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Lula C. Naff, Manager of the Ryman Auditorium, circa 1950

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@ Nashville Public Library

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.
Type:
Image
Format:
Still Image Photographs
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.
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Record Contributed By

Nashville Public Library

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Tennessee