B.A. Cohen Collection
(RESTRICTED)

 

Biographical Sketch

Barbara Anne (B.A.) Cohen was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1947 to Hyman Charles Cohen and Virginia May (Brinkley) Cohen. She was raised on the family farm, Lakeview Plantation, south of the city of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Cohen attended St. Mary's Academy and Natchitoches High School. She received her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from Louisiana State University in 1971, and her graduate degree in Fine Arts from Northwestern State University of Louisiana in Natchitoches in 1976. Cohen's thesis is entitled A Photographic Study of the Cane River Lake Area in a Commercial Art Application of the Medium.  (Photos here)
In 1971, Cohen began free-lance photography work in Baton Rouge, and was employed as studio manager and Secretary-Treasurer for Deep South Recording Studios, Inc. She ended her employment in Baton Rouge in 1973, and then returned to Natchitoches. Cohen was employed as full time staff photographer for Alexandria Daily Town Talk newspaper during 1974. While obtaining her master's degree, Cohen continued practicing her photography. She performed free-lance work for local businesses and received a grant to document on film, the vanishing crafts and skills in Northwest Louisiana.
Cohen began fulltime work in commercial photography after opening a studio near Natchitoches in 1977. That same year she was appointed to a three-year term on the Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission. The following year, Cohen was appointed as chairman of the Committee for Tourism and Cultural Preservation by the Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce. Cohen also taught photography on a part time basis at NSU.

Scope and Content

The Cohen Collection is divided into the two subgroups of B.A. Cohen and Cohen Family. The bulk of the materials include correspondence, photographic images, legal documents and printed materials. The first subgroup largely documents B.A. Cohen's free-lance photography as a hobby and commercial venture. The majority of the images were taken in and around the Natchitoches Parish area. Also included are materials related to her interest and employment in the Louisiana music industry during the 1970s and 1980s.
The second subgroup documents much of the life of the Cohen family during the twentieth century. The bulk of these materials focus on Dorothy Cohen (B.A. Cohen's aunt). Dorothy Cohen was a teacher and also worked much of her life promoting Melrose Plantation and other aspects of Natchitoches Parish culture. Small segments of other Cohen family members are represented. Included among these are Hyman Charles Cohen and Virginia May Brinkley Cohen (B.A. Cohen's father and mother), George and Carrie Brinkley (B.A. Cohen's maternal grandparents), Morris Cohen (B.A.Cohen's uncle) and Emma (Na-Nan) Perrier (believed to be B.A. Cohen's great-great aunt).
For a more detailed description of these materials, see the series description.
Concentrating on vanishing skills of the Cane River area, the B. A. Cohen collection contains four 1977 tape cassette interviews with craftsmen, plus black/white contact prints of each craftsman at his work. Crafts include making fishnet, weaving textiles, making split white oak baskets, and making file.
There are also two folders of glossy black/white prints of buildings and homes of Natchitoches city and parish, and eight frame pictures of craftsmen at work.
5-F-1--5-F-3, B.A. Cohen Collection (1831-2004, n.d.) Acc. 438
5-G-1, OS at 17-L-2--3
Topics Indexed:
Basketry: Natchitoches Parish
Cookery: file making
Craftmen: Natchitoches Parish
Fish Net Making: interview about
Folklore: craftsmen
Natchitoches Parish: craftsmen
Weaving: photographs & interview
Marthaville, Louisiana: sawmill
Martin, Augusts Marie, bishop: photograph

Series Description
B.A. Cohen subgroup

The Photography series contains photographs, slides and negatives. Included in these materials are some of Cohen's published photography represented in photographs, publications and clippings. Unfortunately, many of the other images in this series are unidentified and undated. Names of those identified have been listed in the inventory. The bulk of the images are of the Natchitoches Parish area and some of Baton Rouge-based musicians in the early 1970s. For more information on Louisiana music, see the Louisiana Music series. Much of the Slide Collection sub-series is also unidentified, while a segment of the Negative File sub-series is identified. However, they have not been listed in the inventory, only indexed alphabetically. From limited examination, it does appear that many of the images in the previously mentioned two sub-series are original, and not copies of prints found in the Photography series.
The Louisiana Music series contains correspondence, printed materials and legal documents regarding Louisiana musicians that B.A. Cohen knew and worked with over the years. As previously mentioned, all images related to these musicians can be found in the Photography series. Music industry personalities found here include Al Ferrier (singer, songwriter), Potliquor (group), Jim Brown (producer), Swampfox (group), Sam Montel (producer), Dale & Grace, John Fred, Billy O' Con/Contessa, James Hearron (singer, songwriter), Steve Wells (singer, pianist), Katrice LaCour (performer), Black Lake Singers, Keith & Ginger Lane (gospel singers), Bobby Thomas (songwriter), Infinity (Jazz band), Donna Holt (singer), Tim Murphy (guitarist), Harmon Drew Super Group, Jerry Honigman/Romeos, and Becky Hobbs (singer, songwriter and performer). Also included are materials related to the business aspect of Deep South Recording Studios, Inc. in Baton Rouge. Also present is a small collection of recorded music of many of the mentioned artists, a few of which include demo tapes. Also of interest is a Jose Feliciano LP autographed to Cohen.
The Personal series includes correspondence, printed materials and legal documents, as well as a few photographs of B.A. Cohen. The correspondence mainly relates to Cohen's commercial photography, offering particular details of the usage of her Natchitoches-themed photographs in various publications. Of particular interest are letters from Francois Mignon, Irma Sompayrac Willard and James Register, as well as cards from Dolly Parton and Jose Feliciano. The land records document Cohen's efforts to restore the train depot in Natchez, Louisiana. (unsuccessful?) The printed materials contain a copy of Cohen's thesis and other materials which offer more details on here photography career.
*Note: The first accession of the Cohen Collection located at 1-B-3 contains taped oral histories and photographs of craftspeople at work in Natchitoches Parish. Crafts included fishnet making, textile weaving, split white oak basketry and file grinding.

Cohen Family subgroup

The Correspondence series contains letters to various Cohen family members. Those of particular interest include letters sent by Morris Cohen to his parents while serving in the Navy during World War II, letters from Magnolia Plantation and letters from local catholic churches and national catholic organizations. Also of interest is correspondence and photos from New Orleans by Sister Mary Guadalupe Metoyer. Metoyer claims in the letter that her grandfather was born in The Yucca House on Melrose Plantation. Much of the later correspondence documents Dorothy Cohen's tour work at Melrose Plantation.
The bulk of the Legal Documents series consists of deeds and other land-related documents regarding Brinkley family property and estates in Bath County, Virginia. Much also exists on the sale of Lakeview Plantation, the Cohen family farm in Natchitoches Parish, in 1976.
The Printed Materials series contains clippings of family members and a small genealogy chart. Also of note in the general printed materials are several catholic prayer cards, many of which identify priests in regard to anniversaries of service and deaths.
Included in the Photographs series are photographs that were stored in Emma Perrier's house in Cloutierville, Louisiana. To date, it is not known if the subjects of these photos are related to the Cohen family. All of the photos are from circa 1902-1912 and undated. Many of these photos are not identified, and are indexed alphabetically. Some of the locations in the photos include New Orleans (Mardi Gras, ship docks), 1907 Jamestown Exposition, Mineral Wells, Texas, Gladewater, Texas, Marshall, Texas, Bray Hotel in Gladewater, Texas, North Carolina (taken from train), Memphis, Natchitoches Parish (piney woods), Rapides Parish (bridge), Covington, Louisiana, Hendrix Dry Goods Store and The1904 World's Fair at St. Louis.
Among the people in the photos are Lucille Bell Rogers, Marcia Phillips, Ada Hendricks, Hazel Ponder, Bess Jeter, Madene (?) Lambert, Georgia Austin, Ada Bell Peirnal (?), Lizzie Mae Rogers, Artamese Brown, Ida Hendrix, Hazel Ponder, Blanche Bray, Austin Bray, Maria Phillips, Fay Knox, Ollie Shepperd, C. Perrier, Bert Bray, Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Love, Harry and Leo Masson (New Orleans), Virginia Tapp (?) (Greenwood, Mississippi), Ruth Ferrell, Vivian Waskom (?), Miss Eva Allison, Francis Holloway, Miss Annie Mae Wills (Dallas), Lawrence Brown (Marshall, Texas), Elizabeth Adams (Mineral Springs, Texas), Marie Perrier with Azernia (?) Rachal (Cloutierville), James Guillot (Cloutierville), Mrs. B.W. Woods with Clayton Bray, Lucille Victory (?) and Thornton Bert.
The Oversized Materials series contains artifacts, textiles, scrapbooks and ledgers. Included in the artifacts are Lakeview Plantation cash store tokens, an item owned by George Brinkley during World War I and an original Clementine Hunter "25 Cents to Look" sign. The scrapbooks include a scrapbook of twentieth century greeting cards sent to Dorothy Cohen, and Emma Perrier's autograph book with a few signatures of Cloutierville residents from 1886 and 1887. The ledgers are store ledgers from the Lakeview Plantation Store. The early ledger contains references to ancestor and blacksmith, Casimir Perrier, who had claimed his wedding had been witnessed by Oscar Chopin, husband of writer Kate Chopin. This particular ledger book was given to B.A. Cohen by George Kirkland. The yearbooks and reunion books are of Natchitoches High School. Some were owned by Dorothy Cohen, and some by Mary S. Robson and are inscribed. Cohen and Robson taught at the high school. Included in OS Folder is a 1976 survey of Lakeview Plantation and a 1999 St. Augustine Church restoration plan.

Group 1 B.A. Cohen
Series 1. Photography
Sub Series 1. Published Works
OS Box 1 1973-1985, undated
Sub Series 2. Natchitoches Parish
Folder
1 Natchitoches landscapes, 1973-1986, undated
2 Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, 1974-1982, undated
2 Natchitoches Christmas Festival, 1983, undated
3 Melrose Plantation, 1974, undated
3 Melrose Plantation ceremony, 1974 (?)
4 Melrose Plantation, 1973-1983, undated
4 Cammie G. Henry and Francois Mignon, undated
4 Robert Thompson (weaver), undated
5 Melrose Plantation, 1993, undated
6 Cane River landscapes, 1978, undated
7 Cane River landscapes, undated
7 Cane River people, 1976, undated
7 Magnolia Plantation, 1986
7 Cloutierville Heritage Festival, 1994
Sub Series 3. Louisiana Music
8 Black Lake Singers, undated
8 Knip (?) Meyer, undated
8 Billy O' Con, undated
8 Infinity, undated
8 The War Babies, undated
8 Swampfox, undated
8 Goatleg, 1970s
8 Steve Wells Trio and Steve Wells Band, undated
8 Contessa, 1982-83, undated
8 Bobby Thomas, undated
8 Unidentified, undated
9 Becky Hobbs, 1986, undated
10 Becky Hobbs, undated
10 Al Ferrier, 1976, undated
11 Potliquor, 1971-1980, undated
12 Potliquor, undated
13 Potliquor, undated
14 Unidentified, undated
Sub Series 4. Churches of Natchitoches Parish
15-18 St. Augustine, 1971-1986, undated, unidentified, St. John's-Cloutierville, 1914-1985, undated
19 Immaculate Conception, 1980s
20 Immaculate Conception, undated
21 Unidentified, undated
Sub Series 5. People
22 Unidentified, undated
22 Edwin Edwards, undated
23 Joe Sampite and family, undated
24 Sharon Gahagan, undated
24 Eugenie Watson, undated
24 Evelyn Roe, undated
24 Keith Lane, 1985
24 Sudie Lawton, 1992, undated
24 Ann and Ray Hillis, 1984
24 Port Holt (?), undated
24 Mildred (?), undated
24 Ora Watson, undated
24 C. D. Martin (file grinding), undated
24 Sybil and Ernest Lilley, undated
24 Lucille Carnahan, 1995, undated
24 Bobby DeBlieux, undated
24 Creole portrait, undated
24 Katrice LaCour, undated
24 Thelma Keyser, undated
24 Pat Henry, undated
25 Knights, 1983
25 Betty Jones, undated
25 Israel Suddath (painting), undated
25 Irma Sompayrac Willard, 1978, undated
25 Donna Holt, undated
25 Keith and Ginger Lynn(?) Layne, undated
25 Ora Watson, undated
25 Justin Wilson and Lorne Greene at Natchitoches Christmas Festival,
25 undated
25 Nell Dalme(?), undated
25 Laird LaCour, undated
25 Betty Hertzog, undated
25 Margaret Sutton, undated
25 Mildred Cunningham, undated
26 Lee Burl, undated
26 Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sampite, undated
26 J. C. LaCaze
26 Burton Weaver, undated
26 Dan Roque, undated
26 Tommy Roque, undated
26 Albert Werster(?), undated
26 Jim Bob Key, undated
26 Darnell (?), undated
26 Miss Dormon's Tigre (cat), 1964
26 Ronnie Williams, undated
26 Gimbert (?), undated
26 Clementine Hunter, 1974, undated
26 George Oliver, undated
27 Sherry Waggoner, 1986
27 Alvy L. Wade, undated
27 Dick Richardson, 1986
27 Myra Friedman, undated
27 Rose Anne Jordan and Franck de Caro, undated
27 Ruby, Conna, Maxine and Dee Dee, undated
27 Doris Pierson, undated
27 Joe Sampite, Arthur Watson and Ben Johnson, 1980(?)
Sub Series 6. Northwestern State University of Louisiana
28 Cheerleader camp, 1981-1986, undated
29 Cheerleader camp, 1986
30 Cheerleader camp, undated
31 Cheerleader camp, undated
32 Cheerleader camp, undated
33 Folk Festival, 1980s
33 Theater Department, 1980s
33 Alumni House, 1980s
33 Kappa Epsilon (?), 1983
34 Kappa Alpha (?), 1983, undated
34 Theta Chi, undated
35 Sigma Kappa (?), 1984
35 Delta Zeta (?) Prom Party, 1982-1984, undated
36 Sigma Sigma Sigma (?), 1983, undated
 TKE, 1983-84
38 TKE, undated
39 Sigma Kappa (?), 1984-85, undated
Sub Series 7. Slide Collection
40 Dennis Kaplan (New York), undated
40 Tigers, undated
40 Sandi Smith, undated
40 Eugenie Watson, undated
40 B.A.--chair, undated
40 People at dwelling, undated
40 Copies of photographs found in Cloutierville, undated
40 Creole Ma-Man, undated
40 Camille Sevier, undated
40 KNWD, undated
40 Richard Heschry, 1973
40 Concert in Oklahoma, undated
40 James Lilley, undated
40 Thesis, undated
40 Donnie and Tinker boat christening, undated
40 Sterling Evans, undated
40 Jerry Daniel and boat, undated
40 Joan Baez and Bob Dylan on TV, 1976
40 Paul Hardy in Houma, 1979
40 Gahagan House, undated
40 Sammy Gill--Toledo, undated
40 Mary Ann--no. 76, undated
Sub Series 8. Negative File
41 A-E, undated
42 F-L, undated
43 L-S, undated
44 S-W and unidentified, undated
OS Box 2 Unidentified, 1969-1992, undated
OS Box 3 Unidentified, undated
45 Unidentified, undated
46 Unidentified, undated
47 Unidentified, undated
Group 1 B.A. Cohen continued
Series 2. Louisiana Music
Sub Series 1. General
Folder
48 Correspondence, 1981-1986, undated
49 Correspondence--Becky Hobbs, 1973-2001, undated
50 Correspondence--Bobby Thomas, 1974-1980, undated
51 Printed Materials, 1971-1986, undated
5-F-1 Sound recordings, 1970s-1990s
Sub Series 2. Deep South Studios
52 Correspondence, 1972-1986, undated
53 Legal Documents, 1969-1983, undated
54 Minutes, 1972-1976, undated
55 Financial Reports, 1971-1973, undated
Series 3. Personal
56 Correspondence, 1973-1980
57 Correspondence, 1981-2001, undated
58 Land Records, 1990-1993, undated
59 Printed Materials, 1974-1986, undated
60 Photographs, 1976, undated
Group 2. Cohen Family
Series 1. Correspondence
61 General, 1917-1946
62 General, 1947-1970
63 General, 1972-1982
64 General, 1983-2000, undated
65 Arthur Babb and Cammie G. Henry, 1937-1946
Series 2. Legal Documents
66 General and land-related, 1919-1976
67 General and land-related, 1976
68 General and land-related, 1978-1993, undated
68 Cane River area land abstracts, 1813-1912
Series 3. Printed Materials
69 General, 1932-2004, undated
70 Clippings, 1960-1990s
71 Certificates, 1934-1997, undated
72 Family histories and genealogical charts, 1981-96, undated
Series 4. Photographs
73 Dorothy Cohen and unidentified, 1948, undated
Series 4. Photographs
Folder
74 A-C, circa 1902-1912, undated
75 D-N, circa 1902-1912, undated
76 New Orleans-W, circa 1902-1912, undated
77 Unidentified, circa 1902-1912, undated
OS Box 4 Mabel Tassin, Marksville, Louisiana, circa 1898
OS Box 4 Train wreck--Texas & Pacific, undated
OS Box 4 Marksville, Louisiana train depot, undated
OS Box 4 Marjorie Jameson, El Paso, Texas, 1929
OS Box 4 Miss Mary Todd at class picnic at Mineral Springs, Texas(?), 1911
OS Box 4 Unidentified young boy with "To my Cherinan & Gramere Russell"
OS Box 4 Inscribed, undated
Series 5. Oversized Materials
OS Box 5 Artifacts, 1934-1995, undated
OS Box 6 Textiles, undated
OS Box 7 Textiles, undated
OS Box 8 Textiles, undated
OS Box 9 Yearbooks and reunion books, 1943-1993
OS Box 10 Scrapbooks, 1886-1887, undated
OS Box 11 Ledgers, 1831-1975, undated
OS Folder 1 (Located on large map table in back room)
Landscape plan of Natchitoches Area Action Association, Inc., Creole
Craft House Tourist Information Center, undated
St. Augustine Church restoration plan, 1999
Survey of Lakeview Plantation, 1976
University degree of Dorothy Cohen from Columbia University, 1936
Reproduction print of Lakeview Plantation by Clementine Hunter, 2003