Images of the steel guitarist Aubrey Ghent with apprentice Elton Noble

Guitarist

Fieldwork

Apprentices

Steel guitars

Guitarists

African Americans

String instruments

Musical tradition, sacred

Performing arts

Music performance

Musicians

Two proof sheets with 49 black and white images (plus negatives); eight color slides. Apprentice Noble agreed to learn from Ghent how to tune, play chords and melodies on the steel guitar, as well as learn the cultural background of "sacred steel" -- a form of African American gospel music performed on the steel guitar (aka the Hawaiian guitar). For more information, see S 1644, box 11, folder 24. The Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program began in 1983 with a NEA grant of $22,000. The program provided an opportunity for master folk artists to share technical skills and cultural knowledge with apprentices in order to keep the tradition alive. Apprentices must have had some experience in the tradition and agreed to train for at least six months. The first project director was Blanton Owen, later replaced by folklorist Peter Roller, and then Robert Stone. The program was continued each year through 2004.

State Archives of Florida, Series S1640

1994

Florida Folklife Program

photographs

Still Image

S1640

15

6

Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program

Stone, Robert, 1944-

Ghent, Aubrey, 1958-

Noble, Elton Lamark, 1962-

African American

7071

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