin' but the Truth.
West Virginia’s Old-Time Storyteller

Kent Lilly of Camp Creek, West Virginia, is an Appalachian storyteller. He doesn’t use that term, for many his age commonly share the rich oral tradition of the region, and he doesn’t think it is anything special. “Professional storytellers” these days research historical stories and facts and introduce theatrics in performances. Kent’s intuitive and unrehearsed style includes gestures, sound effects, grimaces, grins and contortions to enhance the telling. Kent doesn’t “learn” his stories. They come to him through contact and visiting with friends and neighbors. Rife with folklore, his colorful “turn of phrase” is filled with sayings, nicknames, humorous anecdotes and emotions that link his stories to real people and actual happenings, often with a humorous twist. He explains in this DVD how the ‘possum got his grin, how “Snakebite John” got his name, and how old-timers enjoy duck gizzards. His wit does cause him to wander from the truth from time to time, thereby following the time-honored tradition of spinning yarns for listeners. Kent says, “George Washington couldn’t lie. I could, but I wouldn’t want to.”

This project was produced from an interview with Kent Lilly in 1997 and from three subsequent interviews that took place in 2009.

A film by Gerald Milnes
AHCMS-09 DVD – 60 minutes – $20

Augusta Master Series DVD

Bernard Cyrus
Ancient Sounds & Wild Orchids

This film introduces Bernard Cyrus of Wayne County, West Virginia. Bernard is a musician, instrument maker, hunter, gardener, tale teller, old-time person, and avid regional botanist. Ancient Sounds is a term Bernard uses to describe the music he likes and plays. Wild Orchids have been his passion. From boyhood memories of two old-time musicians and neighbors, he developed a love for the banjo and dulcimer, played them, and in later life undertook to make custom banjos and dulcimers in his workshop.

From his grandmother, neighbors, and eventually books, he developed a passion for knowing “what was around me.” This led to a lifetime of important botanical discoveries in the West Virginia woods. An avid photographer, Bernard’s fine photography is showcased within the film. This DVD offering visits Bernard at his home on Big Hurricane Creek.

A film by Gerald Milnes
Still photography and music by Bernard Cyrus
Cover design by Marilyn Palmer Richards

AHCMS-08 DVD – 74 minutes – $20

NOW digitally remastered as DVD

The West Virginia Hills
A Tribute to the Mountain Dulcimer

The dulcimer has played a part in the homemade, community-based folk music of the Appalachian Mountains since the pioneer period, especially in West Virginia. This film traces the German roots of the instrument from the Old World to the New World. Pennsylvania Germans brought the instrument south during the eighteenth century migration to the Appalachian backcountry. Here the instrument evolved in shape and function, from being played with a bow to being played with a feather or pick and wooden noter, and, more recently, with the
fingers.

In the early 1990s, several traditional players were documented playing in traditional styles. Numerous examples of nineteenth and early twentieth century instruments are shown and discussed by Patty Looman and Jim Costa.

Dulcimer makers Jim Good and Phil Holcomb are shown in their shops, where they discuss their influences and experiences.

The film ends with current players Margaret MacArthur, Lorraine Lee Hammond, Steve Seifert, and David Schnaufer playing more modern styles in concert on the Augusta Heritage Center Stage.

Produced by Gerry Milnes for Augusta Heritage Recordings
(This film is no longer available in VHS.)
AHCDVD-09 - 50 minutes - $20

NOW digitally remastered

Signs, Cures & Witchery
German Appalachian Folklore

A fascinating glimpse of some little-known Appalachian beliefs and practices among descendents of early German pioneers. This hour-long documentary traces Germanic belief systems from Europe to West Virginia, from the fifteenth century to present practitioners. Signs, Cures and Witchery opens a window into our ancient past, revealing the courage, resourcefulness and humor of people whose survival depended on their ability to "read signs," cure their own ills, and find explanations for life's mysteries. Local community practices in West Virginia such as witch doctoring, "belsnickling," shanghai," and folk healing are connected to their medieval counterparts in woodcuts and other works of art. In tracing immigration to remote mountain communities, we learn how expressions of folk art and occult belief survive. This work specifically examines aspects of Appalachian oral tradition and folklore that draw from German culture. This informative, entertaining film is an invaluable aid to all who have interest in religion, psychology, folklore, metaphysical, regional, gender, and ethnic studies. Produced by Gerald Milnes.

DVD – 60 minutes – $20 (This film is no longer available in VHS.)

Click HERE for Dirty Linen review.

NEW - AUGUSTA MASTER SERIES DVD

Icy Mountain
The Quirky Fiddling of Leland Hall

Solo Fiddling from Central West Virginia. Leland Hall plays tunes and comments on his sources and inspirations through a 36-minute film. Ten tunes are also presented in slow motion, standard pitch, for learning purposes. Produced by Gerald Milnes. 2007. DVD – $20

AUGUSTA MASTER SERIES DVD

Music of Heaven
Old-Time Music from Coal River Country
The Music of William Sherman "Junior" Holstein with Gary Wayne Jordan

Music of Heaven: Old-time Music from the Coal River Country features the extraordinary talents of William Sherman “Junior” Holstein. His nephew and apprentice, Gary Wayne Jordan, introduces us to Junior who plays some rare and beautiful old-time fiddle tunes. He sings several old songs, words to fiddle tunes, and one original song to his own musical accompaniment. Junior visits with other traditional musicians in the area, describes old-time methods of making moonshine, and leads us through some of his own trials and tribulations as he battles personal demons. The title tune, “Music of Heaven,” a soulful instrumental, aptly relates to Junior’s fixation on his prospects for the afterlife. DVD – 60 minutes – $20

A production of Augusta Heritage Center

The 'CC Boys: A West Virginia Legacy
A documentary film by Robert C. Whetsell

"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) reforested federal and state lands decimated by forest fires, built fire watch towers and strung miles of communication lines between them, helped fight forest fires, built state park facilities and roads. It gave employment to thousands of young men in a time of rampant unemployment, and sent money home to their families. Many young men were given the opportunity to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as skills such as typing and woodworking.

"The 'CC Boys left a legacy that can still be enjoyed all over West Virginia in the forests they planted and parks they helped to build. The skills the 'boys in green' learned cannot be measured, but they are still evident in the public facilities they left for posterity; neither can the pride and teamwork, but both were displayed in their patriotic commitment during World War II. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) legacy reminds us of the capacity for good that can come from an enlightened government policy, which invests in the development of human resources and protects the environment.

"This excellent documentary records the beneficial, and often unappreciated impact of the CCC on the lives of West Virginians not only in that time of economic need but ever since - an uplifting story well told." - Ronald L. Lewis, Ph.D., West Virginia University

Co-produced by Robert C. Whetsell and Gerald Milnes. Feature film (30 minutes) plus Bonus Features. Color
DVD - $25

AUGUSTA MASTER SERIES DVD

That Old-Time Sound
Old-Time Music and Old-Time Ways of Central West Virginia
Featuring Lester & Linda McCumbers

That Old Time Sound cover Central West Virginia – particularly the four-county area of Braxton, Clay, Calhoun and Gilmer – has always been known as a hot-bed of traditional music and traditions. It has produced numerous outstanding musicians of note, including French and Ernie Carpenter, Ward Jarvis, Harvey Sampson, Melvin Wine, Emory Bailey, Phoeba Parsons, and dozens more. Lester McCumbers, from Nicut, West Virginia, is one of the last fiddlers to have had direct contact with that older generation of legendary players.

Some rare film shot at the West Virginia State Folk Festival at Glenville in 1973 adds an historical glimpse of some of the film’s older musical performers. Linda McCumbers sings on stage at Glenville and at recent visits to the Augusta Heritage Workshops and Concerts. Neighbor Homer Sampson (filmed by Augusta in 1996) contributes an Old-World gem of a ballad. A portion of the film intertwines the music with the strong tradition of fox chasing and coon hunting, adding context to the lives of people who are otherwise known solely for their musical accomplishments.

From public dancing in the street at Glenville to music played and sung on porches and in kitchens, this film presents folk traditions within a rich cultural context. Production and DVD authoring by Gerald Milnes for Augusta Heritage Center. Cover photo by Dave Savage; cover design by Sam Linkous.
DVD - 60 minutes. $20.

The Cliff-Scaling Soldiers of West Virginia
A Documentary Film by Robert C. Whetsell The Cliff-Scaling Soldiers of West Virginia

In August 1943, while American and Allied Forces were embroiled in a titanic struggle against Axis powers in Europe and the Pacific, thousands of US Army troops began converging upon northeastern West Virginia's Allegheny and Potomac Highlands. The backbone of the Appalachian Mountains, this expansive untamed area, noted for its savage beauty and rich traditional culture, unwittingly played host to the US Army's most unique World War II training ground until July 1944 - the West Virginia Maneuver Area.

Set amidst the backdrop of West Virginia's most visited scenic recreation areas, The Cliff-Scaling Soldiers uses rare photographs, film footage, letters, and firsthand accounts from participants to recount this forgotten chapter in the nation's history. Witness the brutal conditions and unforgiving hardships endured by Maneuver soldiers
as they scale the dizzying heights and sheer rock walls of Seneca and Champe Rocks, ford the raging waters of Blackwater Canyon, and negotiate treacherous mountain roadways. Experience their triumph and tragedy, humorous and colorful insight, and impacts on the landscape, people, and folklore of the region. Edited by Robert C. Whetsell and Gerald Milnes. Photography by Gerald Milnes. Music by Jesse Milnes, Gerald Milnes, and Woody Simmons. 20 minutes, Color DVD - $20

"One More Time"
The Life and Music of Melvin Wine

One More Time cover Melvin Wine was never without a song to sing, a story to tell, or a tune to play, and his familiar "one more time" still rings in our hearts. He was born in 1909 at the mouth of Stouts Hollow in Braxton County, West Virginia. Melvin's chiseled smile was a very familiar sight around many West Virginia music events for the 40 years leading up to his death in 2003. How appropriate that he was laid to rest on the first day of spring just a stone's throw from his birthplace.

Hundreds of fiddlers have learned about playing tunes and living life from Melvin, and through this project, many more will have opportunities to continue learning from him.

The interactive CD-ROM contains many tunes, stories, and photos, plus biographical information from Melvin's remarkable life. A tune can be slowed down or stopped to allow you to study his playing, his bowing techniques, or simply to catch the melody. The DVD contains four films from periods of Melvin's life: "Melvin Wine: Old-Time Music Maker;" a film made on his porch at home; a Copen Community Center jam and dance; and Melvin's last Augusta concert.

Melvin Wine won many distinctive awards and honors and traveled widely because of his music to events in Washington, Illinois, New Mexico, New York, and many other places. It wasn't the places he remembered; it was the people he met. They, and we, will always remember him. Finally in 1991, he was honored as a National Heritage Fellow. The awards weren't as important to Melvin, as were his many friends. We're sure he's still humming "In a Land Where We'll Never Grow Old." In memory of Melvin Wine: 1909-2003. Executive Producers: Margo Blevin and Gerald Milnes. Produced by Jimmy Triplett and Marilyn Palmer Richards with assistance from many. DVD and CD-ROM, 2-disc set $30. (CD-ROM is available for Windows only)

AUGUSTA MASTER SERIES DVD

Fiddlin’ Leo Herron

Leo Herron, a native of Barbour County, made his mark in West Virginia’s early country music scene through playing fiddle and guitar with various bands on live radio. These shows were produced at WMMN in Fairmont during the early 1940s. Leo accepted an offer to perform at the Augusta Heritage Center’s Old-Time Fiddlers' Reunion, and later at Augusta’s Old-Time Week in 1997. The film from this performance is the only visual documentation of his considerable talent. That performance is presented here along with some audio tunes recorded at Leo’s home, plus photographs and biographical information.

Not long before Leo succumbed to cancer in 1998, he accepted an apprentice through Augusta’s Folk Art Apprenticeship Program. Chris Haddox made a half dozen or so treks to Leo’s home before Leo’s death, learning his style and as many of Leo’s tunes as possible. Chris plays three of Leo’s tunes on this DVD. He is perhaps the only person to have learned some of Leo’s musical secrets.

Augusta hopes that this DVD will add to that legacy by giving others access to one of West Virginia’s true master players. Production and DVD authoring by Gerald Milnes for Augusta Heritage Center. Cover photo and design by Sam L. Linkous. - 60 minutes, plus music audio clips. DVD - $15

INSPIRED FOLK - Outsider Artists Of West Virginia

This hour-long film and interactive DVD examines the lifelong work often exceptional West Virginia artists — their motivations, inspirations, obsessions and their world view — artists whose work is so unique that it makes us question all the ways we define art. To find answers the film takes the viewer deep into the artists' creative spaces and their minds.

The ten artists were found in such unlikely places as prisons, senior centers, remote West Virginia hollows, and the streets of Baltimore. The art includes the work of a "lifer" in prison, a paranoid schizophrenic, a reclusive chair maker, expressive wood carvers, an obsessive-compulsive collector, a race-car driver/artist, a junk sculptor, a believer in faith-healing and more.

A nationally recognized authority on the subject helps put the work into the context of folk art in general and specifically outsider art. The resulting film is a fascinating glimpse into motivations unlike any in the generally accepted genres of artistic expression. Co-produced 2004 by Gerald Milnes and Mary Rayme. 57 minutes.
DVD - $20

Helvetia cover

Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia

From the making of Helvetia cheese to Fasnacht and the burning of Old Man Winter - experience the Old-World Swiss traditions as they thrive today in the remote mountain community of Helvetia, West Virginia.

Descendents of nineteenth-century Swiss immigrants share and discuss their music, dance, yodeling, foodways, crafts, customs and celebrations. Produced by Gerald Milnes. 60 minutes - color. DVD - $20

VHS Videotapes

Fiddles, Snakes, and Dog Days cover

Fiddles, Snakes, and Dog Days
Old-Time Music and Lore in West Virginia

"They say the fiddle is the devil's music instrument..."
Fiddle music weaves through a fabric of tales, beliefs, and seasonal observances handed down from generation to generation. This film, first in a series of three, offers a glimpse into the living folk culture of West Virginia, presented in its natural setting.

The video features the wisdom and artistry of more than 30 of West Virginia's "state treasures" -- fiddlers, ballad singers, flatfoot dancers, and artisans. Included are both established and previously-undocumented artists, filmed amid the haunting beauty of the Appalachian terrain. Produced by Gerald Milnes. 60 minutes - color. VHS - $5 while supplies last

Click HERE for Dirty Linen review.

Twisted Laurel - Click HERE for details

Folk Art, Folklore & Music from the West Virginia Woods Twisted Laurel captures the relationship between the land and the people to whom a rare legacy of art and lore has been passed down. Tales and beliefs, folk art and functional objects, nature's own remedies, and the natural beauty of wood are all woven together like an oak basket, held tightly by a strong thread of ballads and banjo tunes.
Produced by Gerald Milnes. 30 minutes, color. VHS - $5 while supplies last

COMPACT DISCS (CDs)

NEW (as of 7/09)

ELMER RICH
Tunes from Sanford & Pap

Elmer Rich is a very competitive contest fiddler and tends to pull out his flashiest pieces for contests and at festival performances. But the tunes he learned in his youth from his father and his uncle Sanford have always remained favorites in his repertoire. This project started from Tom Gibson’s and my desire to have a record of these interesting tunes we'd sometimes hear Elmer play. The tunes presented here include some of the more unusual pieces that Elmer learned from the playing of his father and his Uncle Sanford, plus a sampling of the standard fiddle tunes that were played by his family. I've noted tunes that Elmer particularly relates to either his father or uncle, but in general Elmer thinks that most of the less common tunes came into the family via his Uncle Sanford. We’ve also included 4 tracks of Sanford Rich and members of the Rich family (including 16-year-old Elmer) that were recorded by Charles Seeger in Arthurdale, West Virginia, in 1936.
– Mark Crabtree AHR 029 CD - $15

Double Geared Lightning
The Story of Legendary West Virginia Fiddler Woody Simmons

This 60 minute audio documentary brings you the life and music of one of West Virginia's most celebrated mountain fiddlers. Woody Simmons played music - and played it superlatively well - from the time he first took up the banjo at the age of eight until a few weeks before his death at age 93 in June 2005. You'll hear from Woody - and more than twenty other musicians whose lives he touched. Although he was almost universally acknowledged by those who heard him as a genius on the fiddle, he never sought fame and fortune, preferring to live out his life in the rural area where he was born. As his old friend and admirer Buddy Griffin put it: "Woody may not have wanted to be famous. If you're famous, everybody knows you, knows what you do. But if you're legendary, it's just hearsay, but they know it's true. It's better for people to say, 'you ever heard of this fiddler?', and if they never heard of him, you can tell them things that's not true. But Woody actually lived up to those things. Few legendary fiddlers do." CD - $15

Woody Simmons - Live at WVMR

CD - $15

20 Years of Irish Music at Augusta - 1983 to 2002
Irish Week concerts recorded live at Augusta Heritage Center

Irish Week at Augusta started in 1982. It was a modest beginning, just three instructors. Liz Carroll, Billy McComiskey and Mick Moloney taught about 40 students the rudiments of style on fiddle, accordion, mandolin and tenor banjo. It ended up being so popular that Irish Week became an integral part of the Augusta program, and has grown to become a major institution in the world of Irish traditional culture in the United States, attracting enthusiasts from all over the nation. The tunes on this double CD were all selected from 20 years of concert recordings housed in Augusta's archives in the Booth Library of Davis and Elkins College. Please consider this as just a sampler - a taste of Augusta that offers a glimpse into the delightful musical evenings that have been enjoyed by thousands over the years.
Produced by Flawn Williams, original recordings by Flawn Williams and Bill Dudley. Mick Moloney, Consultant. Margo Blevin, Executive Producer. 2-disc set - $20

Foggy Valley
Traditional Fiddling of Randolph County, WV
(From Field Recordings)

Click here to read all of the liner notes and credits.

Randolph County fiddling embraces a style and repertoire commonly found in the southern Appalachians with some traces of a more localized, West Virginia Style. Several tunes presented here

have old-world sources. Some are from family repertoires that probably date to the frontier era. Some are more widely known, regional pieces from the golden age of early country music on the radio.

Continuing for over two hundred years, dancing to live music gives purpose and necessity to Randolph County fiddling traditions. Over the years it took many fiddlers to fill the bill demanded by active dancing communities.

This anthology presents the current state of traditional, old-time fiddling in Randolph County. Whether they are hoe-down tunes, waltzes, hymns, or song melodies, these tunes celebrate life and commemorate valued subjects in different ways.

Produced by Gerald Milnes from field recordings made 1994-1997, with production assistance from Rachel Nash Law and Susan Rudisill. Mastering by Flawn Williams. Cover photo by Gerald Milnes. Graphic design by Mary Rayme. Margo Blevin, Executive Producer. CD - $15

Israel Welch - Tearin' Down the Laurel

Click HERE for Dirty Linen Magazine review.

A journey up dry run in rural Mineral County, West Virginia, leads to an unpaved road up a hollow, eventually topping up at an old-time mountain farm. Electric power and telephone lines have never made the trip, but many a fiddle player and old-time musician find the hilltop farm enticing. Thousands of fiddle tunes have drifted into the area from the old log homestead that has been home and hearth to the Welch family since the 1830's.

Israel Welch, born in 1912, currently holds dominion over the farm and survives as the last of several fiddling brothers. Israel's strong bowing style with clear, delicate, noting complements his amazing repertoire of reels, hoedowns, waltzes, hornpipes, clogs, swings, and jigs. These tunes exemplify music he has performed at hundreds, perhaps thousands of old-time dances in the upper Potomac Valley. Production and guitar backup by Gerry Milnes. Field recording and mastering by Flawn Williams. CD - $15

FOLK MUSIC & LORE OF THE CIVIL WAR

Folk Music & Lore of the Civil War cover Great numbers of popular sentimental, maudlin, and romanticized songs and verses were composed after the Civil War. But this collection of folk music exhibits the rough edges of real life. It captures the disposition of soldiers, the true brutality of the conflict, and the wry humor of the subjects. The people who have contributed their songs, tunes, and stories to this project represent the folk culture of the West Virginia region. They have dept this material in their memories because of their connection to the people and events in the stories, songs, and tunes. The affection for the people from whom they learned the songs adds endearment and meaning. Field recordings of songs, tunes, and stories featuring Melvin Wine, Maggie Hammons, Mose Coffman, and others. - CD - $15

CASSETTES

Vo Mine Bärge, Music of Helvetia

Augusta Heritage Recordings continues the tradition of preserving music of the past with the release of From My Mountains - The Music of Helvetia. Helvetia is a small Swiss-American community, first settled in 1869 deep in the mountains of central West Virginia. The people of Helvetia have sustained many of their traditional folkways along with a simple agricultural lifestyle and keen sense of heritage. From My Mountains features songs that are a part of Helvetia's rich heritage. The cassette is packaged with an illustrated booklet that offers a continuing look at the history and folklore of Helvetia. - Cassette $1 while supplies last

FOLKSONGS AND BALLADS, Volumes 1- 4

This anthology runs from the Child ballads with ancient mythological themes from Europe, all the way to Primitive Baptist hymns and topical songs of the 20th century, as sung in the central Appalachian region.

Volume 1
Everett White sings 16 unaccompanied songs from family and community sources. -
Cassette - $1 while supplies last
Volume 2
Phyllis Marks presents 25 songs, ditties, recitations, and poems which highlight the wit, humor, and family repertoire of this Gilmer County singer. - Cassette - $1 while supplies last
Volume 3
16 ballads and folksongs by singers Holly Hundley, Wavie Chappell, Homer Sampson, Hazel Stover. - Cassette - $1 while supplies last
Volume 4
Bonnie McKinney, William May, Jim Knicely, Clyde Case present 15 traditional songs.
- Cassette - $1 while supplies last

WEST VIRGINIA HILLS - TRADITIONAL DULCIMER MUSIC
From dance tunes to hymns, 20 tunes by West Virginia mountain dulcimer masters Walter Miller, Reva Fincham, Carl Davis, Freeman McKinney, and Dena Knicely. - Cassette - $1 while supplies last

AUGUSTA 1997 SUMMER CONCERT
Over 70 minutes of music recorded during the 1997 Augusta summer concert series. - Cassette - $1 while supplies last

DELBERT HUGHES "THE HOME RECORDINGS"
Rare field recordings of master West Virginia fiddler Delbert Hughes - Cassette - $1 while supplies last

Two of Augusta's original LP recordings are still available on cassette. The following cassette tapes are reissued from LPs, produced by Augusta Heritage Recordings during the 1980s from studio recordings. A limited number of these historic titles in LP format are still available at a special price while supplies last.

BACK MEMORIES virtuoso fingerstyle guitar by Randolph County guitarist Blackie Cool. -
Cassette - $1 while supplies last

JUST A DREAM by blues singer and guitarist Nat Reese, with Ralph Gordon and Howard Armstrong on bass & fiddle. - Cassette - $1 while supplies last

LP VINYL RECORD ALBUMS

HARVEY SAMPSON & THE BIG POSSOM STRING BAND - Harvey Sampson & the Big Possum String Band play the unique style of twisty, crooked or even spooky Old-Time music native to central West Virginia. Sampson is one of a handful of fiddlers still playing the cross-tune style indicative of Central West Virginia. - LP Album - $3 while supplies last

FIDDLIN' JOHN - John Johnson from Clay County, West Virginia- This recording was not only the first Augusta recording but was also chosen in 1983 by the Library of Congress as a Selected Folk Recording. "This is John Johnson. He was born above the jail in Clay 65 years ago and claims to have fiddled his way in and out of most of the jails between here and Abilene since then. From a large farming family of poets and musicians, John is the grandson of fiddling Alec Hamrick, whose playing was celebrated by the legendary Sol Carpenter. John fashioned his long-drawn, hard-driving bowing style after his mother's description of her father's technique, which she said would 'raise the hair on your head.'" - Michael Kline - AHR 001, LP Album - $3 while supplies last

Ernie Carpenter - ELK RIVER BLUES - Traditional Fiddle Tunes from Braxton County W.Va. - Augusta's third recording was chosen in 1986 by the Library of Congress as a Selected Folk Recording. "Music is a great gift, one of the greatest anybody can have, because it's something nobody can take away from you. No way they can touch it. They can't take a note away. It don't make no difference if you're a tramp or how low down you are, if you play music you can still keep it. That's about the only thing left that the politicians can't get in on! Money can't buy it. You can't even give it away yourself. You can learn somebody but you can't give it to them as a gift. It's a very precious thing, I think, very precious." - Ernie Carpenter - AHR 003, LP Album - $3 while supplies last

LIMITED EDITION PRINT

"PASSING IT ON" - individually signed and numbered limited-edition print of watercolor painting of Master fiddler Melvin Wine by West Virginia artist Jeffrey Barner.

Unmounted (17.5” high by 23” wide) - $35

(CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER VERSION)

BOOKS

"THIS IS WHERE MY TEETH LANDED"
Tales from the Augusta Experience

This title story is only one of many intriguing stories sent to us for this publication. Released last summer, This is Where My Teeth Landed is full of great stories that will evoke many emotions for those of you who are part of the Augusta family, and hopefully remind you of your own fun times at Augusta.
Edited by long-time friend of Augusta, Dave Shombert, this book was a labor of love by Dave and has received great reviews by everyone who has read it.

Whose teeth were they? Where did they land?
Why was Joe Fallon contemplating jumping?
Who was referred to in the “Naked Dentist” story?
Who almost got swallowed by a snake, and how?
Read about the “Ghost of Darby.”
Who said to Ira Bernstein, “If you lie down and lie very still, I can tie your tie for you. I’m a mortician.”

Learn the answers to these perplexing questions and much more while reading your own personal copy of this collection of Augusta stories. Collected and edited by Dave Shombert.

Book - Sale price $3.00 while supplies last

SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGES:

We can ship any combination of up to five items by US Postal Service Ground to any where in the Continental US for $5.50. Orders of six or more items, and all orders outside the Continental US will be sent via UPS and charged actual shipping plus a $3.00 handling fee. (For wholesale arrangements, please call 304-637-1209 or email store@AugustaHeritageCenter.org or gcm@AugustaHeritageCenter.org.)

Home

Augusta Heritage Center of Davis and Elkins College
100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241
Phone: 304.637.1209
Email: augusta@AugustaHeritageCenter.org