a_s1576_t86-223b | WPA field recordings at Cherry Lake (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Elderly, the Gospel songs Piano music Fiddle music Musicians Pianists Fiddlers Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at Cherry Lake (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1936
- Description
- One reel to reel. (Copied onto audio cassette C90-52/53, in S 1576.) These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition led by John Lomax. In these recordings Lomax’s colleague visited Cherry Lake.(NOTE -- Valiant's papers can be found at the Mississippi State University's Special Collections.) These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida. See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress, and many are available online.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-226 | WPA field recordings at Gainesville, Raiford, Panama City, and Jacksonville | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Arts, Greek Greek Americans A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Religious music Religious songs Musical tradition, sacred Shape note singing Church membership Drinking songs Love songs Sea shanties Play party songs Musicians Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at Gainesville, Raiford, Panama City, and Jacksonville
- Date
- 1939-10-04
- Description
- One reel to reel. These recordings were created the Lomaxes and Morris of the University of Florida, assisted by workers of the Florida Writers Project (including photographer Robert Cook), in 1939 and 1949. Morris created 14 12-inch acetate records in total. On his 1939 trip, he recorded Greek singers in Jacksonville; in 1949, he recorded Sacred Harp singers in Gainesville, and local singers in Jacksonville and Panama City. The Lomax recordings are from a 1939 trip to the State Prison Farm in Raiford ("Job Job" was recorded in Livingston, Alabama). For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) - after 1939, the Works Projects Administration - was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida's FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art's Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida's WPA program by the Library of Congress' Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-225 | WPA field recordings at Jacksonville, Tarpon Springs, St. Augustine, and Slavia (1939-1940 recording expedition: Alton Morris) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Arts, Greek Greek Americans A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Arts, Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Americans Songs, Greek Songs, Slavic Minorcans Minorcan Americans Love songs Christmas music Carols Musicians Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at Jacksonville, Tarpon Springs, St. Augustine, and Slavia (1939-1940 recording expedition: Alton Morris)
- Date
- 1939-08-26
- Description
- One reel to reel. These recordings were created by Morris of the University of Florida, assisted by workers of the Florida Writers Project (including photographer Robert Cook), in 1939 and 1940. He created 14 12-inch acetate records in total. On this recording, Morris recorded Greek singers in Tarpon Springs and Jacksonville, Minorcans in St. Augustine, and unidentified singers from the Czechoslovakian community of Slavia, founded in 1911. For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-224 | WPA field recordings at Tarpon Springs and Slavia (1939-1940 recording expedition: Alton Morris) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Arts, Greek Greek Americans A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Arts, Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Americans Songs, Greek Songs, Slavic Musicians Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at Tarpon Springs and Slavia (1939-1940 recording expedition: Alton Morris)
- Date
- 1939-08-25
- Description
- One reel to reel. These recordings were created by Morris of the University of Florida, assisted by workers of the Florida Writers Project (including photographer Robert Cook), in 1939 and 1940. He created 14 12-inch acetate records in total. On this recording, Morris visited Tarpon Springs, and the Czechoslovakian community of Slavia, founded in 1911. For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-238 | WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Sermons Gospel songs Prayer African Americans Arts in prisons Male prisoners Women prisoners Jails Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1936
- Description
- One reel to reel. These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition led by John Lomax. In these recordings he visited the Florida State Prison at Raiford in Union County These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including to Raiford and Alachua County). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-239 | WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County , and in Palm Beach County (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Sermons Gospel songs Blues (Music) African Americans Women prisoners Male prisoners Jails Arts in prisons Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County , and in Palm Beach County (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1936
- Description
- One reel to reel. (Copied onto audio cassette C90-43/44 in S 1576.) These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition led by John Lomax. In these recordings he visited the Florida State Prison at Raiford in Union County. These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including to Raiford and Alachua County). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) — after 1939, the Works Projects Administration — was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida's FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Conrwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art's Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida's WPA program by the Library of Congress' Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-240b | WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Blues singers Gospel songs Blues (Music) Male prisoners Women prisoners Prisons African Americans Arts in prisons Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings at the Florida State Prison in Union County (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1936
- Description
- One reel to reel. (Copied onto a aduio cassette, found in S 1576, box 41) These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition led by John Lomax. In these recordings he visited the Florida State Prison at Raiford in Union County. These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including to Raiford and Alachua County). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-241a | WPA Field Recordings by John and Ruby Lomax at the Florida State Prison, 1936-39 | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Blues singers Gospel songs Blues (Music) Male prisoners Women prisoners Prisons African Americans Arts in prisons Archives Interviews Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA Field Recordings by John and Ruby Lomax at the Florida State Prison, 1936-39
- Date
- 1936
- Description
- One reel to reel. Not all the performers were identified. These recordings were created during two WPA expeditions, one by John Lomax in 1936 and a second expedition by John and Ruby Lomax in 1939. In the recordings from the 1936-1937 expedition led by John Lomax, he visited the Florida State Prison at Raiford in Union County. These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including to Raiford and Alachua County). The 1939 recordings are from the Southern States Recording Trip made by John and Ruby Lomax through the South. Touring eleven states, the husband and wife team gathered material for the Library of Congress's Archive of the American Folk Song (today the Archive of Folk Culture in the American Folklife Center). They were not working for the WPA at the time, as is sometimes thought; but they visited two of the same sites the recorded at during their 1936-1937 WPA trip to Florida. In these recordings the Lomaxes visited the Florida State Prison at Raiford in Union County (June 2-5); and Mrs. Griffin's home in Newberry (June 1). They recorded a total of 63 songs on acetate discs (the entire trip netted a full 267 discs, with over 600 titles). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html (Also see reels T86-242/243/223) For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) - after 1939, the Works Projects Administration - was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida's FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art's Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida's WPA program by the Library of Congress' Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-221 | WPA field recordings in Alachua County (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Elderly, the Gospel songs Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings in Alachua County (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1937
- Description
- One reel to reel. These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition by John Lomax. In these recordings he visited Alachua County with Alton Morris of the University of Florida. These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including Raiford and Alachua County). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) — after 1939, the Works Projects Administration — was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida's FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art's Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida's WPA program by the Library of Congress' Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection
a_s1576_t86-220 | WPA field recordings in Alachua County (1936-1937 recording expedition) | Sound | Fieldwork New Deal, 1933-1939 Interviews Public service employment Folklorists Public welfare United States. Work Projects Administration Gospel music Old time music A capella singers Performing arts A capella singing Music performance Singing Elderly, the Gospel songs Singers | /fpc/memory/omeka_images/thumbnails/audio.jpg |
WPA field recordings in Alachua County (1936-1937 recording expedition)
- Date
- 1937
- Description
- One reel to reel. (Copied onto tapes C90-41/42 in S 1576.) These recordings were created during the 1936-1937 expedition by John Lomax. In these recordings he visited Alachua County with Alton Morris of the University of Florida. These were the second of several WPA recording expeditions in Florida. At the time Lomax was in charge of the folklife section of the Federal Writers Project. He left that position in 1938, and in 1939 returned to Florida (including Raiford and Alachua County). See the online exhibit about that 1939 expedition at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/lohtml/lohome.html For more detailed information on the recordings, see S 1579, box 3, for copies of the original LOC indexes. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) – after 1939, the Works Projects Administration – was a work-relief program created in 1935 by the Roosevelt Administration that employed over 8.5 million people between 1935 and 1943. One of its programs was the Federal Writers Project (FWP), which included the Folklore Section. This section conducted fieldwork, recording songs, traditions, and stories across the nation. Originally created to gather material for the American Guide Series, but later emphasis was placed upon fieldwork for preservation of folk traditions for future use. In Florida, the FWP was based out of Jacksonville, and directed by historian Carita Doggett Corse. Folklorist Stetson Kennedy directed the Florida Folklife section. Seven recording expeditions were conducted in Florida. Two were conducted between 1935 and 1937, before the creation of the Florida Folklore Section: one by Alan Lomax and Zora Neale Hurston, and the other by John and Ruby Lomax. After 1939, five more were conducted by Florida’s FWP staff: Kennedy, Hurston, Robert Cook, Alton Morris, Corse, Robert Cornwell, John Filareton, and Herbert Halpert (of the Joint Committee on Folk Art’s Southern Recording Expedition.) Recording equipment was loaned to Florida’s WPA program by the Library of Congress’ Archive of the American Folk Song (later the American Folk Center). The field recordings were made on acetate disks, usually recorded at 78 rpm (although occasionally at 33 rpm). Because these disks were shipped from Washington DC to Florida, then to the recording site, and then back to Washington, these disks often were not of the highest sonic quality. Several had surface scratches and many had various recording speeds. In 1986, the FFP staff made copies of many of these recordings onto reel to reels for inclusion to the Florida Folklife Archive. The originals are still housed with the Library of Congress.
- Collection