Maine Historical Society - Programs Podcast

Speaker: David Sanderson; Recorded January 14, 2014 - As a complement to the MHS Shettleworth Lecture Hall exhibit "Dear Old Maine I'm Coming Back:" Home & Hearth Reflected in the MHS Sheet Music Collection traditional music enthusiast and fiddler David Sanderson offers an account of the life and musical career of Norway Maine fiddler Mellie Dunham. Mellie Dunham was among the most famous figures in America during 1925 and 1926. A local farmer, snowshoe maker, and dance fiddler, Dunham was propelled to notoriety when he was invited to visit and play for Henry Ford; he then spent six months performing on the Keith Vaudeville circuit. This talk includes original 78 rpm recordings played on Sanderson's 1914 Victrola.