Our Bob Nolan Logo
Southern Folklife Collection image
Of the hundreds of photographs of Bob Nolan available today, the photo chosen as the logo for this website best illustrates Bob Nolan's career - songwriting. The photographer captured him on the Republic set, writing a song for a film. In costume, writing in a little notebook on his knee, cigarette in the corner of his mouth - this was Bob Nolan.
Early in 1998, before eBay was rich in memorabilia and the songs of Bob Nolan were hard to find, Elizabeth McDonald wrote Norm Cohen to ask where the John Edwards Memorial Foundation material was housed. He replied, "The Southern Folklife Collection at the University of North Carolina." Elizabeth immediately wrote to then Curator of Manuscripts at UNC, Michael Taft (a fellow Canadian), and obtained a complete list of the Sons of the Pioneers recorded material in the collection.
Also listed were two photos of Bob - with no description. She ordered both sight unseen and one turned out to be a glossy photograph of a picture from a newspaper. Intrigued, she inquired into the provenance of the photo. No one knew anything about it - who had donated it, the newspaper from which it was clipped, the name of the photographer. Nothing. There was no text.
Using a series of filters, film, and a scanner, Elizabeth finally reproduced an image that was reasonably recognizable as Bob Nolan. Bob's grandson, Calin Coburn, suggested it as the logo to his website honoring his grandfather. He is hoping that one day the original photograph or snapshot will turn up.
