Aycock Brown Papers, PC.5127
Abstract
Aycock Brown (1904-1984) was a photographer and journalist who spent his life promoting
the North Carolina coast to outside audiences. During his time as manager and news
director of the Dare County Tourist Bureau, his photographs and stories about the
northern coast of North Carolina are credited with helping to spur the rapid growth
of Dare County as one of the nation's leading resort areas in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Aycock Brown Papers, 1904-1984 and undated (bulk 1929-1984) contain photographs
in numerous formats, personal papers, and realia primarily related to his efforts
to promote the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Aycock Brown Papers
- Call Number
- PC.5127
- Creator
-
Brown, Aycock, 1904-1984
- Date
- 1882-1984 and undated (bulk 1929-1984) 1929-1984
- Extent
- 35.700 cubic feet
- Language
-
English
- Repository
-
Outer Banks History Center
Restrictions on Access & Use
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as
stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers
are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well
as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.5127, Aycock Brown Papers, Outer Banks History Center,
Manteo, N.C., U.S.A.
Collection Overview
The Aycock Brown Papers, 1882-1984 and undated (bulk 1929-1984), consists of photographs
and personal papers created by Aycock Brown, largely in pursuit of his career as a
promotional photographer and publicist for the North Carolina coast. The bulk of the
collection consists of photographs, including tens of thousands of negatives as well
as photographic prints, slides, contact sheets, and plates. Brown's papers include
correspondence, professional papers, drafts and published editions of articles and
press releases, scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings related to the North Carolina
coast, and personal papers.
The photographs in this collection are not yet fully processed and included in this
finding aid. For more information about accessing Aycock Brown's photographs, contact
the Outer Banks History Center.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged into eight series: Correspondence, Dare County Tourist
Bureau, Articles and Press Releases, Wright Brothers' First Flight Commemorations,
Fishing Tournaments and Industries, Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) and
The Lost Colony, Personal Papers, and Photographs. Folders are arranged alphabetically
within each series.
Biographical Note
Charles Brantley Aycock Brown was born 7 October 1904 in Happy Valley, Caldwell County,
North Carolina. His parents were Maggie E. Melton Brown (1875-1912) and Charles Spurgeon
Brown (1872-1942). Brown's father had been employed by North Carolina's Commissioner
of Agriculture during the administration of Governor Charles Brantley Aycock, for
whom Brown is named. During his childhood, the Brown family moved to Occoneechee farm
Hillsborough, North Carolina, where Brown lived from 1910 to 1920. It was in Hillsborough
that he received his introduction to journalism as a printer's devil (apprentice)
for the Orange County Observer. He later worked as a correspondent for several newspapers,
and in 1923 he was hired as a reporter for the Elizabeth City Independent, where he
worked for six months. He then traveled to New York to take journalism classes at
Columbia University, then returned to North Carolina, where he was eventually hired
by the Durham Herald.
In 1928, Brown decided to move to the coast, where he was briefly given a job as a
reporter for the Beaufort News. He then prepared to travel to Cuba as a press agent
for a carnival there, but on a vacation trip to Ocracoke Island, he was offered room
and board by Bill Gaskill, owner of the Pamlico Inn, in exchange for publicity work
to promote the island to area newspapers. He wrote and publicized numerous articles
about the island's culture and history. He also met Esther Styron, a local woman whom
he married in 1929. The couple had three children: Charles Brantley Aycock Brown,
Jr. (1932-2019), William Kenneth Brown (1940-2013), and Esther Gale Brown (Ballance)
(1947-1997).
After struggling to find work during the Great Depression, Brown moved to Beaufort,
North Carolina, to work as a temporary press agent for an organization attempting
to save the town's railroad, which was in danger of being decommissioned. When the
railroad was saved, largely due to Brown's promotional efforts, Brown again found
himself without a job. He was soon asked to run the Beaufort News temporarily while
its publisher, W.G. Mebane, was ill. He retained the position when Mebane eventually
died of his illness. He also took on freelance projects, some of which involved documenting
several wartime activities, including the construction of Camp Davis at Holly Ridge.
When the United States entered World War II, Brown became a special civilian agent
for the Naval Intelligence Office, where he covered the North Carolina coast from
the Outer Banks to Camp LeJeune.
Brown returned to freelance work after the war. During this time, he helped one of
his early clients, Tony Seamons, publicize his restaurant, the Sanitary Fish Market.
With Brown's help, the restaurant became one of the most famous eateries in the state.
He also began writing a regular column, "Covering the Waterfront," which was published
in several North Carolina newspapers. In 1948, he became the publicity director for
The Lost Colony. Brown used celebrity nights, news articles, and photographs to breathe
new life into the drama, which was on the verge of closing due to the dwindling audiences.
By 1952, Brown was spending half of each week in Dare County. After working briefly
for the Dare County Chamber of Commerce, he was convinced by some of his local friends
to take a full-time job as the manager and news director of the newly created Dare
County Tourist Bureau. Brown made his move to the Outer Banks permanently when he
became the first director of the Dare County Tourist bureau, a nonprofit organization
that aimed to increase tourism to the Outer Banks. He remained in this post for the
next 25 years, until he resigned in 1976 to become the Bureau's part time news director.
While heading the Bureau, Aycock Brown's photographs and stories about the northern
coast of North Carolina are credited with helping to spur the rapid growth of Dare
County as one of the nation's leading resort areas in the 1950s and 1960s. By his
own account, Brown took more than 100,000 photographs of Outer Banks scenes and people,
persuading editors that the images were newsworthy and should be printed in their
publications.
In celebration of his semi-retirement, a collection of Brown's photographs was edited
by David Stick and published in a 1976 book, Aycock Brown's Outer Banks. Brown continued
to take photographs, write news stories, and serve his community for the rest of his
life. He passed away on 13 April 1984 and was buried in the Manteo cemetery.
Contents of the Collection
1. Correspondence, 1934-1981 and undated
Scope and Content:
This series contains Brown's professional and personal correspondence. Most letters
are from potential visitors, business owners, and real estate investors requesting
more information about the town of Beaufort and its amenities, or from journalists
and publishers requesting content or responding to Brown's offers of stories and photographs.
Researchers should note that additional correspondence files specific to other series
in this collection (e.g., The Lost Colony or fishing) can be found within those series.
The Andy Griffith Show, 1960Scope and Content:
In early 1960, Hollywood producer Sheldon Leonard approached Aycock Brown to inquire
about any photographs or information Brown might have that would give Leonard an idea
of what Andy Griffith's life was like when he lived in Manteo. Leonard planned to
use this information in his conceptualization of the town of Mayberry for his upcoming
show, the Andy Griffith Show. This folder contains Leonard's and Brown's correspondence.
Box 1
Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, 1938-1941 and undated
Box 1
Beaufort Consolidated Schools ROTC Proposal, 1940
Box 1
The Beaufort News, 1935-1942 and undated
Box 1
Miles Clark, 1937-1950 and undated
Box 1
Diamond Shoals Lightship Preservation, 1964
Box 1
Elected Officials, Assorted Topics, 1938-1975
Box 1
General Correspondence [2 folders], 1934-April 1935
Box 1
General Correspondence [7 folders], May 1935-1955Scope and Content:
Included is an acknowledgement, 13 November 1936, and accompanying letter describing
a batch of dolphin stomachs that Brown obtained for the American Museum of Natural
History, apparently for an analysis of the animals' diet.
Box 2
General Correspondence [4 folders], 1957-1981 and undatedScope and Content:
Includes a 27 December 1960 letter from Brown to Gene Patty of the U.S. Coast Guard
regarding a posthumous award for Frank Collins.
Box 3
Sam Jones, 1952-1975Scope and Content:
Some of the letters in this folder focus on the foodways of eastern North Carolina,
including a dispute over the authenticity of an Ocracoke clam chowder recipe and Jones'
recollections of his own food memories growing up in Hyde County as a boy.
Box 3
Journalists, Editors, and Photographers, 1970-1977 and undated
Box 3
Nature (Including Research), 1953-1976 and undatedScope and Content:
Most of the letters in this folder describe animals (and animal carcasses) found by
Brown and others in Dare County, such as nutria, whales, and sharks, for the purposes
identification and/or preservation.
Box 3
North Carolina Waterways Association, 1940-1941
Box 3
Occoneechee Farms, 1953-1975 and undated
Box 3
Ocracoke Beacon, 1941-1942
Box 3
Personal Correspondence, 1940-1974 and undated
Box 4
Albert Pfleuger Taxidermy, 1959-1963
Box 4
Photo Sales, 1964-1978 and undated
Box 4
Tony Seamons, Sanitary Fish Market, 1948-1954 and undatedScope and Content:
Includes a letter from Seamons promoting the success of the Sanitary Fish Market's
no-alcohol policy.
Box 4
Seashore Toll Road Proposal, undated
Box 4
Bill Sharpe, The State Magazine, 1952-1953
Box 4
R. Stanley Wahab Air Taxi Service, 1940-1941Scope and Content:
In addition to letters related to Stanley Wahab's air taxi service, this folder includes
letters from Wahab on other topics connected to Ocracoke Island, such as the annual
pony penning and events at Wahab Village.
Box 4
2. Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1943-1983 and undated
Scope and Content:
The materials in this series relate to Brown's career as manager and news director
of the Dare County Tourist Bureau (DCTB). Papers include official records, such as
minutes, officers' reports, correspondence, financial data, and statistics; records
related to the publication of Aycock Brown's Outer Banks in 1976; promotional materials
and files related to various publicity projects undertaken by the DCTB, including
the Pirates Jamboree; statistics and information on tourism in the state of North
Carolina and on the coast; and foundational documents related to the establishment
of the DCTB in the early 1950s.
Address by Arnold Kirk, Publications Editor, NC Department of Conservation and Development, undated
Box 4
Agreement with Dare County Tourist Bureau to Discontinue Sale of Newspaper Picture
Reprints, 1959
Box 4
America's 400th Anniversary, 1967-1983
Box 4
Aycock Brown's Outer Banks, 1975-1983
Advertisements, 1975-1976
Box 4
Book Plates Signed by Aycock Brown, circa 1975
Box 4
Correspondence and Reviews, 1976-1983
Box 4
Dare County Tourist Bureau Financial Report, 1979
Box 4
Order Forms (2 folders), 1976
Box 4
Order Forms (4 folders), 1976
Box 5
Response to Banquet Invitation from Contributing Writers, 1976
Box 5
Board of Directors Minutes, 1954-1976
Box 5
Board of Directors Reports, 1953-1954
Box 5
Brochures, circa 1950s-1965
Box 5
Camera Equipment and Supplies, 1960-1977
Box 6
Camping and Trailer Data, 1958
Box 6
Civil Works Program for State of North Carolina, Department of Water Resources, 1966
Box 6
Correspondence, 1953-1975
Box 6
Dare County Chamber of Commerce Constitution and Bylaws, 1943-1976
Box 6
Department of Conservation and Development, Industrial Development, 1964
Box 6
Deposition of Dare County Board of Commissioners, Public Hearing on Hatteras Inlet
and Related Channels, 1965
Box 6
Deposition of Dare County Board of Commissioners, Public Hearing on Shallowbag bay,
Channel to Oregon Inlet, and Channel to Wanchese, 1965
Box 6
Driving Tour, Elizabeth City to Hatteras Inlet, circa 1950s
Box 6
Editorial Contacts, undated
Box 6
Elizabethan Gardens, 1953-1976 and undated
Box 6
Elizabethan Rendezvous, 1981
Box 6
Environmental Assessment: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Barrier Island Environmental
Management Policy, undated
Box 6
Establishment of Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1951
Box 6
Expenditures, Aycock Brown, 1952-1955
Box 6
Expenditures, Aycock Brown, 1958-1965
Box 7
Hugh Morton Postcards, 1954
Box 7
Information Bulletins, 1954
Box 7
Mesa, Luis Manuel, Portrait Artist, 1974
Box 7
Nags Head Chamber of Commerce, 1967
Box 7
National Park Service: Fourth Year of Dune Building at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1960
Box 7
National Park Service Monthly Public Use Reports [2 folders], 1960-1979
Box 7
Newspaper Clipping Service, 1960 and undated
Box 8
North Carolina Civil Defense Agency Operational Survival Plan, 1962
Box 8
North Carolina Data File, 1970
Box 8
North Carolina Public Health Association 42nd Annual Meeting, 1953
Box 8
Ocean Highway Association, 1965-1967
Box 8
Officers and Board of Directors, 1959
Box 8
Organizational Documents, 1951-1974
Box 8
Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Member Newsletter, 1975
Box 8
Outer Banks Recreation Association, 1968
Box 8
Pirates Jamboree, 1958-1966
Box 8
Promotional Films: Currituck to Calabash, NC Variety Vacationland, 1957
Box 8
Report: An Economic Analysis of North Carolina's $968 Million Travel Serving Industry, 1964
Box 8
Report: NC Highway 12 Project, 1975
Box 8
Ocracoke Island Combined Hurricane and Beach Erosion Control Report, 1963
Box 8
Sportsmen's Guides' Directory of Fishing, Surfing, and Hunting Guides and Accommodations, undated
Box 8
State Highway and Public Works Commission, Ferry Traffic, 1953-1954
Box 8
3. Articles and Press Releases, 1929-1983 and undated
Scope and Content:
This series primarily consists of drafts and published editions of Brown's various
articles, press releases, and cutlines, as well as articles written by other authors
that Brown collected for research or informational purposes.
Articles by Aycock Brown, 1940-1983 and undated
Aviation, 1940-1961 and undated
Box 8
Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1961-1965 and undated
Box 8
Duck Woods Golf Club, undated
Box 8
Elizabethan Gardens, 1966 and undated
Box 8
Fishing, 1947-1983 and undated
Box 9
Flongs (Stereotype Mats), 1940-1950s
Box 9
General, 1940s-1953 and undated
Box 9
Hatteras Island, 1964-1978 and undated
Box 9
The Lost Colony, 1954-1971 and undated
Box 9
Nags Head, circa 1950s-1965
Box 9
Nature, 1948-1962 and undated
Box 9
Ocracoke, circa 1940-1970
Box 9
Old Christmas, 1952 and undated
Box 9
Outer Banks Descriptions, 1960-1970 and undated
Box 9
Salter Path and Carteret County, 1940s
Box 9
Shipwrecks, 1959-1963 and undated
Box 9
Articles Written by Others, Various Topics, 1955-1979 and undated
Box 9
Photograph Cutlines and Captions, 1959-1975 and undated
Box 9
Research: 1899 Storms (San Ciriaco Hurricane and Wreck of the Ariosto), 1941-1964
Box 9
Research: North Carolina License Plates, 1967
Box 9
Research: Reginald Fessenden, undated
Box 9
Research: United States Lifesaving Service Records Related to Little Bannister Midget
(Photocopies of Originals Dated 1879-1894), undated
Box 9
Scrapbooks: Press Clippings, 1929-1975
Covering the Waterfront, 1945-1946
Box 18
Covering the Waterfront, 1946
Box 19
Covering the Waterfront, Coastwise, Hunting and Fishing in North Carolina, 1939-1950
Box 19
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, 1946-1947
Box 20
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, April-May 1948
Box 20
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, May-July 1948
Box 20
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, January-May 1948
Box 21
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, 1945-1949
Box 21
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, July-August 1948
Box 22
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, September-November 1948
Box 22
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, 1948-1949
Box 22
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, 1948-1950
Box 23
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, 1949-1951
Box 23
Dare County Chamber of Commerce, June-July 1950
Box 24
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1950-1951
Box 24
Dare County Tourist Bureau, October 1951
Box 25
Dare County Tourist Bureau, October-December 1951
Box 25
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1951-1952
Box 25
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1951-1952
Box 25
Dare County Tourist Bureau, January-March 1952
Box 26
Dare County Tourist Bureau, March-April 1952
Box 26
Dare County Tourist Bureau, March-April 1952
Box 26
Dare County Tourist Bureau, May-July 1952
Box 26
Dare County Tourist Bureau, May-August 1952
Box 26
Dare County Tourist Bureau, September 1952
Box 27
Dare County Tourist Bureau, September-October 1952
Box 27
Dare County Tourist Bureau, October-December 1952
Box 27
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1952-1953
Box 27
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1952-1953
Box 28
Dare County Tourist Bureau, January-April 1953
Box 28
Dare County Tourist Bureau, March-May 1953
Box 28
Dare County Tourist Bureau, March-June 1953
Box 29
Dare County Tourist Bureau, April-June 1953
Box 29
Dare County Tourist Bureau, May-October 1953
Box 29
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1975-1975
Box 30
Dare County Tourist Bureau, 1975
Box 30
Feature Stories, 1941-1951
Box 30
Edgewater Club (Morehead City), 1935
Box 30
The Lost Colony, 1944-1946
Box 31
The Lost Colony, April-June 1947
Box 31
The Lost Colony, June-July 1947
Box 32
The Lost Colony, July-August 1947
Box 32
The Lost Colony, July0August 1947
Box 33
The Lost Colony, March-July 1948
Box 33
The Lost Colony, July 1948
Box 33
The Lost Colony, July-August 1948
Box 34
The Lost Colony, August 1948
Box 34
The Lost Colony, June-July 2952
Box 35
The Lost Colony, July-September 1952
Box 35
The Lost Colony, December 1952-July 1953
Box 35
The Lost Colony, June-July 1953
Box 36
Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1951
Box 36
Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1952
Box 37
Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1952-1953
Box 37
Wright Brothers National Memorial, August-October 1953
Box 37
Wright Brothers National Memorial, December 1953
Box 38
Wright Brothers National Memorial, December 1953
Box 38
Wright Brothers National Memorial, 1953-1954
Box 38
4. Wright Brothers' First Flight Commemorations, 1929-1980s and undated
Scope and Content:
As a promotional spokesperson for the Outer Banks, Brown was intimately involved with
and heavily promoted the various celebrations and ceremonies associated with the Wright
Brothers' first flight and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. This series includes
programs, correspondence, and other papers related to the various first flight anniversary
commemorations that were held at the Memorial, as well as several folders related
to the early history of the First Flight Society. Also included are files related
to the general history and commemoration of the Wright Brothers' flight, as well as
a small amount of material related to the Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society, a tongue
in cheek organization dedicated to promoting the idea that the first flight never
happened.
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations: List of Celebrations, 1927-1977, 1978
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemoration of 1928, 1929
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1950 and 1951, 1950-1974
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1953 and 1954, 1953-1956
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations 1957, 1958, and 1959, 1957-1959
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1961 and 1962, 1961-1962
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemoration of 1963, 1957-1963
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemoration of 1963: Youth Seminar on Flight, 1963
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemoration of 1963: Wright Flyer Replica "Project 60", 1963
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1964-1969, 1964-1969
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1970-1976, 1970-1976
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations of 1977-1978, 1977-1978
Box 10
First Flight Anniversary Commemorations, undated
Box 10
First Flight Society, 1952-1980s and undated
Board of Directors Meetings, 1967-1978
Box 11
Correspondence, 1952-1977
Box 11
Financial Reports, 1966-1975
Box 11
Legal and Establishing Documents, 1966-1974
Box 11
Membership, 1957-1978 and undated
Box 11
National Advisory Board, 1967-1974
Box 11
Newsletters, 1968-1978 and undated
Box 11
The Birth of Aviation, 1940-1972
Box 11
"First Flight: The Story of Orville and Wilbur Wright at Kitty Hawk, NC," A Narrative
Poem by John Williams Andrews, 1962
Box 11
First Flight Shrine, 1966-1972
Box 11
The Flight Brothers Musical, 1974
Box 11
Keville Glennon (Norfolk Correspondent for Associated Press) Recollections of Wright
Brothers Flight Notification, 1953
Box 11
Kitty Hawk's Restaurant and Bar, New York, 1969-1970
Box 11
Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society, 1960-1978 and undated
Box 11
Manteo Airport Map, undated
Box 11
National Aeronautics Association, 1963-1978
Box 11
Postal Materials, 1966-1977
Box 11
Skylights (National Aerospace Education Council), 1963
Box 11
U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, 1954-1966
Box 11
Wright Brothers Commemorative Medallion, 1953?
Box 11
Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitors Center Dedication, 1960 and undated
Box 11
Wright Flyer Replica, 1958
Box 11
5. Fishing Tournaments and Industries, 1933-1977 and undated
Scope and Content:
One of the main attractions that Brown used to promote the Dare Coast to visitors
was the excellent fishing in the area. This series includes materials related to the
various fishing tournaments that Brown covered, promotional pamphlets and brochures
describing the fishing conditions in the Outer Banks, and a small number of scientific
reports on area fisheries. Included in this series is a folder of material related
to a "Marlin Duel" that took place in the late 1950s, when North Carolina and Puerto
Rico both laid claim to having the world's best marlin fishing.
Captain Neil Midgett's Recipe for Outer Banks Sturgeon Caviar, Sand Ridge Lodge Waterfowl
Tag, undated
Box 12
Dare County Tourist Bureau Fishing Bulletins, 1953-1954
Box 12
The Destruction of Small Fish by the Shrimp Trawlers in Pamlico Sound, NC, circa 1950
Box 12
Drum Inlet Project, circa 1933
Box 12
Fishing and Hunting in North Carolina, 1960s
Box 12
Fishing Tournament Participation Records and Correspondence, 1962-1975 and undated
Box 12
Hatteras Marlin Club International Blue Marlin Tournament, 1960-1977 and undated
Box 12
International Game Fish Association, 1959-1975 and undated
Box 12
Jack Harrington Record Marlin Catch, 1974-1975
Box 12
Marlin Caught Off Dare Coast, 1958-1976
Box 12
New Hanover Fishing Club Prize List and Annual, 1940
Box 12
Notes on the Occurrence of a Whale Shark in the Cape Fear River Near Southport, NC,
H.H. Brimley, 1935
Box 12
Oregon Inlet First Annual Billfish Tournament, 1976
Box 12
Patches, 1974 and undated
Box 12
Preliminary Report on the Former Net Fisheries for Tursiops Truncatus (Bottlenose
Dolphin) in the Western North Atlantic, 1975
Box 12
Puerto Rico "Marlin Duel", 1958-1960
Box 12
6. Roanoke Island Historical Association (RIHA) and The Lost Colony, 1939-1976 and undated
Scope and Content:
Brown served as the publicity director for The Lost Colony beginning in 1948, and
he continued to promote the production while working for the Dare County Tourist Bureau.
This series primarily consists of articles and press releases related to The Lost
Colony, largely written by Brown. Included in this series is a folder of press releases
on Negro Citizens Day, an annual event organized by the Roanoke Island Historical
Association during the era of segregation, for which prominent speakers from the Black
community were invited to introduce a special performance of the play, which was attended
by Black families and visitors.
Articles on The Lost Colony, 1940-1947 and undated
Box 13
Congressional Resolutions re: Roanoke Island Memorial Commission, 1965-1966
Box 13
Correspondence, 1948-1973 and undated
Box 13
Kevin the Bold, 1965 and undated
Box 13
Morrison Award to Samuel Ragan, Presentation Speech by Aycock Brown, 1976
Box 13
Negro Citizens Day, 1939-1948
Box 13
Photographic Equipment Agreement, 1965
Box 13
Photographic Plate: Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh Meeting the Governor of
North Carolina [?], circa 1950s
Box 13
Press Photographers Phrolic, 1951
Box 13
Roanoke Island Historical Association, 1954-1970
Box 13
Sir Walter Raleigh-Virginia Dare Commemorative Half Dollar, 1950-1965
Box 13
UNC Lost Colony Trust Fund, undated
Box 13
7. Personal Papers, 1882-1984 and undated
Scope and Content:
This series contains Aycock Brown's personal papers as well as papers related to his
early career prior to relocating to Dare County permanently. Included in this series
are papers related to Beaufort, Carteret County, and Ocracoke, as well as personal
recordkeeping items created by Brown over the course of his career, such as appointment
books and steno pads.
Address Books [2 folders], undatedScope and Content:
One address book includes a recipe for orange slice fruit cake and other loose papers.
Also included are papers related to Brown's service during World War II, as well as
items collected by Brown related to the wartime history of the area.
Box 13
Appointment Books [4 folders], 1958-1966
Box 14
Appointment Books [2 folders], 1967-1969
Box 15
Articles About Aycock Brown, 1948-1980 and undated
Box 15
Autograph Parties, 1976, 1979
Box 15
Awards, 1944-1977 and undated
Box 15
Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, 1935-1940
Box 15
Beaufort Promotional Brochure, circa 1930s
Box 15
Camp Morehead By the Sea, 1940
Box 15
Carteret County, General Papers, 1931-1941 and undatedScope and Content:
This folder includes a list of teachers in the segregated schools of Carteret County
for the 1936-1937 school year, papers related to the Beaufort News and the Carteret
County Board of Commissioners, demographics and statistics related to Carteret County
and its industries, and other papers.
Box 15
Election Tabulations, 1976
Box 15
Elizabeth II Plans, 1981-1983
Oversize Box 1
Hatteras Medical Center, 1963
Box 15
Hattie Styron and Esther Styron Brown Church Memberships, 1938
Box 15
Honorary Tar Heels, 1949-1967 and undated
Box 15
Improvements to Navigation and Transportation, Carteret County, 1935-1936
Box 16
Manteo Airport Brochure, circa 1940s
Box 16
Membership and Business Cards, 1930s-1982
Box 16
North Carolina Census of Population, 1950
Box 16
North Carolina Coast Promotional Materials, 1970s-1980s
Oversize Box 1
North Carolina National Seashore Commission, 1952-1966
Box 16
North Carolina Spring-Summer Travel Press Kit, 1972
Box 16
Ocracoke Island Beacon, Vol. 1, Nos. 4-6, 1941-1942
Oversize Box 1
Other Personal Papers, 1929-1936 and undated
Box 16
Oversize Personal Papers, 1882-1977
Oversize Box 1
Portraits of Aycock Brown (Framed), undated
Oversize Box 2
Railroads, Beaufort, North Carolina, 1935-1937
Box 16
Rotary International, 1940-1960
Box 16
St. Andrews By-The-Sea Episcopal Church Organ, 1960
Box 16
State Commission Appointments, 1953-1972
Box 16
Steno Pads [2 folders], 1964, 1979
Box 16
Taylor's Creek Improvement (Beaufort, NC), 1940
Box 16
United States Coast Guard Stations, Beaufort Area, 1935-1937
Box 16
World War II, 1939-1976 and undated
British Cemeteries at Ocracoke and Hatteras, 1942-1976
Box 16
Diary of Aycock Brown, 1942
Box 16
Documents Supporting Neutrality, 1940
Box 16
Draft Selection Notice, Morehead City, 1941
Box 16
HMS Bedfordshire, 1970 and undated
Box 16
Intelligence Reports and Correspondence, 1940-1943
Box 16
I Wore the Dead Man's Hand, undated
Box 16
Japanese Army Paybook, 1942
Box 16
Realia, 1950s-1976 and undated
Cape Hatteras National Seashore National Parks Centennial Issue Stamp Plaque, 1972
Box 17
Dare County-Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Centennial Brother of the Brush, 1970
Box 17
Dare County-Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Centennial Flag, 1970
Box 17
Photography Supplies and Accessories, undated
Box 17
Reproduction Gold Lifesaving Medal of Honor for Rasmus Midgett, undated
Box 17
Rotary Greetings Banner, Manteo, NC, undated
Box 17
St. Christopher Auto Pin and Prayer, 1950s
Box 17
8. Photographs, circa 1900s-1984
Scope and Content:
Aycock Brown's photographs span the full lifecycle of his career, from the late 1920s
to the early 1980s. This series primarily consists of photographs taken by Aycock
Brown, although some photographs taken by other photographers and collected by Brown
are present. Photographs consist of prints of various sizes, film negatives, color
slides, and contact sheets. The negatives are arranged chronologically by date, while
all other formats are arranged topically. A partial index of the negatives is available;
contact the Outer Banks History Center to view the index.
Aerial Photos [8 folders], undated
Image Box 1
Aircraft [2 folders], undated
Image Box 1
Airplanes, Crashes, undated
Image Box 1
Animals I [Whales, Porpoise, Turtles, Seals, Sharks, Marine Life], undated
Image Box 1
Animals II [Cows, Horses, Deer, Cats, Dogs, Bears Racoons, Other Land Animals], undated
Image Box 1
Arts and Crafts [2 folders], undated
Image Box 2
Aycock Brown's Outer Banks [folders 1 and 2], undated
Image Box 2
Aycock Brown's Outer Banks [folders 3-5], undated
Image Box 3
Beach Scenes [2 folders], undated
Image Box 3
Beauty Pageants [3 folders], undated
Image Box 4
Birds [5 folders], undated
Image Box 4
Boats [folders 1-8], undated
Image Box 5
Boats [folders 9-11], undated
Image Box 6
Brown, Aycock [2 folders], undated
Image Box 6
Celebrations I [Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Halloween], undated
Image Box 7
Celebrations II [Old Christmas, Weddings and Anniversaries, Ribbon Cuttings, Boat
Dedications], undated
Image Box 7
Celebrations III [Bicentennial, Civil War Centennial, Other Celebrations], undated
Image Box 7
Cemeteries, British, undated
Image Box 7
Cheesecake [4 folders], undated
Image Box 8
Clubs [2 folders], undated
Image Box 8
Dare County Government, undated
Image Box 9
Fashion Shows [2 folders], undated
Image Box 9
Fires and Firefighting, undated
Image Box 9
Amberjack - Albacore, Bonita, undated
Image Box 10
Bluefish, Pegboard, undated
Image Box 10
Bluefish at Dock, undated
Image Box 10
1 Bluefish, 1 Man, undated
Image Box 10
2 Bluefish, 2 Men, undated
Image Box 10
Bluefish, Miscellaneous, undated
Image Box 10
Bluefish with Cars, undated
Image Box 10
2 Bluefish, 1 Man, undated
Image Box 11
Bluefish, Women and Children, undated
Image Box 11
Dolphin, Person or Persons Holding Dolphin, undated
Image Box 11
Dolphin, Pegboard, undated
Image Box 11
Drum, 1 Person, 2 or 3 Fish, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, 1 Man, 1 Fish, Vertical, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, 1 Man, 1 Fish, Horizontal, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, Car in Background, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, 2 People, 1 Fish, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, Pier, Dock, Scales, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, Many People, Many Drum, undated
Image Box 12
Drum, Women and Children, undated
Image Box 13
Mackerel, Spanish and King, Pegboard, undated
Image Box 13
Mackerel, Spanish and King, 1 Man, 1 Fish, undated
Image Box 13
Mackerel, Spanish and King, 1 Man or 1 Fish, undated
Image Box 13
Mackerel, Spanish and King, Women and Children, undated
Image Box 13
Marlin, Unidentified Size [2 folders], undated
Image Box 14
Marlin, 200-299 Pounds [2 folders], undated
Image Box 14
Marlin, 300-399 Pounds [2 folders], undated
Image Box 15
Marlin, 400-499 Pounds [folder 1], undated
Image Box 15
Marlin, 400-499 Pounds [folder 2], undated
Image Box 16
Marlin, 500-599 Pounds, undated
Image Box 16
Marlin, 2 or More, undated
Image Box 16
Marlin Being Unloaded, undated
Image Box 16
Marlin, Miscellaneous, undated
Image Box 16
Marlin, Pegboard, undated
Image Box 17
Marlin and Billfish with Name Visible on Boat, undated
Image Box 17
Pegboard, General [2 folders], undated
Image Box 17
Tarpon, Houndfish, and Barracuda, undated
Image Box 18
Fishing, Commercial, undated
Image Box 19
Fishing, General [5 folders], undated
Image Box 20
Fishing, General [2 folders], undated
Image Box 21
Fishing, Tournaments [folder 1-3], undated
Image Box 21
Fishing, Tournaments [folders 4-6], undated
Image Box 22
Flowers [folder 1], undated
Image Box 22
Flowers [folders 2-3], undated
Image Box 23
Fraternal Orders, undated
Image Box 23
Gardens, Elizabethan: Gatehouse, undated
Image Box 23
Gardens, Elizabethan: Other Areas, undated
Image Box 23
Gardens, Elizabethan: Plant Life, undated
Image Box 24
Gardens, Elizabethan: Queen's Rose Garden, undated
Image Box 24
Gardens, Elizabethan: Statuary, undated
Image Box 24
Gardens, Elizabethan: Sunken Garden, undated
Image Box 24
Gardens, Vegetable, undated
Image Box 24
Golf [folders 1-2], undated
Image Box 24
Golf [folders 3-4], undated
Image Box 25
Hotels and Motels, undated
Image Box 25
Hunting [2 folders], undated
Image Box 26
Lifesaving Stations, undated
Image Box 26
Lighthouses I-II (Cape Hatteras Lighthouse), undated
Image Box 26
Lighthouses III (Other Lighthouses), undated
Image Box 27
The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama, undated
Author, Paul Green, undated
Image Box 27
Cast, Activities, undated
Image Box 27
Cast, Administration and Publicity, Celebrity Nights [2 folders], undated
Image Box 27
Cast, Dame Coleman, undated
Image Box 27
Cast, Eleanor Dare, undated
Image Box 28
Cast, Eleanor Dare (Marjalene Thomas Only), undated
Image Box 28
Cast, Governor John White and Ananias Dare, undated
Image Box 28
Cast, "Indians" Ceremonial Dance, undated
Image Box 28
Cast, John Borden, undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Marjorie Harvey, undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Master of Ceremonies, undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Queen Elizabeth [3 folders], undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Queen's Garden Party, undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Redface Makeup, undated
Image Box 29
Cast, Scenes [2 folders], undated
Image Box 30
Cast, Simon Fernando, undated
Image Box 30
Cast, Sir Walter Raleigh, undated
Image Box 30
Cast, Unidentified, undated
Image Box 30
Cast, Virginia Dare, undated
Image Box 30
Production Staff, undated
Image Box 30
Productions, Art and Art Shows, undated
Image Box 31
Productions, Elizabethan Gardens, undated
Image Box 31
Productions, Professional Theatre Workshop, Children's Theatre, undated
Image Box 31
Waterside Theatre, Audience, undated
Image Box 31
Waterside Theatre, Box Office, undated
Image Box 31
Waterside Theatre, Other Uses [2 folders], undated
Image Box 31
Waterside Theatre, Structures, undated
Image Box 31
Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society, undated
Image Box 32
Medical Services, undated
Image Box 32
Music: Performances, undated
Image Box 32
Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk, undated
Image Box 33
National Park Service, undated
Image Box 33
Ocracoke [2 folders], undated
Image Box 33
Other Dare County Locations, undated
Image Box 33
People [folders 1-4], undated
Image Box 34
People [folders 5-9], undated
Image Box 35
People [folders 10-14], undated
Image Box 36
People [folders 15-19], undated
Image Box 37
People [folders 20-24], undated
Image Box 38
People [folders 25-30], undated
Image Box 39
People [folders 31-34], undated
Image Box 40
People [folders 35-37], undated
Image Box 41
Photos from Aycock Brown's Office [2 folders], undated
Image Box 41
Pirates Jamboree [2 folders], undated
Image Box 42
Places [4 folders], undated
Image Box 42
Portsmouth Island, undated
Image Box 42
Public Buildings, undated
Image Box 43
Raleigh, Sir Walter, undated
Image Box 43
Real Estate Offices and Realtors, undated
Image Box 43
Recreation Areas, undated
Image Box 43
Schools [2 folders], undated
Image Box 43
Seascape Development, undated
Image Box 43
Sheriff's Department, undated
Image Box 43
Storms [3 folders], undated
Image Box 44
Things [folder 1], undated
Image Box 44
Things [folders 2-5], undated
Image Box 45
U.S. Coast Guard [2 folders], undated
Image Box 46
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, undated
Image Box 46
U.S. Marine Corp, undated
Image Box 46
U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, undated
Image Box 46
Wrecks, Automobiles, undated
Image Box 46
Wright Brothers National Memorial [folders 1-5], undated
Image Box 47
Wright Brothers National Memorial [folders 6-7], undated
Image Box 48
Large Format Prints I [Aerials, Animals, Boats, Aycock Brown], undated
Image Box 49
Large Format Prints II [Diamond Shoals Lightship, Fires, Fish, Hatteras Island Wireless
Station, Ocracoke], undated
Image Box 49
Large Format Prints III [People, Shipwrecks, Wright Brothers National Memorial], undated
Image Box 49
Subject Headings
Green, Paul, 1894-1981.--The Lost Colony
Dare County Tourist Bureau (Dare County, N.C.)
Dare Coast Pirates Jamboree
Flight--Centennial celebrations, etc.
Recreation--North Carolina--Dare County
Photography in publicity--North Carolina
Place marketing--North Carolina
Tourism--North Carolina--Outer Banks
Tournament fishing--North Carolina--Outer Banks
World War, 1939-1945--North Carolina--Outer Banks
Beaufort (N.C.)--History--20th century
Carterett County (NC)--History--20th century
Ocracoke Island (N.C.)--History--20th century
Outer Banks (N.C.)--History--20th century
Acquisitions Information
Portions of this collection were donated by the Dare County Tourist Bureau, September
1988, the Outer Banks History Center Associates, December 2003, Bette Blanchard, March
2004, Nancy Hendee Pain, June 2005, and Thomas A. McDonald, February 2008.
Processing Information
Processed by Outer Banks History Center staff, April 2022.