American Folk: Tintype Portraits of Appalachian Musicians

Experience the convergence of music, artistry, and tradition in American Folk: Tintype Portraits of Appalachian Musicians, an exhibition of 12 evocative works by Shenandoah Valley visual artist Lisa Elmaleh. On view in the Drawing Room of the MSV’s Glen Burnie House from April 1 through August 17, 2025, American Folk presents 8” x 10” tintypes of traditional folk musicians from the Appalachian Mountains captured using a historic 19th-century photographic process.

Between 2010 and 2015, Elmaleh traveled across the Appalachian region—including West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee—creating tintypes of musicians and the landscapes they call home. Each portrait, developed on-site in her mobile darkroom, captures the essence of her subjects’ instruments, surroundings, and traditions. Inspired by photographers like Doris Ulmann and Dorothea Lange, these images honor the enduring artistry of tintype photography and the living heritage of Appalachian folk music.