Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
In its third year, the Working Americans program in 1975 presented the skills and lore found within the work days and nights of transportation workers. The goal of the program was to put names and faces in place of services and machinery, to approximate as closely as possible the actual work place, the human feelings and the tone of the occupation. By focusing on the skills, styles, stories, jokes, beliefs and customs of contemporary workers, the Festival sought to reveal the similarities and differences of occupational backgrounds. Programs focused on air traffic controllers, commercial aircraft machinists and maintenance workers, railroad workers, workers in trucking, and deep sea and inland boatmen.
Visitors to the Working Americans section of the Festival had three areas in which to share the occupational folklore and skills of workers in transportation. The first presented simulated work sites, including areas for bulk freight trucking, maritime skills, airline maintenance, and railroad maintenance of way. The second was devoted to the performance of stories, jokes, personal experiences and other narrative expressions of transportation workers. The Working Americans stage also featured the performance of songs and music growing out of the work experience. The third area was the Learning Center, where photographs of skills in the work environments, videotapes and sound recordings taken on-the-job could be experienced by the Festival visitor. Regular workshops and scheduled discussions dealt with such topics as the safety considerations in these occupations, the 24-hour work rhythm of transportation workers, and the similarities and differences found in the movement of people and goods by various transportation occupations.
This presentation was the result of extensive planning and cooperation among the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Smithsonian Institution and its folklife scholars, the National Park Service, and transportation workers throughout the country.
Shirley Askew served as Program Coordinator, with Robert McCarl as Field Research Coordinator and Susan Donahue as Assistant Program Coordinator. Sponsors included the AFL-CIO, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Presenters:
Kenneth S. Goldstein, Archie Green, Teresa Pyott, Andy Wallace
Participants:
Air Traffic Control Association
Joseph P. O'Brien, President
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Burrell N. Whitmire, President
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees
Harold C. Crotty, President
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen of America
Charles J. Chamberlain, 1921-, President
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Floyd E. Smith, President
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America
Frank E. Fitzsimmons, President
Seafarers International Union of North America
Paul Hall, President
United Transportation Union
Al H. Chesser, President
District of Columbia Truck Roadeo
Gerald F. McCully, Chairman
American Federation of Musicians
Hal C. Davis, President
in cooperation with
The Music Performance Trust Funds
Kenneth E. Raine, Trustee
The music for this occasion is provided by a grant from the Music Performance Trust Funds, a public service organization created and financed by the Recording Industries under agreements with the American Federation of Musicians.
John Benson, singer, fiddler
Saul Broudy, singer, guitarist, harmonica player
Mickey Clark, singer, guitarist
Elizabeth Cotten, 1893-1987, singer, guitarist
John Jackson, 1924-2002, singer, guitarist
Louis Killen, 1934-2003, singer, concertina player
Lewis London, singer, dobroist
Bruce Phillips, 1935-2008, singer, guitarist
Jim Ringer, 1936-1992, singer, guitarist
Bodie Wagner, singer, guitarist
Gerret Warner, singer, guitarist, banjo player
Jeff Warner, singer, guitarist, banjo player
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.
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: 1975 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
