Clark, Joe
Description
Photograph of Ivana Wright being led into the water for baptism by Preacher Hugh Vancel outside John Owen's home in Red Hill, Tennessee. Multiple people from the town are in attendance. Hester Welch, Minnie Hicks, Cleo McCurey, Lilian Hicks, and Lenore Treece follow Ivana, holding hands, on their way to be baptized. Narrative by Junebug Clark: Photograph is from 1938 and is shot in Red Hill, Tennessee. Baptising in Olde Towne Creek, has endured to become a favorite and meaningful to many. It bears close scrutiny because of the differing expressions and attitudes of those attending. The Reverend Hugh Vancel, performing the baptism, is standing in the creek and facing a large crowd of people on the bank, and holding the arm of a young girl standing next to him; several other girls, a woman and a man are also standing in the creek, on the left. A building with wood siding is visible in the background. People have said that they have counted fifty-one people in this picture and I’ve listened to many a controversy about a TV antenna* appearing in this 1938 photo. The Rev. Hugh Vancel, in charge in this photo, performed countless baptisms, but the ceremony eventually moved indoors. Olde Towne Creek empties into Keg Branch, a creek that runs though our property, about three miles left of your view point. To your right, about a mile, is the Clark family cemetery where Joe was laid to rest in December of 1989. In 1981 the Smithsonian...
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