Every one of the materials in the Fisk University Library related to Joplin was donated by Brun Campbell. A folder collecting his correspondence with Mr. Arna Bontemps, the distinguished writer and acting librarian at Fisk during Mr. Campbell's time of deposit, makes for interesting reading, detailing Mr. Campbell's efforts not only to see that Lottie Joplin, Scott Joplin's widow, was sent a surprise acknowledgement of the gift to Fisk, but also to insure that he himself played a prominent part in the documentation, referring to the deposit a "patriotic" act. In addition, Campbell tried to get Fisk to issue him a "Certificate of Merit" for his gesture (a request Mr. Bontemps politely declined simply because the University had no such "certificate", suggesting instead that the lengthy correspondence which they had shared might effectively substitute), as well as stipulating that one of the terms of the agreement be that purchase a copy of his record album recording "The Maple Leaf Rag", amongst other pieces. Despite these awkward requests, Campbell's sentiments appear to be nonetheless heartfelt, and it cannot be forgotten that it is entirely because of him that any of these items still exist today.

The photograph itself is an eight by ten "glossy", with the grey patina and visual crispness one might associate with a product of the 1930's or 1940's, but not with the earlier "sepiatone" look of the ragtime era. This particular picture seems to be only one of three pictures in Fisk's Joplin file which were printed from original negatives, the other photographs clearly being "copies of copies", and all on the same 1930-40's printing paper.

 Top: The Photograph of Scott Joplin' s Piano, c. 1947. Clicking the illustration will reveal an enlargement that shows readable music notes.