- Tupelo Hardware
Tupelo Hardware Co. Inc. is a hardware store in
Tupelo, Mississippi that is credited with sellingElvis Presley 's mother, Gladys, his first guitar. The business is still located at the corner of Main Street and Front Street in downtown Tupelo and still sells guitars. Pictured at [http://www.rockabillyhall.com/tupelohardware.html]History
Tupelo Hardware Company has been a family business for 80+ years, owned and managed by three generations of the Booth family. The original business was founded in 1926 by George H. Booth, and later incorporated in 1969 by the founder and his son William, who worked tirelessly with his father after his return from World War II until his father's death in 1973. William and his son, George H. Booth II, worked together from 1976 until William's death in 2000.
Cultural Context
One would be hard pressed to find any other hardware store being widely written about, nor the subject of an article in a major British newspaper (though this world-wide fame is largely due to the stores association with Presley). Journalist Andy Gill,writing in "The Independent" in July 2006 referred to Tupelo Hardware as an "Aladdin's cave of DIY delight." That author ruminated on the store's old-time hardware emporium atmosphere against the cultural backdrop of the Deep South. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060721/ai_n16673440]
The shop is, according to its motto, "Known For Values". It is primarily a working hardware store, but has a dual existence as a holy site of pilgrimage for fans of Elvis and enthusiasts of the history of rock and roll. [http://hamptonlandmarks.com/HamptonLandmarks/LandmarkDetailsServlet.jsp?ID=1029.0&&tour=elvis&&tourID=1002.0&&landmarkPage=1&&tourPage=1]
References
* The guitar [http://www.scottymoore.net/ep46kay.html] and [http://www.elvispresleynews.com/ElvisGuitar.html]
* More photographs [http://www.rocknrolltravel.org/tupelohardware.html]
* Additional history [http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature81/Elvis_Presley.htm]
* [http://www.tupelohardware.com Tupelo Hardware's Official Website]
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