Collections & Research

Our collections are comprised of photographs, printed music and other paper documents, concert posters, and country music recordings, as well as a collection of legacy audio playback machines, microphones, vintage stringed instruments, and radio equipment – all of which relate to the impact and legacy of the Bristol Sessions.

Our collections have served as a resource for scholars, community members, and visitors. In our exhibits, artifacts from the collections help to tell museum visitors about the Sessions as a continuing influence in American music-making. Scholars have accessed our collections for research projects that focus on the history of country music. We are working to make our collections fully searchable online so they can be a resource for music lovers worldwide.

To inquire about using the collections for study and research, please contact Emily Robinson, Curator of Collections:

416 State St., Suite A
Bristol, TN 37620
erobinson@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a research institution, and our curatorial team conducts research that supports and augments our core exhibits, rotating special exhibits, and extensive museum programming.

The museum also serves as a resource to others, and we welcome scholars to use our exhibits and collections to support their research. In the past year, various institutions, individual researchers, and filmmakers have used our collections for their projects.

For those who would like to know more about the Bristol Sessions and regional music history, this section of the website will provide related biographies, discographies, short histories, and other materials. We are working to build these resources now. If you are interested in accessing information beyond what is available on our website, please email info@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org. info@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.