The University Museum

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE WEB EXHIBIT

In the fall of 2004, the University Museum at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) displayed the exhibit entitled Words, Wood and Wire: The History of Southern Illinois As Told Through Folk Songs and Musical Instruments. Over two years in the making, Words, Wood, and Wire was the culmination of the work of dozens of individuals. The goal of this exhibit was to present to our visitors selected events in Southern Illinois history captured in the songs and stories of the region. Our main source for this content was the David Seneff McIntosh recording collection housed in the archives of the University Museum. Professor McIntosh, a former faculty member of the Department of Music at SIUC, recorded hundreds of individuals during the 1950s singing songs, telling stories and playing musical instruments from as far north as Effingham and as far south as Cairo, Illinois.

The physical exhibit shown in the University Museum consisted of display cases holding items relating to the folk songs and stories collected by Professor McIntosh and/or musical instruments found in this region. Amongst these items were copies of the lyrics of the songs being featured; historical information about the songs and stories, including photographs and newspaper articles; and examples of the musical instruments played in the sound recordings. Visitors could listen to the songs from the original field recordings made by Professor McIntosh, and look at examples of a variety of sound recording devices used over time. Additionally, a full-sized front porch was constructed in the exhibit where visitors could sit and watch videos about folk music in the United States, and listen to live performances of folk music that were held periodically throughout the course of the exhibit.

This website is constructed to give you the opportunity to experience the Words, Wood, and Wire exhibit on your computer. We suggest going through the "McIntosh's Work" section first to familiarize yourself with the background content of the exhibit. Then, you can navigate through the other sections in any order you choose. Clicking on the "Songs of the Exhibit" icon will take you to the lyrics of and information about the songs featured in the exhibit, as well as options for listening to the songs in a variety of formats. The "Recording Devices Timeline" section will introduce you to the variety of machines used by field researchers over the years in their efforts to capture sound. Clicking on the "Instruments" icon will lead you to a photo gallery of different instruments found in the Southern Illinois region. For fun, go to the "Photos from the Porch" section and see photographs of some of the activities that took place during the exhibit. Finally, the "Teachers' Resources" section is available for K-12 educators wishing to use the website as part of their curriculum.

Thank you for visiting our website. If you have any questions or comments for us, please click on the "Email us your feedback" icon and drop us a note. We hope you are both informed and entertained by the songs and stories of Southern Illinois.

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