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Mostly Mississippi, A Very Damp Adventure
Album Description
Writer/artists Harold Speakman and Frances “Russell” Speakman traveled the length of the Mississippi in 1925. Their illustrated narrative of the journey includes paintings, sketches and drawings by both Speakmans. It was published in 1927 as Mostly Mississippi, A Very Damp Adventure.
I discovered the Speakmans through an article in Big River Magazine. I was drawn to a hand-drawn map that includes Winona, Minnesota, my Mississippi River town in SE Minnesota and numerous Mississippi River cities I have visited. Their tales and artwork recount their journey, first by canoe, later by houseboat. There are stories of interesting and diverse people they met as they traveled from the headwaters of the Mississippi in Minnesota to New Orleans. It is a glimpse back to another time.
Do you know anyone who has traveled the length of the Mississippi by boat?
Selected art work is included in this album. For a list of images of all images go to image 13 in the book. Use gallery view for a quick view of pages.
Big River, March-April 2022.
Mostly Mississippi was republished in 2004 by the University of Minnesota Press.
6 - 8 9 - 12 Social Studies/History Mississippi River Art/Music
Russell Lindsay Speakman
Teaching Notes
Harold’s painting of Russell is the only work of color.
Hand drawn map: Image 408 of Mostly Mississippi,
Teaching Notes
The map inset notes the journey “Being the bucolic voyage of HAROLD SPEAKMAN and his FAYRE FRIENDE, from the HEADWATERS of the MISSISSIPPI to the GULF in a twenty feet (or less) BOAT.”
Group: Examine the map and selected images
Individual: search for text and illustrations of a place where you have lived visited Read the text. What do you notice about how it is written? What can you learn? Examine the sketches and drawings
The Cathedral of St Paul from the River
Teaching Notes
Have you seen the Cathedral today? Is the view similar?
Old Lady of Dubuque reading the New Yorker
Teaching Notes
What does the lady's reading material say about her?
Locate Dubuque on a map.
Slaves were sold from the step of this fine old courthouse in St Louis
Teaching Notes
How far is St Louis from their starting point at the start of the Mississippi? How many states have they gone through? How has the terrain changed along their journey?
How can you learn more about this courthouse?
New Orleans Cemetery
Teaching Notes
the tombs in the ancient cemeteries of New Orleans were raised above the ground since water lay only a short distance below the surface
Reference link: New Orleans Tombs
Reference note
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/lhbum/24707/0375.jpg
Former slave in New Orleans
Teaching Notes
My owners was in Baton Rouge and Bayou and Bayou Sara. I used to work ploughi’ and hoe’n cotton. Nothing else to do.”
The Old Patonia
Teaching Notes
The old Patonia at Memphis has carried her last gay party of gentlemen in brocaded waistcoats and ladies in crinoline.
What are waistcoats and crinolines? Can you find some photos?
The inspiration for Mark Twain's Becky Thatcher
Teaching Notes
Images 203,205, and 218 describe Laura Frazer, the inspiration for Mark Twain's Becky Thatcher.
Can you find Hannibal, Missouri, on the map?
Reference note
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/lhbum/24707/0218.jpg 218