Preserving History with an Artist’s Vision & Historian’s Pen

Episode #67

Guest Speaker ~ M. Ruth Little

From the back cover of The Book of Ruth: The historian sees old and forgotten houses, crab shacks, commercial and farm buildings. The artist envisions the lives that once inhabited them, and the historian fights to preserve them so that they may all remember.

M. Ruth Little, an architectural historian from Raleigh, North Carolina, enlightens us about her role in the preservation of historical structures. She shares how she collects data and helps to save historical landmarks.

The journey that lead Ruth to publish her memoir, The Book of Ruth, was both challenging and rewarding. Within the pages, she narrates fifty years of adventures, from preservation activist in the 1970s to consultant, author and artist. Ruth takes the reader on an emotional journey through many of North Carolina’s unique historic places as she tames her metaphorical ghosts of patriarchy, travel anxiety, and relationships.

“My right brain is an artist; the left brain is a historian,” said Ruth.

A historian knows what details to look for in historical homes and buildings. A writer knows how to relay the story and an artist has the vision to paint the history.

In this Pen to Paper Press Podcast episode, you will hear:
.:. How Ruth honors the Longleaf trees.
.:. The process of collecting research information about the structure of historical homes and buildings.
.:. The purpose of oral history.
.:. Where the silver was buried and the jewelry hidden.
.:. Who told Ruth her seascape was an example of inferior art.
.:. What event inspired her to paint again.
.:. What it was like for Ruth to clean her mother’s “hoarder” home (and if it was like an archaeological site).
.:. Why she could not attend a four year university after high school.
.:. The secret she had withheld from her colleagues when she traveled between locations.

Pour a mug of iced tea for yourself and enjoy this educational on preserving our history.

Who is M. Ruth Little?
M. Ruth Little is the owner of Longleaf Historic Resources and Longleaf Studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. She established Longleaf in 1990 to provide preservation services to owners, advocates and developers of historic properties and to the public sector. Her works of art and architectural history include Sticks and Stones: Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers and Carolina Cottage, A Personal History of the Piazza House. In Ruth’s memoir, The Book of Ruth, she narrates fifty years of adventures, from preservation activist in the 1970s to consultant, author and artist. Ruth takes the reader on an emotional journey through many of North Carolina’s unique historic places as she tames her metaphorical ghosts of patriarchy, travel anxiety, and relationships. Discover more at longleafhistoricresources.com.