Pete Peters video collection
Scope and Contents
The Pete Peters video collection contains 19 Type C 1” one-hour video reels from the never completed documentary entitled Catch the Song, which was written and produced by John Wise. John D. Wise graduated from Yale and worked for a while with CBS News in NY. He secured a grant from the SC Humanities Council to produce Catch the Song and SCETV was contracted to provide 1" videotape recording equipment, cameras, lights and editing facilities. Eventually, SCETV thought the project was taking too long to complete, and Wise could no longer afford their services.
The aim of the project was to document the African roots of the Sea Island Gullah culture. Some of the individuals that were interviewed and highlighted were Mr. Philip Simmons (blacksmith), Frankie and Doug Quimby of the Georgia Sea Island Singers, Dr. Charles Joyner (history professor), Dr. Larry Lepionka (archaeologist), and performances from the St. Simon's Sea Island Gullah Festival compiled from 1984-1988.
Dates
- Creation: 1984-1988
Creator
- Peters, Erwin B., 1954-2022 (Person)
- Wise, John D. (Person)
Access Restrictions
The Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture does not have the technology to play the Type C 1" reels that make up this collection. Work is ongoing to reformat the reels and make the materials available to researchers.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Biographical / Historical
Erwin Bahan (Pete) Peters born February 4, 1954, in Greenville, SC, to Otto Emanuel Peters and Winifred Bahan Peters. He graduated from Furman University in 1976. He was a videographer/director/producer at WCIV TV 4 in Charleston, SC from 1977-1982. As an independent producer/videographer he worked in Israel, Brazil, Jamaica, Barbados, New York, Washington, D.C., Arkansas, Georgia, and the Lowcountry.
He has been the producer/director/videographer of the weekly TV show The Boat Show and several documentaries including, The Braiding of America the Barbados/ Carolina Chord (1999), Ebony Pearls: The African American Experience in and Around Charleston, SC (2010), and Past Forward: ReSearching 1670 Charles Towne Landing (2006).
Additionally, he wrote the screenplay for the yet to be produced movie Old News registered: WGAe.
Full Extent
5 linear feet (5 archival boxes) : 19 Type C 1" one hour video reels
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Pete Peters video collection contains 19 Type C 1-inch one-hour video reels from the never completed documentary entitled Catch the Song, which was written and produced by John Wise. The aim of the project was to document the African roots of the Sea Island Gullah culture. Eventually, SCETV, who was funding the documentary, thought the project was taking too long to complete, and Wise could no longer afford their services.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged at the item level with each film reel.
Custodial History
Peters met John D. Wise at WCIV in 1980 when Wise was independently producing a documentary titled Oyotunji near Sheldon, SC. Peters has had possession of the tapes since 1988 when SCETV became dissociated with the project and, as co-producer, he retrieved them from storage in Columbia, SC. Wise abandoned the project in 1992 and Peters has not heard from him since.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Materials donated by Pete Peters in 2018.
Processing Information
Collection partially processed by Nate Hubler during the reformatting of the reels.
Funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported the processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid.
Subject
- Simmons, Philip, 1912-2009 (Person)
- Title
- Inventory of Pete Peters video collection
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Nate Hubler
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
- Sponsor
- Funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported the processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid.
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu