The JCS Museum has relocated to the end of Lonely Street thanks to a new exhibit and lecture series about the life of Elvis and the pop culture of the '50s.
Barbara A. Baker, director of the Women's Leadership Institute and editor of Pebble Hill Books, lectured Tuesday as the second speaker in an eight-part series.
The lecture, titled "Black and Blue Elvis in Rock and Roll Lit," talked about the influence Elvis' music had on American culture and how it changed both music and literature.
"I am looking at Elvis in 1956 when he had his first No. 1. hits, 'Hound Dog' and 'Heartbreak Hotel,' both of which are traditional blues music," Baker said. "I am showing how America really fell in love with an art that was traditionally black because it was presented to them by someone who was not black."
Her lecture centered around three pieces of literature that use Elvis song's like "Heartbreak Hotel" as the main metaphor.
These three pieces also have a close connection to the University because two of the authors have graduated from Auburn.
She also said that when preparing her lecture, she was really trying to aim it toward students who have an interest in both southern literature and music, as well as how the two influence each other.
Baker said she was asked to be a part of the lecture series because she had an expertise in both music and literature.
"I was a professional blues musician, on the road and stuff, for about 10 years," Baker said. "Then, when I came to Alabama, it just made sense to continue looking at blues music because there is so much history related to Alabama and specifically Tuskegee, which is where I ended up."
Baker has written two books on blues music, "The Blues Aesthetic" and "The Making of American Identity in the Literature of the South" (2003) as well as one that is not yet released.
Baker's lecture will be followed by an hour intermission at 5 p.m. and the evening will end with a viewing of the movie "The Bad Seed," directed by Mervyn LeRoy.
The lecture series, titled "Elvis' America: 1956," is an eight-part series of lectures centered on Elvis and the culture of the '50s.
"It is an examination of the '50s in America and the politics, culture and pop culture," said Scott Bishop, curator of education at the JCS Museum. "It's a way of contextualizing the life of Elvis Presley."
Bishop said the series is possible because of a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation as well as several on-campus sponsors and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
"The first lecture was really well attended," Bishop said. "There was a good discussion afterward, which is what I am hoping for is to make this an opportunity for the community to discuss the issues we bring to the table."
Coming up next in the series is Ashley Callahan's lecture "Design '56" Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. The series runs in conjunction with the exhibit "Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis," which is a set of gelatin print photographs taken by Alfred Wertheimer.
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