Oldest Documented Life in Appalachia
As somebody who grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, I need to begin this one with a proper teaching of how you pronounce it. It is my civic duty to inform all of you that if you go to the mountains of Appalachia and pronounce it “appa·lay·shuhn”, everybody will automatically know that you are not from there. The proper pronunciation is “a·puh·la·chn”. And any true born spirit from the Appalachian Mountains will make sure you know it. Now that you’ve been properly schooled on how to say it. Let’s get down to the actual topic.
Margaret Morley and William Barnhill were some of the earliest regional photographers in southern Appalachia. Morley published The Carolina Mountains as an eye-opening look into the everyday lives of the people of Appalachia. She focused specifically on the Western North Carolina region. Her intention was to highlight their lives as straightforwardly and honestly as possible. She and Barnhill showed great passion for bringing what they saw in this region to the rest of the world. Although, the context of their lives and simplicity of spirit had many other Americans sensationalizing the Appalachian Mountains into many of the stereotypes we see today.
