1. The William White Papers Collection Portfolio Katherine White 22 April 2013 IST 628

2. Mission Statement The purpose of the William White Papers is to preserve and make accessible the music and memorabilia that represents William’s music career, while providing significant insight into his hometown of Nelson County, Virginia. The goal is to preserve this collection to ensure that future generations can listen to the music created by William and to see that experience through the photographs and ephemera.

3. Role for the Specific Audience This collection is intended to be used by the band members as a means of inspiration and to stay connected with each other. Most of the old band members are still in the music business today and their old songs are often used when creating new materials. There is a reunion once a year where the band gets together to talk about shared memories and play music together- the collection is often accessed at this time. Shown here are some examples of the reunions Will and his band members have.

4. Role for Researchers & Scholars This collection is of particular significance to researchers interested in the local bluegrass/folk scene in Virginia. Included in this collection are many original tunes written by William as well practice sessions and songwriting material. The William White Papers also provide insight into the concert culture in Virginia from 2001- 2007 with photographs and ephemera taken from many shows in the region. Pictured here are some song notes Will wrote on the back of some scrap paper. Date unknown.

5. Value Assessment The William White Papers are valued for the glimpse they provide of a specific type of music, time, and place. Through this collection one can get a view of concerts, tours, and recording sessions from William’s point of view. These photos were taken at the Jabberwocky in 2005.

6. Photographs The photographs are one of the most valuable items in this collection. They provide many perspectives and images of William and his band Dhamapada at work and in candid moments.

7. Below are some photos taken for William’s album ‘Please Believe’. They were taken in London where he did most of the recording.

8. William and his band members were avid concert goers and many of the photographs in this collection are of shows they attended. Pictured below is Emmylou Harris in 2004.

9. CDs The CDs and recordings are another highly valued part of the collection. They contain original recordings of songs written by William and the dialogue between band members during practice sessions. Some of the original songs are of special significance because some have been modified and changed over the years and these CDs allow the user to hear the songs in their authentic form.

10. Online recordings William created a MySpace account to share some of his solo recordings and pictures from his travels. Included below is a link to the site. http://www.myspace.com/willwhitemusic

11. Journals The journals kept by Will during the years 2001 and 2006 are included in this collection. They display the thought process and creativity he put into song writing. Included are notes and revisions to songs allowing a researcher to follow the development of his songs. Observations from touring and daily life are also included providing a glimpse of what life was like for a musician in Virginia during the early 2000s.

12. Ephemera These set lists are wonderful examples of the type of shows William and his band played locally. The set lists shown here are from some shows played in 2005 at Coupe De’Ville’s. They also show the types of songs the band was playing at the time, including some of their most popular: Hair of the Dog, Savage Nation, and Virginia Rose.

13. Concert Flyers Two flyers are included in the collection that demonstrate the type of venues Dhammapada played and the various ways the shows were promoted.

14. Condition Assessment The collection is currently in fair condition, most of the collection was created and gathered while travelling and many of the objects show signs of wear and tear. Three areas of the collection have been identified as being the most vulnerable to damage. To the left is William’s lucky guitar pick. 2001.

15. 1. The CDs are particularly fragile and require extreme caution when handling as they contain multiple scratches, nicks, and stains.

16. The preservation work required for the CDs will need to be outsourced to professionals, in this case, a company called Auraltech. Using special tools they are able to remove stains and scratches and restore the CDs to a condition where they can be played again. Once restored, two copies will be made of the CDs which will provide backup in case the originals become to deteriorated to play in the future.

17. 2. Many of the paper items and photographs have been exposed to liquids and show signs of warping and stains.

18. This is William’s song writing Journal from 2001. As you can see, this journal has been badly damaged by exposure to water which lead to warping, stains, and mold. Some of the pages are illegible and others have become stuck together.

19. 3. The hand-sketched designs for the band logo were done with pencil and show signs of smudging and stains.

20. Housing the Collection Ideally, the collection will be housed at the Last Resort located in Nelson County, Virginia.

21. Environmental Controls The Last Resort has a room with a controlled temperature of 68 degrees with a fluctuation of only one or two degrees, it is in this room that the collections are stored. The humidity is held at roughly 45% year-round. Virginia has very high humidity levels in the summer and the curator of the Last Resort has taken measures to maintain a standard humidity level inside at all times to protect from mold and mildew. Air quality is monitored by a state-of-the-art air filtration system that filters out pollutants, especially dust, which is prevalent during the summer in Virginia. This is a hygrothermograph which measures and records the temperature and humidity in a repository. It has been recommended that the Last Resort invest in one.

22. The windows at the Last Resort have been covered with a UV filtering glaze that protect the collections from too much light exposure. Curtains are also used as an added protection against harmful UV light.

23. Materials for Storage All items used for protecting and preserving this collection are to be purchased from the Gaylord Archival Sourcebook.

24. The collection will be housed in one double walled record storage carton made of acid-free, lignon-free, buffered board. All items will be filed in acid-free archival file folders. Photographs will be placed in sleeves made of Polypropylene which will protect them from future damage. CDs will be placed in individual sleeves that will then be filed in acid-free folders.

25. Collection Development The William White Papers are an inactive collection and no new additions are anticipated or sought after for accessioning, however, there is the possibility that items that belong in the collection will be discovered as boxes are cleaned from the attic and basement. If this occurs the items will be accessioned as they are found and the finding aid will be updated. Pictured to the left is a pack of guitar strings William used and one of his acoustic guitars.

26. Access to the Collection There are several ways the collection can be accessed. With a two-week notice the collection can be accessed at the Last Resort. If travel to the repository is not an option, most of the items can be shared digitally or copies sent via USPS. A small fee would be applied for packaging and mailing. Most restrictions are placed on certain songs and recordings, although a few photographs also have copyright restrictions. Pictured here are some of the items from the Concert Ephemera folder.

27. Application for Use of the Archives To ensure the safekeeping of museum collections, researchers requesting access to the William White Papers must follow the rules and regulations outlined below: 1. Access to archival storage areas is strictly limited to the Last Resort staff. 2. No collection material may be removed from the repository. 3. Photocopying is at the discretion of the Last Resort staff. Price for approved materials is $.25 a page. 4. Pencils must be used at all times when dealing with the collections. 5. Many manuscripts and items in the collections are fragile and must be handled with care. If it is the judgment of the staff that the document or item is too fragile to be handles a copy will provided for use. 6. Manuscripts may not be marked, cut, folded, soiled, or damaged. Any accidents or discovery of damaged materials must be reported immediately to a staff member. I have read and understand the rules and procedures. Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: _______________________________________________________________ Subject of Research: ___________________________________________________________ Purpose of Research: ___________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________ Date: _________________________ Approved By: __________________________________ Date: _________________________

28. Security The previous slide displays a copy of the application that all people using the collection are required to read and sign before access is granted. This form is both a reminder to patrons of the rules and regulations the repository has in place and provides a measure of security to the collection. These are photos taken by William at a music festival in 2004.

29. Security, continued… As an added security measure, the box will be labeled with the minimum amount of information, only the collection name and box number. This will make it more difficult for someone to walk in and take something of value. The collection will be located at the Last Resort in Nelson County, Virginia. This is an old farmhouse located out in the country on a rural back road. In this part of Virginia doors are often left unlocked and windows open. This is something that will not be changed, so other steps have been taken to protect the collections.

30. Disaster Contingency Plan In the event of a natural disaster such as hurricane, flood, or fire the collection will be removed from the scene to avoid damage. If this is not an option, steps will be taken as soon as possible to survey the damage and begin restoration. A phone tree will be initiated and a chain of command established so damage assessment can begin. As an added precaution against disasters two backup copies will be made of the collection. These copies will be in digital format and stored at an off-site location, in this case they will be stored at the residence of William and Katherine White in Syracuse, New York. To the right is a picture of the residence of William and Katherine White located in Syracuse, NY.

31. Disaster Contingency Plan, continued… All members of the staff at the Last Resort will be trained in basic disaster recovery techniques including drying and cleaning. The Last Resort is equipped with a “recovery kit” located on the second floor. This kit contains the basic tools necessary for immediate disaster recovery as well as a handbook with a detailed list of recovery procedures and assignments of responsibilities. Included in the handbook will be a guide to the basic techniques for dealing with each medium and the tools necessary for carrying out initial recovery steps. Any major damage will be outsourced to a disaster recovery vendor located in Virginia. This is what the “recovery kit” is stored in, and is light enough to be carried by one person.

32. Conclusion The William White Papers are a very special collection and hold significant meaning to William, his band members, friends, and family. It is our goal to preserve the collection for future generations to learn about this important time in William’s life. Through conservation efforts, security and disaster preparedness, and proper storage we hope this collection will continue to be used and enjoyed for many years to come.

33. Works Cited Gaylord Bros. Inc. (2011). Gaylord Archival Sourcebook. Syracuse, NY. Hunter, Gregory S. (2003) Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.