Date & Time
Thursday, December 15, 2022
12:00 pm CDT

Format
In-Person and Online

Location

Alabama Department of Archives & History

Cost
Free

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Slinging Mud: Potters and Politics in the Late Nineteenth Century

The lives and experiences of nineteenth century Alabama potters provide a unique glimpse into how ordinary citizens were affected by this tumultuous political period. Potters sometimes ran for office, occasionally fashioned political statements in clay, and their shops became spaces for political discourse amongst local community members. During this presentation, Alabama pottery expert Joey Brackner will share stories of some of these potters and discuss recent discoveries from newly digitized primary sources. 

Brackner is a native of Fairfield, Alabama. He received degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Texas. In 1985, Brackner became Alabama's state folklorist. He retired in 2022 as the director of the Alabama Center for Traditional Culture, the folklife division of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Brackner is the author of Alabama Folk Pottery (2006) and Of Mules and Mud: the Story of Alabama Folk Potter Jerry Brown (2022), both published by the University of Alabama Press. Since 2013, Brackner has hosted the Alabama Public Television series Journey Proud.

This program will be presented in person at the Archives and will also livestream on Facebook and YouTube. 

For additional information, call (334) 353-4689. A complete schedule of our 2022 lunchtime lecture series is available at archives.alabama.gov. Food for Thought 2022 is made possible with support in memory of Mike Jenkins IV.