Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten Oral History Interview, 1980
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Cotten, Elizabeth
- Title
- Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten Oral History Interview
- Dates
- 1980 (inclusive)19801980
- Quantity
- 0.1 Linear feet of of shelf space, (1 Folder)
- Collection Number
- Cage 5134 (collection)
- Summary
- One audiocassette containing an interview with Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten, conducted by Martha Mullen and Dan Maher, recorded in a 1980 Women’s Studies class at Washington State University (WSU) regarding her musical interests and working life as a woman.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten (1893-1987) was an African American musician who spent much of her life around Chapel Hill, North Carolina, cleaning houses. She taught herself to play guitar and composed songs starting as a pre-teen. When she was in her 40s, she moved to Washington D.C. be with her daughter, who was pregnant. There she met and eventually became a house keeper and child sitter for Ruth Crawford and Charles Seeger, the former a composer and music teacher and the latter an ethno-musicologist (also the parents of folk singers Pete, Mike and Peggy Seeger). After many years with the Seeger family, she rediscovered her love of and ability to play guitar, and began traveling and playing with Mike Seeger in the 1960’s. Her most well-known song is titled “Freight Train.”
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
One audiocassette of an interview with Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten when she was 86 years old, taking place on the WSU Pullman campus during a Women’s Studies class on “Women and Work” in 1980. The inverview was conducted by Martha Mullen and Dan Maher. The interview focuses on Ms. Cotten’s working life as an African American woman, as well as her love of music and establishing a successful musical career later in life. Audiocassette (both sides) is approximately 55 minutes long.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
The oral history in this collection was digitized in November 2020, and the audio file retained as an unedited wav file in MASC’s archival digital storage. The digital file contains both sides of the audiocassette tape.
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item description]
Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten Oral History Interview, 1980 (Cage 5134)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- African American women -- Employment
- African American women composers
- African American women musicians
- African Americans -- Songs and music
Personal Names
- Cotten, Elizabeth
Form or Genre Terms
- Oral histories
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Maher, Dan (creator)
- Mullen, Martha (Marty) (creator)
Finding aid prepared by Ally Butzke
2020
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
