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Lula C. Naff, Manager of the Ryman Auditorium, circa 1950
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Lula C. Naff, Manager of the Ryman Auditorium, circa 1950
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Description
Title
Lula
C
.
Naff
,
Manager
of the
Ryman
Auditorium
,
circa
1950
Personal name
Naff
,
Lula
,
1875-1960
Corporate name
Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, Tenn.)
Topical entry
Performing Arts
Popular Culture
Entertainment
Business
Industries
Capital City
Downtown Nashville
Buildings
Architecture
Performances--Tennessee--Nashville
Performing arts--Tennessee--Nashville
Buildings--Tennessee--Nashville
Historic buildings--Tennessee--Nashville
Architecture--Tennessee--Nashville
Central business districts--Tennessee--Nashville
Business enterprises--Tennessee--Nashville
Businesspeople--Tennessee--Nashville
Centers for the performing arts--Tennessee--Nashville
Entertainment--Tennessee--Nashville
Ticket offices--Tennessee--Nashville
Cultural facilities--Tennessee--Nashville
Geographic entry
Nashville (Tenn.)--History--Sources
Nashville (Tenn.)--Social life and customs
Fifth Avenue (Nashville, Tenn.)
Nashville (Tenn.)--Buildings, structures, etc.
Description
A
photograph
of
Mrs
.
Naff
standing
in
front
of the
ticket
booth
at the
Ryman
Auditorium
. The
building
is
located
at
116
5th
Avenue
North
in
Nashville
,
Tennessee
. The
Ryman
Auditorium
opened
as a
tabernacle
in
1892
, and
over
the
years
its
venue
changed
to
become
an
entertainment
hall
. This was
due
primarily
to the
efforts
of
Lula
Naff
, a
widow
with a
small
daughter
to
support
. She
came
to
Nashville
in
1904
as the
secretary/bookkeeper
for the
Lyceum
Bureau
that
booked
entertainment
for the
Ryman
.
When
that
agency
dissolved
,
Mrs
.
Naff
became
general
manager
in
1920
. Her
keen
business
instincts
assured
her that
famous
names
would
sell
tickets
, and she was
right
.
Tenor
John
McCormack
was her
first
sell-out
,
followed
by
many
great
musical
and
dramatic
performers
of the
age
,
including
Paderewski
,
Anna
Pavlova
, and
Marian
Anderson
. In
1943
, the
Ryman
began
Grand
Ole
Opry
broadcasts
with
many
of the
greats
of
country
music
performing
on
stage
and
aired
over
radio
station
WSM
.
Lula
Naff
rarely
saw
a
performance
; she was
too
busy
collecting
ticket
stubs
in a
shoebox
and
working
at a
battered
kitchen
table
.
Mrs
.
Naff
retired
in
1955
and was
given
the
title
"
General
Manager
Emeritus
". She
died
in
1960
,
after
devoting
more
than
fifty
years
of
distinguished
service
to the
music
venue
of the
Ryman
Auditorium
.
Forms
part
of the
Naff
Collection
.
1
photograph
:
b
&
w
;
11
x
14
in.
Publisher
Special
Collections
Division
of the
Nashville
Public
Library
,
615
Church
Street
,
Nashville
,
Tennessee
,
37219
Contributors
Robinson
,
Francis
,
1910-
(Donor)
;
Naff
,
Lula
C.
,
1875-1960
(Collector)
Date
ca.
1950
Type
Still
Image
;
Photographs
Identifier
Naff oversized, Lula Naff photo
Language
English
Relation
Naff
Collection
Coverage
1950-1959
Rights
U.S
. and
international
copyright
laws
protect
this
digital
content
,
which
is
provided
for
educational
purposes
only
and
may
not be
downloaded
,
reproduced
, or
distributed
for any
other
purpose
without
written
permission
.
Please
contact
the
Special
Collections
Division
of the
Nashville
Public
Library
,
615
Church
Street
,
Nashville
,
Tennessee
,
37219
.
Telephone
(615)
862-5782
.
Location
Closed Stacks-Naff oversized, Lula Naff
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