John Putnam, Black fiddler and caller
John Putnam (c. 1817–1895) was born into slavery and by the 1850s was living in Greenfield, MA, where he worked as a barber. He played left-handed fiddle and Putnam's Orchestra played for dances and other musical events. The ads are newspapers in the areas around Greenfield, MA:
Putnam, John - Dancing ad - 7 Jan 1856
Town Hall Ball - 27 Dec 1869
Catholic group - 2 Aug 1875
Prof. - Lake Pleasant - 11 Aug 1873
John Putnam Remembered - 1 July 1934
The enclosed "Old-Timer" newspaper clipping, from July 1, 1934, says: "He possessed the curious ability to play second violin and direct the movements of the dancers at the same time and woe to the dancer who made a mistake. Putnam would abruptly halt the music, come down from the orchestra platform and correct the error, showing the dancer how it should be done. He did not pretend to be a dancing master, but possessed an unusual knowledge of how the old time dances should be done and insisted on their being danced in what he believed to be the proper fashion. He organized an orchestra which was in wide demand over a long period of years throughout this country and towns beyond its borders. ... He had peculiar ability in playing the contra tunes, executing jigs, reels and hornpipes so seductively that the most rheumatic legs were inspired to perform with the greatest agility."
The article goes on to say, "Back in the eighties dances usually began at 8 in the evening and did not end until three or four o'clock in the morning, the programs including some 30 or more dances. This put a heavy task on orchestras, which had to play through that number of dances, divided between quadrilles and contra dances, with a few waltzes and polkas interspersed, which made a fairly full night."
Subjects: Northern / New England, Person
Tags: African-American, John Putnam
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Square Dance Calling: The African-American Connection |
| This Item | is related to | Item: The Slave Roots of Square Dancing |
Citation
Dublin Core
Title
Description
Putnam, John - Dancing ad - 7 Jan 1856
Town Hall Ball - 27 Dec 1869
Catholic group - 2 Aug 1875
Prof. - Lake Pleasant - 11 Aug 1873
John Putnam Remembered - 1 July 1934
The enclosed "Old-Timer" newspaper clipping, from July 1, 1934, says: "He possessed the curious ability to play second violin and direct the movements of the dancers at the same time and woe to the dancer who made a mistake. Putnam would abruptly halt the music, come down from the orchestra platform and correct the error, showing the dancer how it should be done. He did not pretend to be a dancing master, but possessed an unusual knowledge of how the old time dances should be done and insisted on their being danced in what he believed to be the proper fashion. He organized an orchestra which was in wide demand over a long period of years throughout this country and towns beyond its borders. ... He had peculiar ability in playing the contra tunes, executing jigs, reels and hornpipes so seductively that the most rheumatic legs were inspired to perform with the greatest agility."
The article goes on to say, "Back in the eighties dances usually began at 8 in the evening and did not end until three or four o'clock in the morning, the programs including some 30 or more dances. This put a heavy task on orchestras, which had to play through that number of dances, divided between quadrilles and contra dances, with a few waltzes and polkas interspersed, which made a fairly full night."