Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The United States has always been a country of immigrants and, thus, the proud inheritor of the artistic styles of many different peoples. The section of the Festival that focused on this particular feature of American culture was called "Old Ways in the New World". Here were brought together the sons and daughters of people who immigrated to the United States from various parts of the world and their cultural cousins who stayed at home. These two groups joined together at the Festival in the practice of their traditional artistic and creative behavior; thus they could celebrate a kind of family reunion while they examined together the changes that their different experiences had brought about.
Where possible, participants were invited from the same region or even the same village - both those who migrated and those who stayed at home. Where this was impossible or impractical, attention focused on behavior or style, tracing parallels in all aspects of tradition from cooking to dance. As in past years of the Festival, this program stimulated a healthy kind of self-examination for domestic communities that drew strength from discovering their relationship with older cultures as well as for the foreign guests, who could return to their homelands proud of the vitality of their own art forms that remained clearly identifiable, although removed by oceans of time and space.
June 16-20, Israeli and American Jewish, Romanian
June 23-27, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish, Finnish, Faroese
July 1-5, French, Canadian, Polish
July 7-11, British, Canadian, Portuguese
July 14-18, Yugoslav, Irish
July 21-25, Belgian, Egyptian
July 28-August 1, German, Pakistani
August 4-8, Spanish, Mexican
August 11-15, Japanese, Greek
August 18-22, Austrian, Indian
August 25-29, Swiss, Hungarian
September 2-6, Italian
Program Coordinator for the Old Ways in the New World was Shirley Cherkasky, with Assistant Program Coordinators Suzanne Cox, Jeffrey LaRiche, Genie Kitlaus, and Larisa Lucaci. An advisory group included Conrad Arensberg, Svatava Pirkova Jakobson, Alan Lomax, and David McAIIester.
Fieldworkers and presenters:
Héctor Aguíñiga, Richard González, Antony Hellenberg, Nazir Jairazbhoy, Anna Lomax, John McDowell, Daniel Sheehy, Gordon Thompson, Roger Welsch, Maria Behr, David Bjork, Calogero Cascio, Svatava Pirkova Jakobson
Participants:
Israeli
Mord'chai Abrahamov, 1945-, singer, dancer, instrumentalist, Tel Aviv, Israel
David Levi, 1934-, dancer
Mord'chai 'Aziz, 1935-, dancer
Yosef Gum'ah, 1923-, drummer, Tel Lachish, Israel
Elijahu Israel Lassa, 1932-, zurna player, Tel Lachish, Israel
Mord'chai 'Ezra, 1935-, singer, dancer, Tel Lachish, Israel
Yosef Rahamim, 1937-, dancer, Kiryat Malakhi, Israel
Rivka Levi, 1945-, singer, dancer, Kiryat Malakhi, Israel
Bathia Rahamim, 1947-, singer, dancer, Kiryat Malakhi, Israel
Bathia Levi, 1919-, dancer, instrumentalist, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Shoshana Danukh, 1920-, singer, instrumentalist, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Zehava Gedasi, 1957-, dancer, singer, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ahuva Gedasi, 1948-, dancer, singer, Givatayim, Israel
Moshe 'Oved, 1953-, singer, dancer, Amka, Israel
Amnon 'Oved, singer, dancer, Amka, Israel
Avraham Daniel 'Arussi, 1968-, singer, dancer, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Menachem 'Arussi, 1930-, dancer, singer, drummer, Kiryat Ono, Israel
Saadia Gur-Esh, 1928-, singer, drummer, dancer, Midrakh Oz, Israel
Ziona Nagar, 1951-, dancer
Binyamin Hershkowitz, 1946-, accordion, singer, drummer, Netanya, Israel
Arie Polak, 1956-, drummer, Herzlia, Israel
Moshe Choen, 1929-, singer, dancer, Bnei Brak, Israel
Yosef Pinchas Reimer, 1955-, dancer, drummer, Jerusalem, Israel
Yitzhak Meier Tritel, 1951-, dancer, clarinetist, Jerusalem, Israel
Levi 'Ochayom, 1927-, singer, drummer, Jerusalem, Israel
Yosef Ben-Nun, 1927-, singer, Jerusalem, Israel
David Weissman, 1933-, 'ud player, Jerusalem, Israel
Dr. Daniel Ronen, leader
Itimar Gurevitch, tour administrator
Uri Sharvit, folklorist
Jewish American
Ira Axelrod, badkhn, Brooklyn, New York
Nechama Biderman, succah maker, Flushing, New York
Avram Dahari, 1923-1999, singer, Brooklyn, New York
Naomi Dahari, 1924-1988, singer, food demonstrator, Brooklyn, New York
Ray Faust, 1900-1993, painter, New York, New York
Miriam Haymie, singer, food demonstrator, Brooklyn, New York
Shlomo Hymie, singer, Brooklyn, New York
Meyer Kirshenblatt, 1916-2009, toy maker, immigrant narrator, Downsview, Ontario
Rivka Kirshenblatt, food demonstrator
Lillian Klempner, 1897-1984, Yiddish folksinger, Brooklyn, New York
Tuvia Mekhabar, scribe, New York, New York
Mazel Nagar, singer, dancer, cook, Brooklyn, New York
Nissim Nagar, singer, dancer, Brooklyn, New York
Arie Ovagia, cantor, singer, Brooklyn, New York
Jerold Roschwalb, shofar demonstrator
William Shuster, 1904-2002, tailor, New York, New York
Tsirl Waletsky, paper cutter, Bronx, New York
Workmen's Circle Mandolin Orchestra -- Workmen's Circle Mandolin OrchestraRosario Carcione, 1909-1984, mandolinist, Bronx, New YorkFrances Darvick, mandolinist, Brooklyn, New YorkSophie Fuchs, mandolinist, Jamaica, New YorkBeverly Frierman, mandolinist, New York, New YorkMuriel Isbitts, mandolinist, New Milford, New JerseyFani Jacobson, mandolinist, leader, New York, New YorkNorman Levine, mandolinist, Brooklyn, New YorkTessie Nerenberg, mandolinist, Yonkers, New YorkMeyer Schein, mandolinist, Bronx, New YorkCharles Slater, mandolinist, Brooklyn, New YorkHenry Wurman, 1900-1981, mandolinist, Bronx, New York
Walter Pardon, 1914-, singer, North Walsham, Norfolk, England
Anne Rosetta Springfield, 1911-, Pearlie Queen, London, England
The Watersons and Martin Carthy -- The Watersons and Martin CarthyLal Waterson, 1943-1998, singerMike Waterson, 1941-2011, singer, Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire, EnglandNorma Waterson, 1939-, singer, Robin Hoods Bay, EnglandMartin Carthy, 1941-, singer, Robin Hoods Bay, England
A. L. (Albert Lancaster) Lloyd, 1908-1982, folklorist
S. A. Matthews, folk dance specialist, London, England
British-American
United States
John Ashby, 1915-1979, fiddler
Dillard Chandler, 1907-1992, ballad singer, Rosedale, New York
Lloyd Chandler, 1896-1978, ballad singer, Marshall, North Carolina
Nell Fernandez, singer, Summer Shade, Kentucky
Ray Hicks, 1922-2003, storyteller, Banner Elk, North Carolina
Wiktor Mikolajski, 1910-, tour administrator, Warsaw, Poland
Ludwik Bielawski, 1929-, folklorist, Warsaw, Poland
Polish American
The Gromada Family -- The Gromada FamilyAniela Gromada, 1908-1984, cellist, singer, Elmwood Park, New JerseyAnn Gromada, 1965-, dancer, Wyckoff, New JerseyJan Gromada, 1905-1996, fiddler, embroiderer, Elmwood Park, New JerseyJohn Gromada, 1964-, dancer, Wyckoff, New JerseyTadeusz Gromada, 1929-, second fiddler, dancer, Wyckoff, New JerseyTeresa Gromada, 1930-, dancer, singer, Wyckoff, New JerseyHenryk Kedron, 1926-, dancer, singer, metal worker, Hasbrouck Heights, New JerseyJanina Kedron, 1931-, fiddler, singer, dancer, Hasbrouck Heights, New JerseyTadeusz Koziek, 1930-1979, fiddle, bass player, singer, Garfield, New JerseyEdward Nowobielski, 1924-2006, singer, dancer, Garfield, New Jersey
Stephanie Batory, 1913-1994, decorative paper cuttings, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portuguese
Grupo Coral da Aldeia Nova de São Bento -- Grupo Coral da Aldeia Nova de São BentoManuel de Mira Monge, 1925-, singer, São Bento, PortugalSilvestre Charraz Morais, 1945-, singer, São Bento, PortugalJosé Candeias Rosa, 1935-, singer, São Bento, PortugalManuel Carrasco Valadas, 1949-, singer, São Bento, PortugalManuel Toira Varela, 1934-, singer, São Bento, PortugalBento Charraz Calvinho, 1922-, singer, São Bento, PortugalJosé Francisco Esparteiro Serrano, 1951-, singer, São Bento, PortugalJosé Lopes Carrilho, 1919-, singer, São Bento, PortugalBento Brito Coelho, 1937-, singer, São Bento, PortugalJosé Valadas Mata-Setam, 1936-, singer, São Bento, Portugal
Grupo Folclórico Mirandes de Duas Igrejas -- Grupo Folclórico Mirandes de Duas IgrejasAntonio Maria Moorinho, 1917-, director, Duas Igrejas, PortugalJosé Pires Martins, 1912-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalAlexandre Feio, 1914-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalAlfredo Augusto Ventura, 1912-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalDelmiro Braz Antão, 1915-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalDomingos Augusto Ruano, 1955-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalLuciano de São Pedro Martins, 1953-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalAdão Dos Santos Moreira, 1926-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalClemente de Jésus Amaro Dias, 1957-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalMateus Augusto Martins Fidalgo, 1927-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalArtur Raposo Alves Galego, 1956-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalManuel João Alves, 1927-, musician, Duas Igrejas, PortugalManuel Baltazar Fernandes Aires, 1959-, musician, Duas Igrejas, Portugal
Maria Ernestina Costa Rodrigues, interpreter, Murtal São Pedro Do Estoril, Portugal
Portuguese American
Odete Amarelo, 1950-, food demonstrator, Fall River, Massachusetts
Manuel Azuvedo, 1917-2004, singer, dancer, Sacramento, California
Maria Alice Cordeiro, 1961-, singer, Fall River, Massachusetts
Elaine C. Oliveira, 1938-, singer, musician, Somerset, Massachusetts
Armindo I. Paira, 1963-, singer, Fall River, Massachusetts
Scheeseler Beekschepers -- Scheeseler BeekschepersWilhelm Leuenroth, 1906-, clarinet player, Wittkopsbostel, GermanyBernd Meyer, accordion player, Visselhoevede, GermanySiegfried Johann Karl Lott, 1933-, friction drum, flute, jaws harp player, Rohr, GermanyHans Johannes Almering, 1941-, clarinet player, Ahaus-Wüllen, GermanyUrsula Christina Wassing Almering, 1942-, accordion player, Ahaus-Wüllen, GermanyUrsula Blomeier, 1920-, street organ player, Berlin, GermanyKonrad Koestlin, 1940-, folklorist and presenter, Hoffeld über Bordesholm, Germany
German American
Albert Fahlbusch, 1925-2005, hackbrett player and maker, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Mary Fahlbusch, 1932-2013, food demonstrator, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Roger Fahlbusch, 1958-, hackbrett player and maker, Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Ray Stahla German-Russian Band -- Ray Stahla German-Russian BandRay Stahla, 1929-, accordion player, Grand Island, NebraskaPhil Stahla, 1949-, trombone player, Gillette, WyomingRandy Stahla, 1952-, drummer, Greeley, ColoradoJohn Klein, 1919-1982, hackbrett player, Lincoln, Nebraska
Dorf Musikanten -- Dorf MusikantenJohn Braun, 1938-, accordion player, Mequon, WisconsinRoland A. Braun, 1923-2004, clarinet and zither player, Milwaukee, WisconsinEarl Hilgendorf, 1934-, trumpet and fluegel horn player, Mequon, WisconsinHarold Pipkorn, 1927-, baritone player, Mequon, WisconsinJacob Skocir, 1913-2008, guitar and mandolin player, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Die Tiefen Keller-Kinder -- Die Tiefen Keller-KinderLarry Bobe, 1955-, trombone player, Amana, IowaJeff Ehrmann, 1956-, cornet player, Amana, IowaPatrick H. Kellenberger, 1951-, tuba player, South Amana, IowaDennis Kraus, 1955-, cornet player, Middle Amana, IowaMark H. Rettig, 1951-, baritone player, Middle Amana, IowaCarol Schuerer, 1958-, clarinet player, Amana, IowaPaul R. Staman, 1958-, cornet player, Amana, IowaAlan J. Trumpold, 1953-, tuba player, South Amana, IowaGuy H. Wendler, baritone and cornet player, Amana, IowaBrad Zuber, 1956-, manager, Amana, IowaRobert Zuber, 1957-, trombone player, Homestead, Iowa
Spanish American
Andalusian
Manuel "Agujetas" De Los Santos, flamenco singer, New York, New York
Tibulina De Los Santos, flamenco dancer, New York, New York
Asturian
Sixto Alonso, singer, Kearney, New Jersey
Basque
Elisa Vidasolo, dancer, Brooklyn, New York
Luis Vidasolo, dancer, Brooklyn, New York
Maria Luisa Vidasolo, cook, Brooklyn, New York
Alys Viña, 1914-1993, tambourine player, Cranford, New Jersey
Angelo Viña, 1914-2003, drummer and fife player, Cranford, New Jersey
Galician
Domingo Casais, bombo player, Bayonne, New Jersey
Francisco Castineira, dancer, Kearny, New Jersey
Manuel Galan, bagpiper, Seaford, New York
Manolo Garcia, dancer, North Tarrytown, New York
Fina Meizoso, dancer, Woodside, New York
Kim Munoz, dancer, Queens, New York
Manuel Pena, tambor player, Corona, New York
Carlos Rodriguez, bagpiper, Elizabeth, New Jersey
Old Spanish
Cleofes Vigil, 1917-1992, singer, San Cristobal, New Mexico
Puerto Rican
Cuarteto Isabelino, instrumental ensemble -- Cuarteto Isabelino, instrumental ensembleWilfredo Cordero, Isabela, Puerto RicoJoaquin Rivera, 1910-1995, Isabela, Puerto RicoMatildo Rosado Santiago, Isabela, Puerto RicoDomingo Ruiz, Isabela, Puerto Rico
Mexican
Los Caporales -- Los CaporalesRicardo Gutierrez Villa, violin, Apatzingán, Michoacán, MexicoRubén Cuevas Maldonado, harp, Apatzingán, Michoacán, MexicoCarlos Cervantes Mora, guitarra de golpe, Michoacán, MexicoOvaldo Ríos Yañez, five string guitar, Tomatlán, Michoacán, MexicoJesús Espinoza Mendoza, violin, Apatzingán, Michoacán, Mexico
Pokar de Ases -- Pokar de AsesMartín Ruíz Luciano, small drum, San Juan, Guerrero, MexicoZacarías Salmerón Daza, violin, Tlapehuala, Guerrero, MexicoJuan Taviera Simón, violin, Ajuchitlán, Guerrero, MexicoSalomón Echeverría de la Paz, bass guitar, Tlapehuala, Guerrero, MexicoNicolas G. Salmerón, guitar and lead singer, Tlapehuala, Guerrero, Mexico
Grupo de Musica Azteca – Puebla -- Grupo de Musica Azteca – PueblaJulio Ocelo Abrajan, huehuetl playerFrancisco García, redoblante, Tlacopac, San Angel, MexicoCrescenciano Chantes Misnáhuatl, chirimia, Tlacopac, San Angel, Mexico
Los Gavilanes -- Los GavilanesAlberto Hernández Carmona, Veracruz, MexicoFortino Hoz Chávez, jarana, Boca del Rio, Veracruz, New MexicoRamon Hoz Chávez, arpa, Boca del Rio, Veracruz, MexicoEvaristo Silva Reyes, pandero, Tlacotlalpan, Veracruz, MexicoJosé Aguirre Vera, requinto, Tlacotlalpan, Veracruz, Mexico
Banda Sinaloense -- Banda SinaloenseJuventino Cruz, bass drum, Los Angeles, CaliforniaFrancisco Garcia, trombone, Los Angeles, CaliforniaPascual Garxiola, trombone, Los Angeles, CaliforniaAntonio Ibarra, snare drum, Los Angeles, CaliforniaManuel Luna, clarinet, Los Angeles, CaliforniaMiguel Nuñez, clarinet, tuba, Los Angeles, California
Isabella Ortega, 1926-2000, food demonstrator, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Ben Ortega, 1923-1998, wood carver, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Luis Eligio Tapia, 1950-, wood carver, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Conjunto Jarocho -- Conjunto JarochoRoberto Murillo, 1941-2001, Vera Cruz harp player, La Mirada, CaliforniaHarry González, 1932-, guitar and requinto jarocho player, Walnut Creek, CaliforniaSteve Luévano, 1939-, jarana jarocho player, Los Angeles, CaliforniaCarlos Gonzalez, 1936-, jarana jarocho player
José Mariano Ortega, 1921-, corrido singer, guitar player, Los Angeles, California
María Elena Villarreal, corrido singer, guitar player, Los Angeles, California
The Tyrolers -- The TyrolersEmery Wechselberger, 1933-, zither player, yodeler, Leavenworth, WashingtonEric Wechselberger, 1961-, trumpet player, Leavenworth, WashingtonRoy Wechselberger, 1963-, trumpet and bells player, schuhplatt dancer, Leavenworth, WashingtonFranz Schauer, drummer, Seattle, Washington
The Alpiners -- The AlpinersDick Theml, 1922-2003, violin player, singer, Glenview, IllinoisJohn Weber, 1945-, tuba player, Chicago, IllinoisMiles G. Soumar, 1933-2013, clarinet player, Chicago, IllinoisEdward C. Richter, 1917-1998, accordion player, Chicago, IllinoisRichard A. Jenson, 1942-, trumpet player, Palatine, IllinoisJerome C. Olson, 1934-1991, drummer, Chicago, IllinoisHeidi Siewert, 1938-, singer, yodeler, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Sara Schwarz, 1912-1992, embroiderer, Chicago, Illinois
Rosegger Steirer Group -- Rosegger Steirer GroupBeryl Rossner, 1925-2010, folk dancer, Highland, IndianaCarl Rossner, 1921-1993, folk dancer, Highland, IndianaBarbara Rossner, 1958-, folk dancer, Highland, IndianaMichael Rossner, 1955-, folk dancer, Highland, IndianaBetty Wagner, 1930-, folk dancer, Chicago, IllinoisEdward Wagner, 1958-, folk dancer, Chicago, IllinoisAdolph Wagner, 1924-1982, accordion player, Chicago, IllinoisSharon Schuch, folk dancerMary Schuch, 1928-, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisRoberta Schuch, 1961-, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisAnthony Schuch, 1928-, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisEllen Guenther, 1962-, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisHedwig Guenther, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisPaul Coglianese, 1957-, folk dancer, Oak Lawn, IllinoisFred Semmler, 1939-, folk dancer, Chicago, Illinois
Indian
The Chetana Indian Women's Organization, traditional food preparation
Dancers & singers from Manipur
Dancers & singers from Rajasthan and Gujarat
Dancers & singers from the Punjab and Haryana
Mrs. Battobai, folk doll maker
Surya Dev, madhubani painter
Bindeshwari Devi, sikki grass work
Sita Devi, madhubani painter
Mohan Mehar, ikat weaving from Orissa
Shantantra Prakash, craft program coordinator, New Delhi, India
Raghunath Singha, loin loom weaving of Manipur
Indian American
Arun Agrawal, 1945-, singer, dancer, musician, Fall River, Massachusetts
Paul Anderson, 1935-, singer, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Brigitte Geiser, 1941-, field researcher and presenter, Bern, Switzerland
Swiss American
Kapelle Werner Blaser -- Kapelle Werner BlaserWerner Blaser, 1926-, clarinet and saxophone player, Chehalis, WashingtonJoe Blaser, 1956-, clarinet and saxophone player, Chehalis, WashingtonDon Blaser, 1961-, accordion player, Chehalis, WashingtonMary Ann Ackerman, piano player, Orting, WashingtonJoe Burgi, 1906-1990, bass and accordion player, Tacoma, WashingtonRandy Grab, 1953-, bass player, Tacoma, Washington
Young Swiss Musicians -- Young Swiss MusiciansHelen Rast, 1961-, accordion player, San Jose, CaliforniaFrank Rast, 1959-, trumpet and alphorn player, San Jose, CaliforniaFred Rast, 1958-, clarinet, saxophone and alphorn player, San Jose, CaliforniaChristine Anderson, 1961-, bass player, Newark, CaliforniaKaren Anderson, 1959-, clarinet and alto saxophone player, Newark, CaliforniaSonja Ruckli, 1958-, piano player and singer, Newark, CaliforniaMichael Imhof, 1959-, accordion player, Fremont, California
Aelplergruppe -- AelplergruppeSergio Sartori, 1927-1978, accordion player and singer, San Francisco, CaliforniaDennis Sartori, 1954-, accordion player and singer, San Francisco, CaliforniaConrad Grass, 1954-, wrestler, San Bruno, CaliforniaRobert Wipfli, 1953-, wrestler, Fremont, California
Kaspar Hunkeler, flag thrower, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Robbi Hunkeler, flag thrower and alphorn player, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Italian
Calabria
Francesco Crudo, 1933-, piffero (oboe) player, Rombiolo, Italy
Michele Monteleone, 1918-, zampogna player (bagpiper), Rombiolo, Italy
Liguiria
Squadra Nuova Pontedecima, polyphonic chorus
Alessandro Anzini, 1940-, escort, Rome, Italy
Italian American
Basilicata
Antonio Davida, singer, drum player
Calabria
Anunziata Chimento, 1917-2006, singer, masker in Carnevale
Anunziato Chimento, singer, dancer, castanets player, "Doctor" in Carnevale
Franco Cofone, singer, dancer, quadrille caller, "Pulcinella" and master of ceremonies in Carnevale
Giuseppe DeFranco, 1933-, musician, singer, dancer
Raffaela DeFranco, 1935-, singer, dancer
Antonio DiGiacomo, tambourine player, singer, dancer
Carmine Ferraro, singer, dancer, masker in Carnevale
Francesco Feraco, singer, dancer, tambourine player
Angelo Gabriele, 1921-2006, singer, tambourine player, dancer, masker in Carnevale
Angelo Gencarelli, 1920-2004, singer, dancer, "La Quaresima" (Lent) in Carnevale
Federico Gencarelli, singer, tambourine player
Giuglio Gencarelli, singer, "Carnevale" in Carnevale
Maria Melito, dancer, masker in Carnevale
Molise
Vincenzo Deluca, 1933-1983, bagpiper
Sicily
Vincent Ancona, 1915-2000, chanty singer
Nino Curatolo, 1928-1980, singer of chanties, carittiere and fish vendors' songs, jaws harp player
Gaetano D'Angelo, 1906-1996, chanty singer
Giovanni Pellitteri, friscalettu (cane flute) 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: 1976 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
"Regional America" cut across all the other sections of the Festival by looking at the assemblages of different peoples scattered across our land. In this area, therefore, visitors could see working people and children, ethnics and blacks and Native Americans brought together to celebrate not so much their individual identities but the space in which they all live together, their homeplace within the wide American land.
A region was acknowledged to be a hard thing to create on the Mall; it is an abstract made up of a thousand concrete details: the lay of the land, the slant of the sunlight, the way a person says "Good morning," the particular records on the jukeboxes in the diner, the depth of the topsoil, the smell of Sunday dinner. So in Regional America the Festival brought together the people who lived in a particular place and asked them to demonstrate the arts and the skills that make it possible to live in that place and that most powerfully characterize it. It is the sense of home that the Smithsonian sought to capture here.
June 16-20, the Northeast. The Northeast Region combines the peoples and the traditions of the Atlantic Northeast (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware) and those of New England. There were demonstrations of lobster trap making, whittling, quilting, and snowshoe making, traditional food preparation, and presentations of Anglo, French, and German American traditional music.
June 23-27, the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes region is a large area consisting of diverse peoples and traditions. Scandinavian, Eastern European, Mediterranean, and Native American music, crafts, and food demonstrations included birch bark canoe building, bread baking, and pysanky decorating. From the farming and dairy areas, skills such as shingle making and wood carving were presented, along with dairy cattle demonstrations of milking, calf feeding, and caring for livestock. Demonstrations of maritime activities included fish net making, waterfowl decoy carving, dock building, and storytelling. Blues and other transplanted styles of Southern music were also performed.
July 1-5, the South. Presentations included Alabama folk painting, traditional boat building, stitchery by Ethel Mohamed (who did the tapestry on the cover of the 1976 program book), decoy carving and painting, a Freedom Quilting Bee, pottery, and splint basket making. Regional America's presentation of Southern foodways traditions included the preparation of pecan pralines, various gumbos, crawfish, and sorghum.
July 7-11, the Upland South. Crafts presented this week included quilting, blacksmithing, stone carving, barrel making, and whittling. Vinegar pie, hominy, biscuits and gravy were made for sampling, with barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, cobbler, and barbequed beans for sale.
July 14-18, the Heartland. Craft presentations included the making of apple head dolls, corn husk dolls, tree branch dolls and spurs, wood carving, and pysanky (egg decorating.) Foodways demonstrations includes the preparation of such regional specialties as kolaches (a Bohemian fruit-filled bun), sweet braided bread, New Year cookies, cheese, and sauerkraut.
July 14-18, the Great West. Featured crafts included quilting by seven different participants, wagon wheel making, horse hair rope making, wood carving, braided and woven rug making, and the demonstration of traditional fence building styles. Preparation of foods from the Great West was demonstrated including bratzells (cookies baked over an open fire), whole wheat bread, and the canning of sauerkraut, pickles, relish, and jelly.
July 28-August 1, the Pacific Northwest. Craft presentations included fly tying and casting, snow sled making, fiddle making, a logging demonstration, weaving, whittling, net making, boat building, and paper cutting. Foodways demonstrations featured a camp cook making pancakes and sourdough bread, traditional to the logging life of the Pacific Northwest.
August 4-8, the Southwest. Visitors could see cowboy boot making, adobe making, mural painting, calf roping, saddle making, rawhide work, and soap making demonstrated as part of the presentation of the culture of the Southwest. Traditional ranch cooking was demonstrated, with chili, beans, and sourdough biscuits among the featured specialties.
Barbara LaPan Rahm was Program Coordinator; William K. McNeil was Folklorist; and Diana Parker was Assistant Program Coordinator.
Clarence E. Smith, 1940-, Oakland, California, ex-Texas
Lorence L. Smith, Colorado
Elaine Sylvia, California
Ron Sylvia, California, ex-Massachusetts
Elizabeth Rose Tea, 1920-, Clifton, Arizona
Pablo Trujillo, 1916-, New Mexico
Florentino Urias, Presidio, Texas
Jose Urias, Texas, Presidio, Texas
Maria Velasquez, California
Ossie White, California
Roscoe White, California
Jesse Wright, California
Jimmy Wright, singer, Fresno, California
Walter Wright, singer, Fresno, California
William Wright, 1914-1982, singer, Selma, California
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: 1976 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
An interview of Arline M. Fisch conducted 2001 July 29-30, by Sharon Church McNabb, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Fisch's home, in San Diego, California.
Biographical / Historical:
Arline M. Fisch (1931-) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California. Sharon Church McNabb (1948-) is a jewelry designer.
General:
Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 13 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Metal-workers -- California -- San Diego Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Jack Lenor Larsen, 2004 February 6-8. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Jack Lenor Larsen conducted 2004 February 6-8, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Longhouse, East Hampton, N.Y.
Larsen speaks of his childhood in Seattle, Washington; his parents and other adults who had a positive impact on his development; building things with his friends; attending the University of Washington to study architecture and deciding to study textiles instead; visiting Dorothy Liebes's textile studio; leaving school and moving to Los Angeles; attending the University of Southern California and eventually returning to the University of Washington; becoming a teaching assistant to Ed Rossbach; getting a Masters degree at Cranbrook Academy of Art; meeting many influential people in San Francisco and New York; moving to New York and setting up a studio; working on commission for several companies including Thaibok; expanding his offices to include larger looms and a showroom; setting up a branch of production in Haiti; working in the fashion industry and designing home decor; and working in Southeast Asia developing handcrafted woven exports. He also speaks of his involvement with the American Craft Council and the World Crafts Council, re-organizing and building the new campus at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; traveling to Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and his desire to travel more; working and exhibiting in Japan; experiencing the Japanese textile industry; writing numerous books on fiber arts including, "The Dyer's Art," often collaborating with other fiber artists; developing a classification system for interlacing; collecting art; gardening and its relation to art and design; building Round House and the inspiration behind it; building LongHouse using the Japanese Ise Shrine as a model and plans for further expansion; retiring and difficulties writing, "A Weaver's Memoir." Larsen also recalls Dorothy Liebes, Marianne Strengell, Florence Knoll, Edgar Kaufman, Ed Rossbach, Toshiko Takaezu, Francis Merritt, Mary Bishop, Garth Clark, Issey Miyake, Mildred Constantine, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) was a weaver and textile designer from East Hampton, N.Y. Arline M. Fisch (1931- ) is a jeweler from San Diego, Cailfornia.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound discs and 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 19 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 23 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Textile designers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Irena Brynner, 2001 April 26-27. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
School of Industrial Design (Trenton, N.J.) Search this
University of California, Berkeley. Department of Art Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Merry Renk, 2001 January 18-19. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Irena Brynner conducted 2001 April 26-27, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Brynner's home and studio, New York, New York.
Brynner speaks of her childhood in Vladivostok in Primorski Krai, Russia; her artistic family including her cousin Yul Brynner; fleeing from Russia to Darian (on the southern tip of the Liaotung peninsula, in the Kwantung Leased Territory of Manchuria); her art studies in Lausanne, Switzerland; her father's illness during World War II; moving with her mother to San Francisco in 1946; her studies with Ralph Stackpole and Franz Bergman in San Francisco; her relationship with architect Frank Merwin; teaching art in Catholic schools in San Francisco; her decision to make jewelry after seeing Claire Falkenstein's sculpture; working as an apprentice to Caroline Rosene and Franz Bergman; forming the Metal Arts Guild with Bob Winston, Merry Renk, Florence Resnikoff, Margaret De Patta, and others; and introducing forging and three-dimensional jewelry in the Metal Arts Guild. She also talks about her move to New York City in 1957; acting as her own agent; "open-air art shows" in San Francisco; her first show at Walker & Eberling; starting her own shop; teaching at the Craft Students League and at MoMA's Institute of Modern Art, at Victor D'Amico's invitation, circa 1962; her friendships with students and clients; her book, "Jewelry as an Art Form" (New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979) and its influence; learning to work with a Henes water welder; the treatment of women artists in America; her move to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1972, and the difficulties of starting a shop there; and her return to New York and reestablishing her career in the United States. Brynner also discusses her interest in singing, her voice lessons, her public performances of Russian classical music, and her health.
She comments on the intuitive development of her jewelry; the influence of Margaret De Patta; learning wax techniques from Bob Winston at Mills College; her progression from geometric to organic forms; her large-scale sculpture; her invention of "wrap-around earrings"; her use of niobium in the 1980s; drawing inspiration from Antonio Gaudi, Alberto Jaccometti, and others; involvement with the community of artists in the San Francisco Bay Area; the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG); craft periodicals; her exhibitions at the Little Gallery of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, the Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie in Geneva, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and others; her work in museum collections; serving as a juror; and writing her memoir. Brynner recalls Georg Jensen, Grete Daniels, Trudy Jeremias, Aaron Faber, David Campbell, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Irena Brynner (1917-2003) was a jeweler from New York, New York. Arline M. Fisch (1931- ) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 41 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
An interview of Merry Renk conducted 2001 January 18-19, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Renk's home and studio, San Francisco, California.
Renk speaks of her family background; growing up during the Depression; her father's creativity and encouragement; early inspiration from "the structure of nature"; attending the School of Industrial Arts in Trenton, N.J., and later the Institute of Design in Chicago; student life at the Institute of Design; establishing a studio and gallery, 750 Studio, at 750 North Dearborn, in Chicago, in 1947, with two other students, Mary Jo Slick [Godfrey] and Olive [Bunny] Oliver; managing 750 Studio and organizing exhibitions of Harry Callahan, Henry Miller, Lazlo Maholy-Nagy, Warren and Ethel MacKenzie, Doris Hall, and others; working with enamels; early "primitive" spirals; decision to be a jeweler; the importance of the "wearability" of jewelry; moving to San Francisco in 1948; living in Paris, 1950-1951; relationship with Shinkichi Tajiri; visiting Constantin Brancusi; traveling with Lenore Tawney through Spain and Morocco; settling in San Francisco; friendship with sculptor and neighbor Ruth Asawa; learning about Josef Albers from Asawa, resulting in experiments with folded metal; meeting her second husband, potter Earle Curtis on Halloween 1954; purchasing and remodeling their home; teaching part-time at the University of California, Berkeley and in workshops; her children, Baunnie and Sandra; managing motherhood and jewelry making in a two-artist household; drawing as a form of inventory; the influence of Lee Nordness; learning the plique-à-jour technique of enameling through trial and error; early influence of Doris Hall's work; working with wire; use of natural forms and interlocking forms; the process of making Wedding Crown (1968) for the exhibition Objects USA; making wedding crowns for her daughters; her shift from non-objective art to portraiture and symbolic imagery in the early 1970s; making large-scale sculpture in 1974, then "drifting back" to jewelry; importance of working independently; her "memory paintings" in the 1980s; evolution of her name from Mary Ruth Gibbs to Merry Renk Curtis (married Stanley Renk in 1941); her involvement with local guilds such as the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco and national organizations such as the American Craft Council (ACC); lack of critical writing about her work; the value of exhibitions; various pieces in museum collections; early ACC conferences; her long friendship with photographer Imogen Cunningham; posing for Cunningham; becoming an ACC fellow; her jewelry tools; the process of painting compared to jewelry making. She also mentions Kenneth Bates, Trude Guermonprez, Irena Brynner, the Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her mentor Margaret de Patta.
Biographical / Historical:
Merry Renk (1921-2012) was a jeweler, painter, and sculptor from San Francisco, California. Arline M. Fisch (1931-) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 9 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.) Search this
Container:
Box 10, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1980
Collection Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation. Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and Joyce F. Menschel, Vital Projects Fund, Inc.
