1 Binder (contact sheets and prints, black and white)
1 Boxe (35 mm negatives, black and white, 8.5"x10.75"x2.5")
0.44 Cubic feet (2 boxes contain the extent details for this collection, Box 1 is 0.24 cubic feet and Box 2 is 0.2 cubic feet)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Binders
Photographic prints
Correspondence
Contact sheets
Black-and-white negatives
Place:
Chicago (Ill.)
New York (N.Y.)
Date:
1957 - 1961
Summary:
Original photographs and negatives taken by Robert C. Malone.
Scope and Contents:
The Robert C. Malone photographs document the performances of folk singers. The collection dates from 1957 to circa 1961. Photographic materials include 16 rolls of negatives, contact sheets made from the negatives, and 14 prints. The collection features photographs of the Weavers and Cisco Houston. The collection also includes a small amount of correspondence, including two letters from Robert C. Malone to the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage concerning the donation of the collection, and two letters from Lee Hays to Robert C. Malone. A handful of Malone's prints are housed with the Lee Hays papers in the Rinzler Archives and are not included in the finding aid.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 6 series: (1) University of Chicago; (2) Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, Ill.; (3) One Sheridan Square, N.Y.; (4) Cisco Houston's Last Performance; (5) Miscellaneous People; (6) Correspondence and Miscellaneous. Contact sheets and prints arranged in 1 binder; negatives are stored in a separate binder. Series VI, Correspondence and Miscellaneous, is filed separately. Materials are arranged chronologically.
Biographical/Historical note:
Robert C. Malone is currently retired and lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Between 1957-1961, Robert C. Malone moved between Chicago and New York photographing folk singers such as the Weavers and Cisco Houston.
Through contact with Robert Koppelman, a scholar working with the Lee Hays Papers in the Rinzler Archives, Robert C. Malone heard about the Archives and wrote to offer his photos to the Archives collections.
Provenance:
The Smithsonian Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections acquired the Robert C. Malone Photograph Collection in 1998. In a letter dated 19 January 1999, Mr. Malone gave full discretion to the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to grant permission for both internal and external use of his photographs with the request that his work be credited.
Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Permission for the reproduction or publication of items in the Robert C. Malone Photograph Collection must be obtained from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Consult the archivists for further information at (202) 633-7322.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Please contact the archivists for further information.
The Lee Hays papers measures 7.85 cubic feet and dates from 1923 to 1981. The collection includes original writings, correspondence, and miscellaneous projects by Lee Hays; business records, interviews and features related to Lee Hays, including photographs; clippings saved by Lee Hays; and audiorecordings made by Lee Hays.
Scope and Contents:
The Lee Hays papers, which date from 1923-1981, contain personal and business correspondence; typescripts of Lee Hays' fiction, non-fiction, scripts and poetry; miscellaneous project and idea materials; business documents; and audiorecordings made by Lee Hays. The collection measures 7.85 cubic feet.
Arrangement:
The Lee Hays papers, are divided into seven series: 1) Correspondence, 2) Business, 3) Projects and Writings, 4) Collected Texts, 5) Interviews, 6) Features on Lee Hays and 7) Audio Recordings.
The Correspondence Series is divided into two subseries: 1) Personal, and 2) Business.
The Projects and Writings series is divided into six subseries: 1) Songs, 2) Non-Fiction, 3) Fiction, 4) Musical Productions, 5) Radio Scripts, and 6) Cisco Houston Project.
When possible, folders are arranged within series and subseries in alphabetical order by file title, and within folders in chronological order with undated items at the top.
Biographical / Historical:
Lee Hays (1914-1981) was an influential American singer, songwriter, author, and activist. His legacy, both literary and musical, emphasizes the dynamic relationship between traditional culture and contemporary events and issues. As is clear from his essay "The Folk Song Bridge", Hays conceived of "folk music" as a living, breathing "process". Born in Arkansas in 1914 to a Methodist preacher, Hays' first experiences with music revolved around the church. His political awakening came later, when he returned to Arkansas from Ohio in 1934. Under the wing of mentors such as Claude Williams and Zilphia Horton (maiden name: Zilphia Johnson), Hays began to fight for the cause of sharecroppers and union workers. His musical ability and passion for social justice came together as he used music to represent the voice of labor, replacing the religious motifs of traditional and gospel songs with pro-union themes.
Upon moving to the North in 1940, Hays met Pete Seeger, another musician of the Folk Revival. Hays and Seeger shared the common goal of spreading political topical songs, and their collaborations with Woody Guthrie and Millard Lampell led to the creation of the Almanac Singers the same year. Later, the four band members, along with other musicians such as Burl Ives and Sis Cunningham, established the People's Songs organization and publication to create and distribute labor songs. However, interpersonal conflicts with members, including Pete Seeger, led to Hays' pressured resignation from both of these endeavors. He moved in with his mentor, Walter Lowenfels, and began to focus more on his writing. Though Hays was a prolific writer whose work spanned articles, essays, short stories, poetry, and songs, he is rarely recognized for his literary achievement. His writing often centered on the social and political themes for which he is best known—labor rights, racism, poverty and inequality—and used vernacular culture and narrative to address those problems.
Seeger and Hays eventually made amends, and in 1948 they formed The Weavers with Fred Hellerman and Ronnie Gilbert, bringing music of the Folk Revival to a national audience. However, as the Red Scare impacted the American political climate into the 1950s, the Weavers were blacklisted and ultimately had to disband. Though he was under investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and had no steady income, Hays continued to write both fiction and non-fiction during the three year blacklisting. In 1955, the Weavers finally reunited for a highly successful revival under manager Harold C. Leventhal, but as years passed, the group split up again, and Hays began to focus on other projects. It was at this time that he produced the bulk of his memoirs, began a project on Cisco Houston, and recorded folk music for children with his group The Baby Sitters. In 1980, the Weavers reunited for a concert in Carnegie Hall and Hays' last performance with them was in 1981. Hays died in 1981 as a result of diabetic cardiovascular disease.
Provenance:
The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acquired the "Lee Hays Archives" in 1992 as a donation from Harold C. Leventhal and Doris Kaplan, who acquired the collection upon Lee Hays' death in 1981. The donation included materials produced by Lee Hays, as well as materials of interest to him that were found in his possession.
Restrictions:
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Topic:
Political ballads and songs -- United States Search this
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at rinzlerarchives@si.edu or (202) 633-7322 for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at rinzlerarchives@si.edu or (202) 633-7322 for additional information.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Access by appointment only. Contact the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at (202) 633-7322 or rinzlerarchives@si.edu for additional information.
This collection has been digitized and a majority of its content has been made available online for research and educational purposes. Online access to select materials is not available due to privacy or rights concerns.
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions apply. Contact archives staff for additional information.
Restrictions may apply concerning the use, duplication, or publication of items in these collections. Consult the archivists for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Lee Hays papers, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Songs to grow on. Vol. 2 [sound recording] : a collection of American folk songs for children / as conceived by Beatrice Landeck ; recorded by Moses Asch
