Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The 1971 Festival introduced a new program that focused on laborlore: the language, beliefs, and customs that comprise the special folklore of American workers within trade unions. Such lore was seen by the Smithsonian as constantly growing and evolving along with changes in the workplace, but as continuing to serve a fundamental purpose to union workers. It was considered to bind people together and to give individuals a sense of dignity on the job and within their movement.
Four unions were invited to demonstrate such skills and lore: the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America showed the lore of slaughterhouse workers and retail butchers; the Bakery and Confectionery Workers' International Union of America presented the skills of bakers, whether in factories or in small shops; the Glass Bottle Blowers Association of the United States and Canada offered demonstrations of the glassblowers' art; and the International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Iron Workers erected the steel skeleton of a skyscraper on the National Mall.
The labor skills were complemented by narrative workshops in which members of one or several trades could compare their stories and customs, and by a diverse musical program of songs and theater that were used in labor organizing. The Union Workers' stage also hosted performances and workshops by musicians drawn from the Ohio program and the Performances program. Those participants are listed with their primary program, although recordings of their presentations on the Union Workers' stage are found here.
Richard Prentke served as Labor Program Coordinator and Ron Stanford as primary field researcher. In addition to the four unions that sponsored the 1971 program, it was made possible through the support of the American Federation of Musicians, Music Performance Trust Funds, Atlas Machine and Iron Works, Inc., Harnischfeger Company, and Karl·Koch Erecting Company.
Participants:
Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America
Hilton E. Hanna, Chairman of Exhibit
Max Cullen, Chicago, Illinois
William Mosca, Sr., Baltimore, Maryland
Lavor Taylor, 1896-1989, Ephraim, Utah
William P. Eaton, Washington, D.C.
Local 117, Baltimore, Maryland
Local 593, Washington, D.C.
Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America
Albert K. Herling, Chairman of Exhibit
Adolph Grossman, Chairman of Exhibit
Murray Miller, workshop & baker, New York, New York
Henry Eickenauer, bread baker, New York, New York
Salvatore Guglielno, bread baker, New York, New York
Milton Summers, cake decorator, Bayonne, New Jersey
Lewis Cooperman, baker, New York, New York
Ernest Schenkman, baker, New York, New York
Alfred Clayburn, baker, New York, New York
Joe Frundt, baker, New York, New York
Glass Bottle Blowers Association of the United States and Canada
Alex Smith, Chairman of Exhibit
Val Hamer, Baltimore, Maryland
Thurman Wade, Baltimore, Maryland
Leslie Woodward, Barrington, New Jersey
International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Iron Workers Union
Joseph Maloney, Chairman of Exhibit
Preston George, Chairman of Exhibit
Michael King, Birmingham, Alabama
Glenn M. Harston, Chicago, Illinois
Bruce Bloomingdale, Detroit, Michigan
John C. Toennis, Denver, Colorado
John Lee Peck, Houston, Texas
Elijo Frijos, Los Angeles, California
Vincent Coyle, Boston, Massachusetts
Union Workers' Workshops and Daytime Concerts
Archie Green, discussion leader
Discussants
Max Cullen
Adolf Grossman
Hilton E. Hanna
Val Hamer
Murray Miller
Performers
Jim Garland, 1905-1978, singer and guitarist
Joe Glazer, 1918-2006, singer and guitarist
Sarah Ogan Gunning, 1910-1983, singer
Utah Phillips, 1935-2008, singer and guitarist
Florence Reece, 1900-1986, singer
Teatro Chicano de Austin, Austin, Texas -- Teatro Chicano de Austin, Austin, TexasConnie Acosta, TexasMarie Acosta, 1949-, TexasJuan Chavida, TexasJo Fuentes, TexasRumel Fuentes, TexasSylvia Herrera, TexasAnita Loredo, TexasBob Perkins, TexasYolanda Perkins, TexasManuel Quiroz, TexasPaul Velez, Texas
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. at 202-633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1971 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
