Timber/Timbre: Falling Trees and Rising Voices, Logging and Music in West Virginia, 1880-1930 is a traveling exhibit, born out of an exhibition design class in the public history program at West Virginia University. Alongside cultural and historical programming, the exhibit is the centerpiece of the 2021 Bicentennial Commemoration of Pocahontas County, WV. To learn more about the creation of the exhibit, check out this article from WVU Eberly Magazine.

Timber/Timbre uses folk music to explore the history of logging in the Allegheny Highlands of West Virginia. The exhibit examines industrialism’s impact on the region through the musical expressions of individuals who experienced the timber boom firsthand. After its initial opening at the Watts Museum in Morgantown, WV in January 2021, Timber/Timbre has been on display at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park as well as at McClintic Public Library in Marlinton, WV.

The exhibit is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding has been provided by the WVU Humanities Center.

Timber/Timbre at the Watts Museum in Morgantown.

Groundhog pelt and accompanying audio at the Watts Museum.

Timbre/Timbre at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.

A section of Timber/Timbre at Cass.

Timber/Timbre at McClintic Public Library in Marlinton, WV.

Legendary Pocahontas County musicians, the Hammons Family, and a brush used to soften logs before branding them.