Banner history series, 1878-1998 (bulk 1916-1998)
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Organized in to five subseries: A. History; B. Libel Suits; C. Printing plates and printing negatives; D. Special Issues and Sections; ,Arrangement: Subseries A. Loosely by subject; Subseries B. Alphabetical; Subseries C. and D., no formal arrangement scheme. Suberies E. Chronological.

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.

Some parts of this collection are stored off-site and require advance arrangements of at least one week's notice and staff permission to access.

In library use only. Available by appointment.

Abstract: A wide variety of materials, from 1878 to 1998 (bulk 1916-1998) documenting the history of the Nashville Banner newspaper, with isolated items concerning some individual libel cases (1917-1939). Items were originally housed in or with the Banner Clippings Files and were removed or rehoused for preservation purposes by Nashville Public Library staff to form this collection.

Scope and content: The Nashville Banner Reporter Reference Files, Banner History Series has information about the history of the Nashville Banner newspaper. Most materials date from around 1916 to about 1998, although a few items may be from before this time. Formats include clippings, brochures, booklets, reports, correspondence, typescripts, and some full pages, sections, or issues from the newspaper. Quantity of materials ranges from a single item to typescripts of nearly twenty pages. Some items are photocopies. All the materials in this collection were originally housed in or with the Banner Clippings Files, but were removed by library staff for preservation purposes. Thus, although the Banner Reporter Reference Files is a separate collection, due to its size, it nevertheless bears a very close relationship and indeed should be viewed as an extension of the Banner Clippings Files. Information in both instances was compiled and used by reporters at the Nashville Banner as references when writing about significant events of the time. Researchers are advised that due to its being a much more comprehensive resource, the Banner Clippings Files will likely be a more useful and productive source of information than the isolated items to be found in the Banner Reporter Reference Files.

Items in Series V. Banner History Series of the Banner Reporter Reference Files are organized in to five subseries: A. History; B. Libel Suits; C. Printing plates and printing negatives; D. Special issues and sections; E. Historical Issues

Subseries A. Banner History includes the most substantive materials. The bulk of this subseries consists of various compilations relating to the history of the Banner newspaper and includes items from the Diamond Jubilee in 1951, which featured the "Nashville Banner March" composed by noted bandleader Francis Craig and for which audio recordings exist within the collection. Biographical information is included about various members of the Stahlman family and a few other individuals who were owners, publishers, or editors of the newspaper. A few items relate to special Banner-sponsored activities or contests, such as a science fair and a speech contest, or employee matters, such as an employee handbook from circa 1985. Especially noteworthy are two issues of "The Lion’s Roar," a four-sheet paper from the mid-1930s, which was written for and featured profiles of news carriers and particularly, newsboys.

Subseries B. Libel Suits, arranged alphabetically, contains a number of files with generally sparse information about libel suits, spanning from approximately 1917 to 1939. This date span is significant since the majority of Banner Clippings files do not begin until over a decade later. Common subjects include erroneous wedding announcements; accusations of criminal acts, including bootlegging; political improprieties; pardons; or other matters. A few specific cases of special interest include: Compton v. Banner (1931) where a white man was misidentified as a Negro; investigations into the behavior of Superintendent W.T. Boaz at the Tennessee Orphans Home in Columbia (1917); an investigation into socialist activities of Harry Goldfarb and W. C. Birthright (1919); fraudulent misrepresentation as a dentist by Mr. A. Jean Hager to enable access to cocaine and morphine in violation of the Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act (1924-1925); and alleged "immorality" of McKendree Methodist Church pastor, Rev. Marion Nelson Waldrip, including testimony in his defense by his wife, Nancy C. Waldrip (1922).

Subseries C. Printing Plates and Printing Negatives consist of a few items which serve as examples of mid- to late 20th century newspaper printing technology (ca. 1950-1987). These items are stored off-site and require formal staff approval and at least one week’s advance notice to access.

Subseries D. Special Issues and Sections contain original newspapers which concern a special theme or focus in their content. These items are stored off-site and require formal staff approval and at least one week’s advance notice to access.

Subseries E. Historical Issues contain original newspapers retained either because of the historic event that they document, or simply due to their age. These items are stored off-site and require formal staff approval and at least one week’s advance notice to access.

Cite as: [item description, file title], [subseries], Series V. Banner History Series, Nashville Banner Reporter Reference Files, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

Irby C. Simpkins, Jr., and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. transferred any copyright they held in Nashville Banner materials to the Public Library Board in 2002. However, this collection may contain items for which they did not hold copyright, such as wire service items, booklets and brochures, and others, and therefore rights were not transferred to the Public Library Board. In either case, items in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code)

Irby C. Simpkins, Jr., and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.;,Gift;,1999.,Acc. RT-102; RT-375

Items removed from Nashville Room vertical files;,Acc. RT-104

Source of acquistion unknown;,Acc. RT-100

Full issues of the Nashville Banner newspaper are available on microfilm in the Special Collections Division.

The Nashville Banner newspaper began publication on Apr. 10, 1876 and ceased publication Feb. 20, 1998.

In English.

Finding aid available in repository;,folder level control.,https://catalog.library.nashville.org/Record/CARL0000710864/DownloadSupplementalFile?fileId=166

In possession of Irby C. Simpkins, Jr. and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. until donated to the Nashville Public Library in 1999.

Forms part of the Nashville Banner Reporter Reference Files.

Process;,2013-2014;,Jennifer Quier;,removal of items from Clippings files, rehouse, preliminary inventory.

Process;,2016;,Poppy Krump, intern;,initial physical processing and conservation work.

Process;,2017;,Quinntana Slaughter, intern,final processing and formal finding aid

Process;,2022;,Linda Barnickel, Kathleen Feduccia;,additions sharing same provenance but now stored off site.

No further accruals are expected.