July 2026
Shot of performer shrouded in American flag, center frame, as the Memphis State University's Anunga Runga Tribe performs the Hair scene "Don't Put It Down". Photograph taken by Mike Coscia of the Memphis State University Photo Services.
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (Hair) is a musical written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, with composer Galt McDermott, in the 1960s. Hair explores the hippie subculture, sex and sexuality, and the then-current issue of the Vietnam War and the United States draft. Controversy arose for some due to Hair’s inclusion of explicit language, a nude scene in the Broadway run, and how characters treat the United States’ flag.
You can see more from the Hair archive collection in our Other Publications collection here.
To view materials found in the Special Collections Department in person, please schedule an appointment online here.
Text from this post is by Grace Neeley, Archivist/Librarian, Assistant Professor, Special Collections. She can be reached at gneeley@memphis.edu
The Item of the Month is a specially selected item (book, photograph, ephemera, artifact, etc.) that members of the University Libraries' Special Collections Department would like to highlight each month to show the breadth and variety of their collections.
