Purpose of Exhibition

Thomas Edison changed the world and how people documented their lives with his invention of the phonograph in 1877 (loc.gov.) The Texas Jukebox Project, now a non-profit organization, began as the grad thesis research for Jonathon Kimbrell. This study focuses on and examines the value and cultural importance of archiving and preserving scarce West Texas Country Music from 1950 to 1959, and the role of visual communication in promoting these artists, recordings, and records labels to the public.

Much of the music recorded and released during this era only exists on vinyl phonograph records and is not widely available commercially or legally on mainstream digital music platforms. Establishing a dedicated archive to preserve and promote these recordings, artists, and record labels will help Texans reduce the risk of losing a significant piece of history, language, art, and documents of working-class culture. Currently, no such public archive dedicated to Texas Country Music exists.