British Broadside in UM Archives Decries Gossip

Photo Courtesy of the University of Mississippi’s Department of Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library.

“This item is a British broadside featuring lyrics to a song that decries gossip and expresses the wish that people would ‘mind their own business.’ The item is undated, but is believed to have been created in the 19th century.

This item is part of the Kenneth S. Goldstein Broadsides digital collection. Kenneth S. Goldstein was a folklorist, collector and chairman of the University of Pennsylvania department of Folklore and Folklife. Distributed at low cost to the public, broadside ballads are primarily textual, single-sided printed verse set to pre-existing, popular tunes and contain illustrative elements. Many were printed as multiples-per-sheet, with the intention of being cut and sold as individual songs.”

Since 1975, the  primary purpose of the the University of Mississippi’s Department of Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library.  has been to acquire, conserve, and make accessible rare books, manuscripts, maps, visual and audio materials, and ephemera related to the University of Mississippi, the state of Mississippi, and the Blues.

The Department of Archives and Special Collections invites patron visits during its regular hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, from Monday through Friday, except during selected University holidays.

HottyToddy.com wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Kathryn Michaelis, Special Collections Digital Initiatives Librarian, and Head of Special Collections Jennifer Ford in the research and compilation of this new reader content  –– Michael Harrelson, editor, HottyToddy.com.

Email the University Archives at archivesdept@olemiss.edu