Jean Thomas

Jean Bell Thomas (1881–1982) was an American photographer, folklorist, writer, and folk festival promoter from Ashland, Kentucky. After working as a stenographer and court reporter in eastern Kentucky, she traveled widely through the mountains, documenting local music, language, customs, and stories.

Thomas became a champion of Appalachian performers, helping launch the career of blind fiddler James William Day, whom she promoted as Jilson Setters, the “Singin’ Fiddler from Lost Hope Hollow.” She wrote books including Devil’s Ditties, The Traipsin’ Woman, and The Sun Shines Bright, and organized the American Folk Song Festival, which continued for decades and helped bring Appalachian traditions to wider audiences.