Philadelphia, Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, North America
Accession Date:
16 Mar 1933
Collection Date:
Jan 1933
Notes:
FROM CARD: "FLUTE USED BY ROBERT HENRY, THE FACE ON THE FLUTE BEING HIS 'MARK'., FLUTE PLAYED BEFORE AND AFTER A BALL GAME TO COUNTERACT EVIL MAGIC. MISS DENSMORE'S NOTATION ON THIS (IN ACCESSION PAPERS) STATES: COLL. NEAR PHILADELPHIA, MISS. JAN. 1933. 'FLUTE USED BY ROBERT HENRY, THE FACE ON THE FLUTE BEING HIS MARK. HE IS A LEADER OF THE SINGING ON THE NIGHT BEFORE A BALL GAME. IN OLD TIMES THE PURPOSE OF THIS SINGING AND FLUTE BLOWING WAS TO COUNTERACT THE EVIL MAGIC OF THE OPPONENTS. THE FLUTE WAS BLOWN ALSO DURING THE BALL GAME. HENRY HAD TWO OTHER FLUTES WITH DIFFERENT MARKINGS BUT THIS WAS THE ONE HE HAD USED WITH THE BALL GAME. THE MUSIC OF THIS FLUTE, AND THE BALL GAME SONG WERE PHONOGRAPHICALLY RECORDED. ONE OF HIS OTHER FLUTES WAS SHORTER THAN THIS. HE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BLOWING THE FLUTE.'" ILLUS. PLATE 20, NO. 1, AFTER P. 188 IN BAE BULLETIN 136. PHOTO OF ROBERT HENRY PLAYING FLUTE IS PLATE 20, NO. 2.
