Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Russell and Mary (Hackney) Bryant letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Russell and Mary (Hackney) Bryant letters
- Date
- 1917-1933 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Bryant, Barbour Russell, 1900-1979
- Extent
- 0.16 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Courtship
- Families.
- Future life.
- Letters.
- Music -- Instruction and study
- Social history.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0164: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American letters: Russel and Mary (Hackney) Bryant letters, 1917-1933, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Mary Boston Hackney (1901-1999) was born in Mortonsville, Kentucky to Burley Hackney (1873-1943), a blacksmith, and Mattie Hackney (1875-1960). She attended the College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio between 1922 and 1924. In 1924, she married Danville, Kentucky native Barbour Russell Bryant (1900-1979) and together they had two children, Henry Russell Bryant (1925-2010) and Mary Bryant (b. 1934). Russell worked in his father's dry good store before eventually becoming an insurance salesman.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Russell and Mary (Hackney) Bryant letters (dated 1917-1933; 0.16 cubic feet; 5 folders) comprise letters to Russell Bryant and Mary Hackney that document their courtship and early marriage in Kentucky during the 1920s. The letters are primarily between Russell and Mary, there are a few letters to the couple from friends and family. The letters discuss Russell's work in his father's store, Mary's education at the College of Music in Cincinnati, social events, friends, and their desire to see each other. There is a letter from Russell's sister that discusses her supposed abilities to communicate with the dead.
- The Russell and Mary (Hackney) Bryant letters collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Russel Bryant and Mary Hackney letters, 1917-1922
Mary Bryant Hackney to Russell Bryant, 1922-1923
Russel Bryant and Mary Hackney letters, 1923
Russel Bryant and Mary Hackney letters, 1924
Letters to Russel and Mary Bryant, 1925-1933
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
