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Series Rights:
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Series Citation:
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Westminster
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Marston
United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- New Windsor
Date:
1838-2017, undated
bulk 1872-1985
Summary:
Papers documenting the farming and family life of the Robinson family of Prince George's County and after 1975, Charles County, Maryland. Papers documenting the farming and family of the Via family of Greene County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Prince George's and Calvert Counties, Maryland, by 1949.
Scope and Contents:
An extensive and comprehensive collection of papers relating to family, farming, and the Southern Maryland tobacco culture, the Robinson and Via Family Papers cover many aspects of family and farm life. The papers are particularly important in regard to the tobacco culture that defined Southern Maryland for generations. The papers concern two distinct family groups, the Robinson and Via families who are connected through the marriage of Franklin A. Robinson and Adina Mae Via. The papers consist of material generated by the Robinson and Via families in their personal and working lives and as farm owners and operators.
The papers are especially strong in 20th century material. They consist of various types of farm records: account books, bills, receipts, tenant farming agreements, ephemera, land rental and purchase agreements, insurance policies, photographs and 8mm and 16mm films of farming practices and procedures, equipment and landscapes, related to the farming of tobacco, small grains, and livestock. The personal records include diaries, letters both personal and business, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, high school yearbooks, baby books, house plans, recipe books, photographs and 8mm films of birthdays, holidays, weddings, baptisms, family occasions, and family travel, oral histories, and funeral ephemera including photographs, and transcription discs. Of particular interest are the "Serenity Farm Tobacco Production Photographs" documenting the crop year 1999-2000 and the films detailing agricultural practices. There is a memorandum book for Black Walnut Thicket, 1885-1901, the Baden farm in Baden, Prince George's County.
This collection includes a comprehensive range of 8mm and 16mm films and photographs documenting farming practices and landscapes as well as family gatherings, birthdays, holidays, and vacations. The researcher is alerted to the fact that in some cases with the memorandum and account books, books printed for a given year were often saved and used for subsequent years, some were dated, some were not.
The collection is divided into seven series arranged by subject and most often chronologically at folder level within each series.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into seven series:
Series 1: Ferndale Farm (Potomac Landing), Prince George's County, Maryland, 1861-1973, undated
Subseries 1.1: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, and publications, 1861-1973, undated
Subseries 1.2: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, 1945-1960, undated
Subseries 1.3: Farm papers, bills, and receipts, 1960-1965, undated
Series 2: Robinson Family, 1845-2017, undated
Subseries 2.1: Family Papers and Publications, 1845-1993, undated
The Robinson family is thought to be of Scottish origin and appear in the records of Prince George's County, Maryland by the early 18th century. The line has been definitively traced to James Robinson (?-1849). James' father was probably Benjamin Robinson (?-1810), of Prince George's County, Maryland. (Will Book TT1, pg. 15, Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Maryland State Archives (MSA))
James Robinson and Sarah Wynn were issued a marriage license on February 28, 1802 in Prince George's County, Maryland. (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland) Eleven children lived to maturity (not listed in birth order); Thomas Wells (1803-1869), Ann, Priscilla, James Monroe, Benjamin (1813-1882), John C. (1819-1895), Mary Sophia, Thomas Stanley (1800-1874), Alfred, Sarah Ann, Matilda, and Rebecca Maria.
James worked as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden near Upper Marlborough, Prince George's County. (Oden Papers, Maryland Historical Society) The Robinsons and their children, moved to Wood County, Virginia (now West Virginia) by April 18, 1818 where James acted as Oden's land agent (Deed Book 6, pg. 123, Land Records of Wood County, West Virginia). They brought with them three enslaved described in the above reference as, "Kate a woman 45 years of age very black; Colonel a boy aged 8 years yellow complexion: and George a boy aged six years of a dark brown complexion." They settled on part of what was known as the "Burnt Mill" tract in the general area where the Hughes River meets the Little Kanawha River. (Deed Book 9, pg. 110 and Deed Book 14, pg. 40, Land Records of Wood County)
Thomas Wells Robinson may not have accompanied his family to Virginia as he has a presence in Prince George's County prior to 1822 and was employed as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden at least until 1832. He married Elizabeth J. Richards on December 15, 1829 (Robinson Family Bible). They had nine children; Richard Thomas (1831 1906), Rebecca Maria (1832-1895), Mary Wynn (1834-1916), James George (1835-1883), Virlinda Victoria (1837-1838), Elizabeth Ann (1839-1916), Sarah Ann Sophia (1840-1874), Franklin Alexander (1841-1905) and John Alfred (1843); seven lived to maturity. (Robinson Family Bible) Elizabeth died on August 17, 1843 from complications in childbirth. She was buried in the graveyard of Page's Chapel (later known as St. Thomas Episcopal Church), Croom, Prince George's County.
In 1843, Thomas purchased the plantation of Dr. Benjamin B. Hodges for $10,000 or approximately $15 an acre. Hodges was a brother-in-law of Benjamin Oden. The deed dated September 7, 1843 describes the parcel as containing, "Six hundred and twenty nine acres of land more or less and constitute that plantation or Estate of the said Benjamin Oden heretofore commonly called "Brown's Quarter Place" being the Land tracts and parcels of land sold by the said Benjamin Oden to the said Benjamin B. Hodges and by deed bearing date the tenth day of December eighteen hundred and thirty five and recorded in Liber AB no. 10 folio 162 also one of the land Records of the County aforesaid". (JBB no. 3 pgs. 312 314, Land Records of Prince George's County) The land was level to rolling bordered on the north by a tributary of Piscataway Creek and generally termed "white oak land". Underlying the whole property was a large strata of gravel and sand. The entire parcel went by the name, Potomac Landing.
Thomas supplemented his land holdings with later purchases. With the exception of twenty acres purchased from Sarah Talbert in 1844, (JBB no. 3 pg. 475, Land Records of Prince George's County) and the purchase of lot #3 consisting of 195 acres, part of the estate of John Townshend in 1856, these purchases were not contiguous to Potomac Landing. By the time of his death in 1869 these non-contiguous parcels had been sold. Thomas sold eighty-six acres of Potomac Landing and Jeffries to Edward Eversfield in October of 1843. (JBB no. 3, pg. 198, Land Records of Prince George's County) On January 13, 1846 Thomas married the widow Martha Ann Walls, daughter of George and Martha Naylor Walls. They had two sons; Benjamin Wells (1848-1849) and Robert Henry (1851-1937).
In addition to his sons, Thomas owned enslaved. The number varied from six in 1849 (JBB 6, folio 186, Land Records of Prince Georges' County) to eleven as noted in the census for 1850, and finally six as noted in the census of 1860. The 1867 Maryland Slave Statistics noted that, "at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of Maryland, in the year 1864, . . ." Thomas owned six enslaved, their names and ages being; Isaac Franklin age 31, Alfred West age 19, Susan West age 17, Margaret Franklin age 14, Fannie Franklin age 12, and Peter Franklin age 9. All were noted as being in good physical condition. (Prince Georges' County Slave Statistics 1867 1869, C 1307 1, MdHR:6198, page 185, MSA)
Thomas's financial problems began in the mid-1800s when Deeds of Trust appear in the county records securing outstanding loans. In 1856 and 1857 Thomas joined with others as bondsman for his son, Richard who was serving as "Collector of the State and County Taxes" for the 4th collection district, making he and the other signatories liable for any uncollected taxes. This, coupled with poor investments, led to his almost being "sold out" in 1859-1860 by J.W. & E. Reynolds of Baltimore to pay his debts. He executed three drafts on Penn & Mitchell, also of Baltimore, to pay off J.W. & E. Reynolds. (Equity Case #597, Prince Georges' County) Thomas was in poor health and his son James managed the farm in 1857 and 1858, and again from 1861 to October of 1862 (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County)
In October of 1862 Thomas' two sons, James and Franklin, traveled to Richmond to join the Confederate States Army. James enrolled in the 5th Battalion, Local Defense Arsenal and Franklin enrolled in the 5th Virginia Infantry, the Stonewall Brigade. (CSA Military Records, National Archives) James visited home frequently but was captured by the Union Army in St. Mary's County, Maryland on May 15, 1864 and spent the remainder of the war in Point Lookout Prison Camp. He was released on May 14, 1865. Franklin was not able to visit home at all during the war but survived to return home in 1865.
In 1865, Thomas surveyed a parcel of 172 acres for his daughter Rebecca Maria. Rebecca had married her second cousin, William B. Robertson, on November 18, 1855. He made a gift of fifty acres, and Rebecca agreed to purchase the remainder. The Robertsons named this parcel Holly Grove. In Equity Case #849 (1872) filed after Thomas' death, his widow Martha and Samuel H. Berry, as executrix and executor, sought to recover payment for this land. At that time, William B. Robertson described this 172 acres of Potomac Landing: "There was no fences on the line which separated this land from the old gentleman's land, but he was to put a fence on it which he agreed to do before we agreed to come there. The land was thin, unimproved, with gullies and scrubby pine. If witness had been a judge of land he would not have given five dollars for it. All the improvements were one comfortable quarter the other indifferent with a poor oak shingle roof, worn out which made it not tenantable." Further along in his testimony, William gave an account of a conversation, "In a few days my father in law Thos. W. Robinson came to Washington and told me there his children had returned from the South, his two sons, that his debts were small and he was a happy man." Rebecca and William built a house on the property, a side-hall, double parlor plan that most likely her brother James was builder. They also built accompanying farm structures. (Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Equity Case #849, MSA)
Thomas' son, Franklin, managed the farm after the War. In December 1868 Thomas entered into a sharecropping agreement with Edward Hanson, an African-American. After about a year-long illness, on May 16, 1869, Thomas died, deeply in debt. He was buried beside Elizabeth in the graveyard at St. Thomas' Church. He named as executrix his wife, Martha, and his friend and lawyer, Samuel H. Berry, as executor. His will divided the farm into thirds, one third going to his wife and their son Robert Henry, one third to his son James, and one third to his son Franklin. The land was surveyed according to the will. His personal property was sold but not enough profit was realized to pay off his creditors. The Commissioners of Prince George's County sued the estate on behalf of Thomas' creditors. The outcome was that in 1876 the property was sold at public auction. The Notice of Sale dated September 1, 1876 in the local county newspaper, The Prince Georgian, describes the farm as, "containing 514 2/3 acres More or less. The Improvements consist of a SMALL DWELLING, Three Barns, Stabling, and other necessary outbuildings. It is well wooded and watered, and the soil of fair quality. It has recently been divided into three lots and will be offered in lots, a description of which will be given at the time of sale." The sale was held on September 27, 1876, Lot No. 1 was purchased by Robert for $6.00 an acre, Lot #2 was purchased by Franklin for $5.00 an acre and Lot #3 was purchased by James for $4.00 per acre. Robert and Franklin eventually paid off their mortgage, but James defaulted on his purchase and later moved to St. Mary's County, Maryland. His portion later came to be owned by the Hawkins family, some members who had worked on the Robinson farm. (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County, MSA)
Lot #1, purchased by Robert from his fathers' estate, consisted of 177-1/3 acres, including the dwelling and farm buildings. On July 24, 1872, he married Amanda Malvina Baden (1849-1940), daughter of Robert W. G. and Margaret Caroline Early Baden. The Baden and Early families were both prominent south county families. Robert and Amanda had eight children; Caroline Early (1873 1967), Lucy Tennent (1875 1958), Albert Henry (1878 1914), Martha Perry (1880 1961), Robert Gover (1882 1882), Frank Alexander (1883 1970), Margaret Baden (1886 1956) and Grace Malvina (1889 1965).
By 1880 Robert had paid off his debt on the property and was fully engaged in farming. Unlike his father, or perhaps because of his father, Robert did not add to his land holdings, choosing to remain relatively debt free for his lifetime. The only land transactions he participated in were the sales of 79-3/4 acres in 1921 of Amanda's inheritance from her father and her interest in two smaller parcels of her father's land sold in 1894 and 1928 respectively. In 1928 he transferred 3.09 acres to his son Frank.
As late as the Federal census of 1880, Franklin was living with Robert and his household, both men engaged in farming. Sometime after 1880, Franklin took up residence on his part of Potomac Landing. His brother James most likely built the side-hall double parlor house that copied the main house at Potomac Landing. On February 18, 1897, Martha Robinson, died at the age of ninety. She was buried in the graveyyard of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden, Prince George's County.
Robert continued cultivation of tobacco and small grains as his father before him. The first reference to the farm being named Ferndale is found in the "Communion Record" of Robert's daughter, Martha Perry "Pattie", dated 1896. (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The exact origin or reason for this new name is lost but perhaps the name Potomac Landing held such bitter memories of debt and hardship that, as a symbolic break with the past, a new name was found. It also may have simply been a way to distinguish this portion of Potomac Landing from the others. The farm continued to be listed on tax bills as Potomac Landing well into the 20th century, but was known to the general public and businesses as the Ferndale Farm. (Robinson and Via Family Papers)
Robert served as deputy inspector at the State Tobacco Warehouse in Baltimore for eight years under W.B. Bowie. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Brandywine. In July of 1905, Franklin died, a bachelor farmer. He was buried facing south in the graveyard of the Church of the Atonement, Cheltenham, (a chapel in St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish) where he had served as vestryman, treasurer, and cemetery custodian. Franklin died intestate and a lengthy process of dividing his estate began. This resulted in the sale of his part of Potomac Landing (Lot #2) in July 1908 to William E. Boswell. The court declared Robert ineligible for any inheritance due to his being " . . . a brother of the half blood." The Boswell family later sold the property to the Billingsley family of St. Mary's County. (Equity Case 3209, Prince George's County)
In 1910, after living in the farm's original home for approximately sixty seven years, the Robinson family built a new home. It was described in a 1956 insurance policy as, "2 story, frame, metal roof, 16x43, wing 14x28, 9 rooms." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The house design was a simple Victorian with plastered walls, and lit by carbide gas. Electrical lighting was installed in 1951. The house was built with monies from Robert and Amanda, and their son Frank, who served as builder and contractor.
On Tuesday March 9, 1937, "During a celebration in honor of his wifes birthday anniversary, Mr. Robinson collapsed at the table and died immediately without a word or a sigh." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) Robert was buried beside his mother in the cemetery at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden.
At Robert's death, Ferndale Farm was valued at $30.00 an acre, the total acreage, 174 acres, being valued in the whole at $5,220.00. Robert died intestate, again the fate of the land was in question. He left eight heirs, his widow, Amanda, six of his children and his son Albert Henry's only surviving child, R. Henry Robinson. Rather than have the farm sold and his mother's life disrupted, Frank purchased the estate and personal property from the heirs. Before this could take place, a deed had to be granted the heirs for the property since one had never been recorded after the 1876 sale. Equity case 873 was reopened sixty-two years after its supposed resolution. Frank testified, "over a period of about thirty years I would on a number of occasions, talk about the fact that he had purchased and paid for this property and that a deed had never been executed to him and [he] kept saying he was going to have someone straighten this matter out for him." It was discovered that Robert had fully paid for his part of Potomac Landing. On February 14, 1938 the farm was deeded from Amanda along with Robert''s heirs to Frank. (Book 499, page 334, Land Records of Prince George's County) According to the deed and a 1937 fire insurance policy the farm consisted of 177 1/3 acres, "1 two story dwelling, one tenant house, 1 barrack, 1 tobacco barn, 1 corn house & cow stable, 1 Stable, and 1 Granary & Stable." (Robinson and Via Family Papers)
Frank A. Robinson, now the sole owner of Ferndale Farm, was born August 17, 1883. He learned farming and in addition took up the trade of builder and contractor. As a young man, he worked in the general store of his uncle Robert Baden. He was the contractor for the first Bank of Brandywine and many homes in and around the town of Brandywine, including the home of his cousin Robert E. Baden, DDS. He was secretary of the Building Committee for construction of the Chapel of the Incarnation in Brandywine, a mission chapel for St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish. His success in the building trade gave him disposable income that he invested in land. His first purchase was in August, 1915 of a 2-9/100 acre of land in Brandywine that was being sold by the Board of County School Commissioners; the purchase price was $300. In March 1916 he purchased 38.09 acres of his Uncle Franklin's farm. This property adjoined Ferndale Farm.
Over the next fifty-four years of his life, Frank bought and sold many pieces of real estate. Perhaps his most significant purchases were: 18-1/3 acres purchased from The German American Colonization Land Company of Maryland in October 1915 (Book 115, pg. 140, Land Records of Prince George's County); 147.99 acres purchased from August and Wilhelmina Noltensmeir in December 1917 (Book 129, pg. 263, Land Records of Prince George's County) and 320 acres called the Vineyard purchased from William M. Wilson in March 1928. Frank used these three parcels as collateral for other purchases. Never once did he mortgage Ferndale Farm, insuring that no matter what financial stormy seas might blow, his home was secure. Over the course of his life, especially in the case of the Noltensmeir farm, when cash was needed a parcel of land would be surveyed off and sold. He inherited his grandfather Thomas' love of land but had fortunately developed a shrewd business sense to go along with it.
On November 20, 1929, he married Elizabeth Freeland Bourne, daughter of Joseph Blake and Maria Gantt Bourne of Calvert County, Maryland. They had three children: Mary Elizabeth (1930-2009), Franklin Alexander (1932-2023), and Robert Lee (1935-1997). In addition to his construction business he continued farming, raising tobacco, hay, and small grains. He engaged in sharecropping with tenants on his various properties. He was active in community affairs serving on the Board of The Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Vestry of St. Thomas Parish, and as sheriff of Brandywine. On January 9, 1940 Amanda Baden Robinson died. She was buried next to her husband at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden. In February 1958, Frank and Elizabeth conveyed 1.57 acres of Ferndale Farm to son Franklin where he and his fiancée, Adina M. Via, were building their new home prior to their marriage in July of that same year.
The booming economy and suburbanization of the Washington metropolitan area in the early 1960's led to the high quality gravel lying beneath Ferndale into becoming a valuable commodity. In October 1962, Franklin and his parents granted a three-year lease to William C. Nolte for mining sand and gravel on the Ferndale Farm at .174 per yard. (Book 2747, pg. 11, Land Records of Prince George's County) From now until 1975 when the property was sold, gravel would be mined from under the farm by various companies. In November 1962, Elizabeth and Frank transferred to Franklin the 38.09 acres Frank had purchased from Fitzhugh Billingsley in 1916. (Book 2754, pg. 99, Land Records of Prince George's County) That same year they transferred 6.754 acres, part of the Vineyard, to son Robert and his wife Lois, (Book 2765, pg. 201, Land Records of Prince George's County)
On December 28, 1965, Frank and Elizabeth participated in a land exchange/purchase of the farm of Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown located along the Patuxent River in Benedict, Charles County, Maryland. Franklin had rented this farm the year before and was impressed enough by its location and arability to work out a purchase. Frank and Elizabeth traded 65.9920 acres that would eventually become Franklin's under Frank's will. On February 21, 1966 they deeded the Charles County farm to Franklin and Adina. Adina named this property Serenity Farm. The property consisted of 480.66 acres. (Liber 179, page 708 etc., Land Records of Charles County)
On February 5, 1970, after a short illness, Frank died at Cafritz Memorial Hospital. He was buried at St. Paul's Episcopal Church near his parents. In his will, probated March 4, 1970 he left thirty acres of the property purchased from the German American Land Company and A. Noltensmeir to Elizabeth. He willed forty acres of the same parcel to daughter Mary Robinson Conner. The remainder of Ferndale Farm was willed to Franklin and the remaining acreage of the Vineyard was left to Robert Lee.
Franklin Alexander Robinson was born August 13, 1932 at the Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C.. He received his schooling in the public school system of Prince George's County, graduating from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. He was a charter member of Gwynn Park's chapter of The Future Farmers of America. He was extremely active in FFA, achieving the Degree of Maryland Farmer in 1950 and their highest award, the Degree of American Farmer at their convention in Kansas City, Missouri in October 1953. He obtained his private pilots license in 1954. He entered the United States Army in February 1955 and went through basic training at Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia. After basic training he was transferred to Camp Hanford, Washington State. There he worked part time on the farm of Dick and Theresa Laurent during his off duty hours and began a lifelong friendship with them. He returned home to farming on an agricultural discharge in October of 1956. On July 27, 1958 he married his high school sweetheart, Adina Mae Via, daughter of Robert Milton and Virginia Woods Via. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962), and Adina Theresa (1963).
Franklin continued expanding and improving the farming operation by modern methods and means. At times, he farmed over one thousand acres, both owned and rented. On February 21, 1966, his parents deeded their purchase of the Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown farm in Benedict to he and Adina, later known as Serenity Farm Franklin and Adina engaged an architect to draft house plans for an anticipated new residence. A small A frame vacation home was built on the property so the family could spend weekends there.
On December 14, 1966, after a long illness, Adina died from complications associated with Hodgkin's Disease. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, Charles County. Franklin married Margaret Walker Lennox (nee Tallen, known as Rita) on August 21, 1970 (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland). This marriage ended in divorce in 1977. There were no children from this marriage.
On July 14, 1975 the Robinson family, Franklin, his second wife, Margaret, her daughter Margaret W. Lennox, Franklin, Jr., R. David, A. Theresa and Elizabeth B. Robinson, moved to Serenity Farm. On July 17, 1975 Franklin and Elizabeth sold the remaining acreage of Ferndale Farm to Brandywine Sand and Gravel, thus ending 131 years of ownership by the Robinson family. Elizabeth Bourne Robinson died on July 15, 1976 and was buried beside her husband at St. Paul's Church, Baden. Franklin married Hiltrud (Ceddie) Harris (nee Sedlacek) on July 15, 1978. (Robinson Family Bible) This marriage ended in divorce in 1986. There were no children from this marriage. Franklin married Diedre Gale Merhiage on April 19, 1989; this marriage ended in divorce in 1997. There were no children from this marriage. He married Remelda Henega Buenavista on January 13, 2007.
The Robinson family continue day-to-day operations of Serenity Farm. The land is well suited to the growing of tobacco and small grains, which crops, (with the exception of tobacco) along with a flock of sheep, are cultivated there to the present time. After the crop year 2001 the Robinson family took the tobacco buyout program offered by the state of Maryland and ceased growing tobacco. Franklin is active in farming and community affairs having served on the vestry of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, the Board of Directors of the Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Board of the Production Credit Association, the Boards of three schools, Holy Trinity Day School, Queen Anne School, and Calverton School, and numerous other organizations. Currently the farm consists of approximately 275 acres. In 1981 a state agricultural land preservation district of 222.755 acres was created. This was the first such district in Charles County and one of the first in the state of Maryland.
Via Family
The Via family traces its origins to the colony of Virginia, where the probable progenitor of the line, Amer Via, a French Huguenot, settled in Manakin Town, Albemarle County between 1670-1700. It is impossible to trace the Via line definitively due to the loss of Virginia county records during the Civil War.
The Via family line covered in this collection can be definitively traced to William Via of Fredericksville Parish, Louisa (later Albemarle) County, Virginia. The William Via family lived west of the present day town of Whitehall at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an area commonly known as Sugar Hollow. William Via III served in the Virginia Line during the Revolutionary War. He married Mary Craig, daughter of Thomas Craig and Jane Jameson, on March 17, 1784. William died on June 27, 1836, in Albemarle County (Rev. War Pension Appl. 6363, National Archives). His son Thomas married Sally, widow Griffin, on January 1, 1811 (Albemarle County Marriage Records). Their son, Hiram Karl Via (1812-1893), married Harriet Ardenia Naylor by license dated March 7, 1836 (Albemarle County Marriage Records).
Hiram and Harriet's son, Robert St. Clair Via (1844-1925), served as a private in Company I, 7th Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States Army (CSA Military Service Records, National Archives). After the war he married his first cousin, Mary Frances Naylor, daughter of Samuel Chapman Naylor and Eliza Jane Gardner, on April 3, 1866 in Rockingham County (Rockingham County, Virginia, Marriage Records). Sometime between 1870 and 1872, they moved to Linn County, Missouri, and settled about seven miles from the town of Bucklin. Their son, Hiram Chapman Via (1872-1933), was born there. In 1893, the family returned to Virginia, and settled on a farm in Greene County near the town of Stanardsville.
Hiram Chapman Via operated a mill as well as a farm. On March 15, 1899, he married Adina Eleanor Eusebia Runkle, daughter of Milton D. L. Runkle and Roberta A. Beadles (Greene County, Virginia, Marriage Records). They had three children: Bernice Olive (1902-1999), Robert Milton (1906-1983), and Deward Daniel (1909-1977).
Robert moved to Washington, D.C.. In December 1927 he began employment with the Capitol Traction Company as a streetcar conductor (Robinson and Via Family Papers). During the early 1930s, Robert rented a townhouse at 715 A St., SE, where he lived with his sister Bernice V. McMullan and her son, William C. McMullan; his brother and sister in law, and his parents. Next door, at 717, lived the Moses Albright family, including Moses's stepdaughter Ida Virginia Woods (1914-2010), daughter of Jesse Lee Woods (1894-1918) and Donna Mae Barker (1896-1928) of Frederick County, Maryland. Robert and Virginia began a courtship and on September 3, 1932 were married in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland (Frederick County, Maryland, Marriage Records).
After their marriage, Robert and Virginia lived in various locations in the Washington metropolitan area. Their first child, Robert Delano, was born on March 24, 1933, and their second child, Adina Mae, was born on April 12, 1937. Virginia was employed outside the home while her children were in school. Her first job before her marriage had been with Woolworth's in Martinsburg, WV working the candy counter and then before the birth of her son at The Hecht Company on F St. in Washington, D.C.. After her marriage she worked briefly for the United States Postal Service in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Beginning in the 1950s, she worked first at the Hecht Company department store on 7th Street in the District and later for Charles of the Ritz as a receptionist in their beauty salon located in Woodward & Lothrop's F Street store in Washington, D.C.. She also worked as salon manager at the Charles of the Ritz salons in the Woodward & Lothrop stores in Seven Corners, Virginia, and Chevy Chase, Maryland. She retired due to health reasons in 1973.
On September 10, 1941, Robert and Virginia purchased Lot #43 in Woodlane subdivision in Prince George's County. (Book 619, pg. 12, Land Records of Prince George's County) A house was designed for them for this lot by Clyde E. Phillips. They did not construct a home on this property due to the outbreak of World War II. Robert, due to his employment in public transportation, did not serve with the Armed Services in World War II. On October 18, 1946, they purchased approximately thirty acres bordering on Burch's Creek near the towns of Clinton, also know as Surrattsville, and T.B. in Prince George's County from Joseph H. and M. Pauline Blandford. (Book 873, pg. 483, Land Records of Prince George's County) Over the next three years, hiring private contractors, doing work themselves, and with the help of Robert's brother Deward, they built the two story house designed by Phillips in 1941. They moved to the farm from Capitol Heights in 1949. Robert raised hogs, small grains and a crop of tobacco yearly on this farm and also maintained his job with Capitol Transit (formerly Capitol Traction).
In 1954, Robert and Virginia purchased a farm of approximately 150 acres in Island Creek, Calvert County, Maryland. The intention was for Robert and his son to enter into a full time farming operation on expanded acreage. Robert D. Via, known as Delano, graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. Delano was a part-time farmer and pursued a career as a country and western singer with Bashful Bob and the Rhythm Rangers, he being Bashful Bob. He was employed in various jobs, and began a tour in the Army in 1953. By the time the Via family moved to Calvert County in 1956, he decided to pursue careers other than farming. He eventually traveled and worked in various parts of the United States. He married first Delores Cooper, second Gloria J. Irick, and finally Candice Marinelli in December 1974, they had two children, Robert Marin (1975) and Kirstin Marin (1976).
On June 1, 1956 Robert resigned from his position at Capitol Transit due to health reasons. He and his family moved to the farm in Island Creek, Calvert County where he began full time farming. He and Virginia sold the thirty-acre farm in Prince George's County on June 21, 1956 to Melvin C. and Geraldine H. Rardia. (Book 2003, pg. 564, Land Records of Prince George's County) Virginia continued her employment with Charles of the Ritz. Adina, now a graduate of Gwynn Park High School, was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. They both commuted daily from Calvert County to their places of employment.
Robert farmed in Calvert County, raising hogs, cattle, small grains and tobacco. Over the course of the next twenty-seven years, Robert and Virginia sold smaller parcels off the farm. In 1974, Robert and Virginia built a small retirement home designed for them by Calvert Masonry Contractors. Robert died on December 22, 1983. He was buried beside his daughter Adina in Trinity Memorial Gardens. At the time of Robert's death, the farm consisted of 28.694 acres. In 1998, Virginia deeded the remainder of the farm, then less than six acres, to her grandson, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr. who sold all but a one-acre lot in April 1999.
Virginia continued to live on the farm in Calvert County, maintaining a small herd of cattle. In the fall of 1989 Franklin, Jr. went to live with her. In 1993, the onset of Alzheimer's Disease required her to move to Serenity Farm and take up residence with her granddaughter A. Theresa. Virginia participated in various studies on Alzheimer's Disease conducted by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland beginning in 1992. She was profiled in the September 1997 issue of Washingtonian Magazine. In October of 1998 she moved to All American Senior Care in Brandywine, Maryland and in 1999 she moved to Morningside, an elderly care facility in Waldorf, Maryland. In 2002, she moved to St. Mary's Nursing Center in Leonardtown, Maryland. The remainder of the farm was sold in 1999 and 2002. She died January 14, 2010 and was buried at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf.
Adina Mae Via was born April 12, 1937 at the Homeopathic Hospital in Washington, D.C.. Adina grew up in Washington, D.C. attending public schools. She moved with her family to the Burch's Creek farm, Prince George's County, in 1949. She enrolled in the Prince George's County school system, and graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June of 1955. After graduation, she was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs.
In July of 1956, she moved with her family to the Via farm in Island Creek, Calvert County. On July 27, 1958 she married Franklin A. Robinson at the Chapel of the Incarnation. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962) and Adina Theresa (1963). In the fall of 1958, she and Franklin took up residence in the home they had built on Ferndale Farm. She resigned from her position with the USAF in 1959.
On December 14, 1966, at Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, Adina died from complications due to Hodgkin's Disease. She had been battling this disease for many years prior to her death. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Charles County.
Related Materials:
Materials at Other Organizations
The Maryland Historical Society holds items (costume, farming related implements) related to the Robinson and Via families.
Separated Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History
The Division of Work and Industry (Agriculture Collection) holds agricultural implements and artifacts associated with both the Robinson farms and the Via farm; the Division of Home and Community Life holds clothing, textiles (crib quilt), jewelry, cosmetics and Adina M. Robinson's sewing box and dress patterns; (Costume and Textiles Collection). See accession numbers: 1989.0688, 1990.0394, 1991.0010; 1991.0722, 1992.0184, 1992.0283, 1992.0321, 1992.0474, 1992.3106, 1994.0064, 1994.0304, 1997.0327, 1998.0038, 1998.0129, 2001.0196, 2002.0087, 2003.0015, 2005.0009.
Division of Armed Forces History (now Division of Olitical and Military History, National Numismatics Collection) holds the Robert M. Via Trolley Token Collection.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History, Archives Center, by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., in November 1993.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Now Festival (1966 : Washington, D.C.) Search this
Extent:
2.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
1951-1996
Summary:
The papers of photographer and puppeteer Ida Jervis measure 2.6 linear feet and date from 1951 to 1996. Found are files concerning Washington D.C. area artists, collectors, exhibitions, festivals, institutions and museums.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of photographer and puppeteer Ida Jervis measure 2.6 linear feet and date from 1951 to 1996. Found are files concerning Washington D.C. area artists, collectors, exhibitions, festivals, institutions and museums.
Files may include printed material, photographs, biographical material, and correspondence. Additionally, three scrapbooks contain photographs and clippings from Jervis's career as a photographer and writer for local Washington, D.C. newspapers.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Ida Jervis (1917-2014) was a photographer, puppeteer, and writer in Washington, D.C. Jervis's photographs were featured in The Jewish Week of Washington and other publications.
Ida Goodstein Jervis was born in Poland in 1917 and immigrated to the United States in 1921, where she settled in Tennessee. She married Sidney Jervis and relocated to Northern Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. in 1944. In the 1960s, Jervis's writings and photographs appeared in local Washington D.C. newspapers. Her work often centered around the D.C. area arts scene. Additionally, she was an avid puppeteer and was active with the National Capital Puppetry Guild.
Ida Jervis died in 2014 in Falls Church, Virginia.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of a scrapbook containing printed material and photographs taken by Ida Jervis of the Now Festival held in Washington, D.C., April 26 to May 1, 1966, on Reel 4973. Originals were returned to the lender, Ida Jervis, after microfilming and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Ida Jervis donated a portion of her papers in 1994. Her daughter, Margie Jervis, donated additional papers in 2014
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional Information
Ida Jervis papers, 1951-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (audio cassette)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
1988
Scope and Contents:
Narration for the self guided tour for the exhibition 'Inspiration 1961-1989,' which featured works of art by the District of Columbia Art Association (DCAA).
Audio Tour. Audio only. Related to exhibition 'Inspiration: 1961-1989.' Dated 19881211.
Biographical / Historical:
Inspiration: 1961-1989 celebrated twenty-eight years of the District of Columbia Art Association's (DCAA) existence and productivity of services to the arts in the Washington metropolitan area. Exhibiting artists include Erlena Chisolm Bland, Wallace X. Conway, Richard W. Dempsey, William Dorsey, Gloria Freeman, Leroy Gaskin, Sylvia Moore Jackson, Jeanne Coleman Jarvis, Lois Mailou Jones, Edith I. Martin, Charles E. Mitchell, Georgette Seabrooke Powell, Alma Thomas, Larry Erskine Thomas, James Lesesne Wells, and Sandra Brashears Williams. The exhibition was held at the Anacostia Museum from January 15, 1989 - March 5, 1989.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1993 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 5 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera
Series 2: American Social Dance
Series 3: Kids' Stuff
Series 4: Metro Music
Series 5: U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
Historical note:
The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998.
The 1993 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies and cosponsored by the National Park Service.
For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
Introduction:
The 1993 Festival of American Folklife was the 27th since the Smithsonian's annual living cultural exhibition began in 1967. In 1993, the Festival included programs on U.S.-Mexico borderlands, American social dance, music in the Washington Metropolitan area, and urban children's culture. All pointed to how people creatively use the resources of community culture to shape life experiences in ways that celebrate and affirm social values.
The Festival's featured program, U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, was the latest in a series developed for the Columbus Quincentenary which sought to expand public knowledge about the cultural history of our hemisphere and to fortify the Smithsonian's engagement of colleagues and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Those programs, including Creolization in the Caribbean, Land and Power in Native American Cultures, New Mexico, Maroons in the Americas, and American Indian Soundscapes, directly reached some five million Festival visitors. Brought to fruition with the cooperation of scores of academic, cultural, and educational institutions in 18 nations, those programs engaged the efforts of some 250 different scholars and over 1,000 exemplary culture bearers from across the Americas. They generated rich documentary archives, copies of which reside both at the Smithsonian and at collaborating institutions. Additionally, the programs generated two documentary films and several books, and even contributed to the passage of cultural legislation.
The 1993 Festival took place during a single five-day week (July 1-5) between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 13th Street, south of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History (see site plan).
The 1993 Program Book included schedules and participant lists for each program; essays provided background on the Festival and each of the four programs.
The Festival was co-presented by the Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service and organized by the Center for Folklife Programs & Cultural Studies.
Center for Folklife Programs & Cultural Studies
Richard Kurin, Director; Diana Parker, Festival Director; Anthony Seeger, Director, Smithsonian/Folkways Recordngs; Peter Seitel, Senior Folklorist; Thomas Vennum, Jr., Senior Ethnomusicologist; Olivia Cadaval, Director, Quincentenary Projects; Richard Kennedy, Program Analyst; Vivian Chen, Diana Baird N'Diaye, Amy Horowitz, Marjorie Hunt, Folklorists/Curators; Carla Borden, John Franklin, Program Managers; Arlene L. Reiniger, Program Specialist; Jeffrey Place, Archivist; Betty Belanus, Research Associate
Folklife Advisory Council
Roger Abrahams, Jacinto Arias, Jane Beck, Pat Jasper, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Bernice Reagon, John Roberts, Carol Robertson, Gilbert Sprauve, Jack Tchen, Ricardo Trimillos, Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez
National Park Service
Roger Kennedy, Director; Robert G. Stanton, Regional Director, National Capital Region
Shared Stewardship of Collections:
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.
Forms Part Of:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1993 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers
1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]
Related Archival Materials note:
Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.
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.
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.
The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1997 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 5 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera
Series 2: African Immigrant Folklife
Series 3: The Mississippi Delta
Series 4: Sacred Sounds: Belief & Society
Series 5: Special Events
Historical note:
The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998.
The 1997 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies and cosponsored by the National Park Service.
For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
Introduction:
As the twentieth century neared its end, the entertainment industry dominated popular views of culture. Cultural enterprises including movies, television, theme parks, recordings, and video stores constitute one of the world's largest industries. Nevertheless, there is another world of culture created and sustained in homes, communities, places of work and worship. Our lullabies and hymns, liturgical chants and celebratory songs, songs of work, struggle, and mourning, are rarely heard in music stores or on radio stations. Yet it is those traditions and the cultures they represent that are highlighted at the annual Festival of American Folklife.
The 1997 Festival featured three major programs, complemented by the third annual Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert. Sacred Sounds brought together people from a variety of religious communities, from around the nation, Jerusalem, and from South Africa. Their songs expressed spiritual feelings and convictions connecting their lives to tradition. At the Festival, audiences could hear some of the ways in which music flows from the spirit of a diverse humanity to express its highest aspirations.
A second program, African Immigrant Folklife, illustrated the many traditions of recent immigrants to the United States from Africa. These immigrants participate in a changing culture, as people, families, and communities find their place in American society. Festival visitors could celebrate the enterprise and vitality of recent immigrants to the United States from Africa, who have brought their cultures across the Atlantic Ocean to the Washington metropolitan area.
The Mississippi Delta, the subject of the third Festival program, is a culturally rich region of the United States that gave birth to blues, jazz, rockabilly and rock 'n' roll, honky tonk, distinctive forms of gospel, oratory, marvelous stories, folk and visionary art, and an encyclopedia of river lore - not to mention barbecue and fish fries. Native, Spanish, African, French, and American people all merged along the Mississippi, just as many tributaries flow into one river. Beginning even before the arrival of Europeans, the Mississippi has been a source of food and irrigation, a highway for commerce, a strategic center for political power, a source of inspiration for song and spirit. The region's cultural expressions, continually shaped by the daily experience - the work, worship, home life, and recreation - of the people who live there, were shared with Festival visitors on the National Mall.
The 1997 Festival took place during two five-day weeks (June 25-29 and July 2-6) between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 9th Street and 13th Street, south of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History (see site plan). It featured three programs, with special events that included the Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert.
The 1997 Program Book included schedules and participant lists for each program; essays provided background on the Festival and on each of the programs.
The Festival was co-presented by the Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service and organized by the Center for Folklife Programs & Cultural Studies.
Center for Folklife Programs & Cultural Studies
Richard Kurin, Director; Richard Kennedy, Deputy Director; Diana Parker, Festival Director; Anthony Seeger, Director, Smithsonian Folkways Recordngs; James Early, Director, Cultural Studies & Communications; Thomas Vennum, Jr., Senior Ethnomusicologist; Olivia Cadaval, Chair, Research & Education; Betty J. Belanus, Marjorie Hunt, Diana Baird N'Diaye, Peter Seitel, Curators, Folklorists, Education and Cultural Specialists; Carla M. Borden, Program/Publications Manager; John W. Franklin, Program Manager; Cynthia Vidaurri, Coordinator, Latino Cultural Resource Network; Jeffrey Place, Archivist; Stephanie Smith, Assistant Archivist; Arlene L. Reiniger, Program Specialist; Charlie Weber, Media Specialist; Brenda Danet, Nadia Abu El-Haj, Roland Freeman, Ivan Karp, Alan Lomax, Worth Long, Kate Rinzler, Luise White, Fellows, Research Associates & Collaborators
Folklife Advisory Council and Folkways Advisory Council
Roger Abrahams, Jacinto Arias, Michael Asch, Jane Beck, Don DeVito, Pat Jasper, Ella Jenkins, Jon Kertzer, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, John Nixdorf, Bernice Johnson Reagon, John Roberts, Carol Robertson, Gilbert Sprauve, Jack Tchen, Ricardo Trimillos, Carlos Vélez-Ibáñez
National Park Service
Terry Carlstrom, Acting Director, National Capital Region
Shared Stewardship of Collections:
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.
Forms Part Of:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1997 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers
1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]
Related Archival Materials note:
Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.
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.
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.
The collection, which dates from circa 1965 to 2006 and measures 5.67 linear feet, documents the built and natural environment of the Anacostia neighborhood, as well as the activities of the Anacostia Coordinating Council, which sponsored the Historic Anacostia Revitalization Project, a survey of all buildings in the Anacostia Historic District. The collection consists of slides, photographs, negatives, correspondence, newsletters, reports, printed material and ephemera.
Scope and Contents note:
The collection documents the built and natural environment of the Anacostia neighborhood, as well as the activities of the Anacostia Coordinating Council, between1965-2006. The collection is organized into two series: Slides and Project Files.
Slides: This series contains 1889, 35mm, mounted transparencies. The oldest images depict 1940 and 1950s Anacostia scenes, reproduced in slide format during the 1990s. The earliest slide is of Cafritz Hospital, it was created in 1965, with the latest slides having been created of various Anacostia scenes in 2006. This series documents both built and natural environments in the Anacostia Neighborhood through images of buildings, streets, landmarks, neighborhoods, people and special events.
Project files: This series contains correspondence, memoranda, statements, maps, newsletters, administrative documents, printed ephemera, photographs and negatives. Materials housed in this series place a particular emphasis on Anacostia planning. This includes research materials collated for a survey of buildings along Good Hope Road. This survey was undertaken by Prof. McGrath and his second year George Washington Students, and sponsored by the Anacostia Coordinating Council, whose activities also feature in the series. The material dates from 1984 until 1994 and has been housed into 29 folders, categorized as donated.
Arrangement note:
The materials have been arranged into two series, Slides and Project Files.
The slides were originally received in five metallic boxes labeled "A-E", one box labeled "Untitled", and nine small plastic boxes. The slides have been re-housed from these boxes into archival binders. The slides in each binder are arranged in their original order and preserve the following catagories as they appeared at the time of donation: "Streets", "Subjects", and "Miscellaneous".
The Project Files were originally received in one binder, this binder has been rehoused into 29 folders, categorized as donated.
Biographical/Historical note:
Dorn C. McGrath, Jr., FAICP, is Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning and Geography. He retired from the George Washington University in 2003 after serving on its faculty for 33 years. He was founder of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Director of the Institute for Urban Development Research, Chairman of the Department of Geography and Regional Science, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, and was one of the founders of the University's Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. Prof. McGrath also served as member of the adjunct faculty at the Johns Hopkins University, School for Advanced International Studies. From 1987-1996, he served as Chairman of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City.
Professpr McGrath became involved with Anacostia as a direct consequence of his long standing friendship with Mr. John Kinard. McGrath met Mr. Kinard at George Washington University. Mr. Kinard, who was involved in an ongoing effort to revitalize the Anacostia Community as Chairman of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and first director of the Anacostia Community Museum, encouraged McGrath to apply his planning expertise to the cause. Seeing this opportunity as a valuable way to assist both the community and a means to practically apply information he taught to students at George Washington University, McGrath worked with his students to undertake a survey of the area.
Related Archival Materials note:
Publications and articles authored by Prof McGrath are listed in Prof McGrath's Curriculum Vitae. A copy of this was supplied to the Anacostia Community Museum via email by Prof McGrath on the 27 August 2013. An audio interview was also conducted with Prof McGrath on the 13 August 2013. The audio and transcript pertaining to this interview are housed by the Anacostia Community Museum and are currently accessible on a shared drive.
Provenance:
The Dorn C. McGrath, Jr. slides and other material were donated to the Anacostia Community Museum in 2007 by Dorn C. McGrath, Jr.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for unrestricted research. Use requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Dorn C. McGrath, Jr. slides and other material are the physical property of the Anacostia Community Museum. Literary and copyright belong to the author/creator or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with the Anacostia Community Museum. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the Museum Archives.
21.6 Cubic feet (consisting of 17 cartons, 2 oversized boxes.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Transcripts
Color slides
Exhibition records
Exhibit scripts
Contact sheets
Photographic prints
Correspondence
Place:
Washington Metropolitan Area
Date:
1942-1998
Summary:
These records document the planning, organizing, execution, and promotion of an exhibition exploring the immigration of people of African descent from Central and South America and the Caribbean to the Washington Metropolitan Area. The show was organized and hosted by the Anacostia Museum from August 21, 1994 through August 7, 1995. Materials include correspondence, research files, exhibit script, administrative records, brochures, press coverage, education packets, loan agreements, floor plans, and catalogues.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Black Mosaic exhibition presented by the Anacostia Community Museum measure 21.6 cubic feet and date from 1942 to 1998, with the bulk of material dating from 1990 to 1995. The records include administrative records, publications, research files, floor plans, exhibit text drafts, oral history transcripts, and project files for programs coordinated for or tangentially with the Black Mosaic Exhibit.
Administrative records include advisory board member lists, meeting minutes, agendas, grant proposals, project reports and assessments, correspondence, training material for museum volunteers and docents, and assorted notes. Publications within the series directly relate to the Black Mosaic Exhibit and the Anacostia Community Museum. Correspondence includes both internal correspondence and those with local community members.
Writings and notes were previously scattered throughout the collection have been collocated within the Administrative Records series, and a majority are undated. The notes cover topics ranging from administrative activities to exhibit and research planning. Included are printed documents, scrap paper, and spiral-bound notebooks.
The research files contain background information about numerous immigrant communities within Washington D.C. The community research files were originally organized by country, continent, or region of origin, and then later by subjects that coordinated with the exhibit's designated themes. This organization method has largely been maintained. Research files include scholarly articles, news clippings, event programs, compiled bibliographies, and material related to the study of museology.
The exhibit files include floor plan layouts, photocopies of images, interview transcripts, exhibit literature, and extensive exhibit text drafts. Drafts of the exhibit's text include notes throughout multiple editing stages. Additionally, copies of flip books for different thematic sections of the Black Mosaic exhibit are included and are organized alphabetically by title. Other exhibit literature present is primarily in English with one French copy present.
The project files include training material for collecting oral histories and documenting community folklife, conference records, event records, and records pertaining to related projects at the Anacostia Community Museum. Concurrent projects supporting the exhibit include the Black Mosaic community newsletter and an educational curriculum project. Additional project records that thematically overlap with the Black Mosaic exhibit but extend beyond the timeframe of the formal exhibit are present also.
Arrangement:
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D.C. exhibition records are arranged in four series:
Series 1: Administrative Records
Series 2: Research Files
Series 3: Exhibit Files
Series 4: Project Files
Historical Note:
The exhibit Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D.C. was curated by the Anacostia Community Museum's supervisory curator Portia James, and was open at the Anacostia Community Museum from August 1994 to August 1995. The exhibition explored the immigration of people of African descent from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean to the Washington Metropolitan Area.
Topics addressed in the exhibition include migration, situations faced by Black immigrants, the maintenance of relationships with places of origin, community events and cultural performances, public and private expressions of culture, commodification of culture for economic support, and the expression of multiple identities. Some intentions of the exhibit were to provide forums for discussing culture and identity, provide resources for people learning about communities in the Washington Metro area, and to be a model to other museums and cultural institutions for understanding and interpreting similar immigration and settlement patterns.
The exhibit was designed to be experienced with broader cultural concepts being introduced towards the external part of the exhibit, while personal stories could be experienced further in. Over 100 oral history interviews featured prominently in the exhibit where interviewed individuals explained their immigration experience and how they've adapted to life in the area. The exhibit also included mounted photographs, artifacts, music, and conversations. Artifacts included passport photos, tickets, family photographs, and letters. The exhibit's text displayed in three languages: English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. There were additional exhibition guides provided in Brazilian Portuguese, French, and the Ghanaian languages of Ga, Twi, Akan, and Ewe.
Coupled with the exhibit, the museum coordinated an extensive series of programs to engage various communities in the exploration of issues and traditions. These programs included creating newsletters and a photograph exhibit to keep the community up to date about the progression of the exhibit, working with performance groups, creating multi-institutional partnerships in order to develop more effective methods of collecting oral histories, and collaborating and modeling for the CFPCS African Immigrant Communities project.
Provenance:
Records of Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity Among Black Immigrants in Washington, D.C. Exhibition were created by the Anacostia Community Museum.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Immigrants -- United States -- Exhibitions Search this
Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
What does it mean to be a person of Asian or Pacific Island descent living in the United States today? What are the primary strategies for adaptation and change versus sustainability and continuity? These were the questions underlying the 2010 Festival program.
The Asian Pacific American (APA) population of metropolitan Washington, D.C., provided an excellent cross-section of the national APA community. Moreover, its rapid growth made it a good example of the "global/local" and "preservation/transformation" themes that were celebrated at the 2010 Festival. The large number of federal workers and the location of foreign embassies in the nation's capital have brought APAs here from all fifty states and from all Asian countries. While the majority of APAs are foreign-born, those based in D.C. combine both Asian and American influences into many aspects of their lives.
The Festival program brought together people from diverse communities in the Washington, D.C., area to highlight the breadth of traditions practiced by APA cultures. It emphasized the ways in which APAs make connections not only to each other, but also to the broader communities in which they live, work, and play. Through theater, music, dance, and sports performances; demonstrations of language and calligraphy traditions; martial arts, healing arts, and ritual arts; crafts and foodways presentations; and children's activities, Festival visitors could learn about APA identity, history, and culture, discovering shared and integrated traditions.
The Asian Pacific American program was part of a collaborative research and public presentation project between the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program. Partnering with the University of Maryland, local APA communities, and other organizations, the project researched and documented the cultural heritage of Asian Pacific Americans living in and around the capital region. In addition to the Festival program, the Smithsonian preserves collected stories, images, video, and audio clips of traditional APA culture in its archives and on its Web sites.
Phil Tajitsu Nash was Curator and Arlene Reiniger was Program Coordinator.
The program was produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's Asian Pacific American program. AARP was a Major Donor to the program with additional support from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Juanita Tamayo Lott in memory of Robert H. Lott, OCA, Pragmatics Inc., and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.
Presenters:
Gina Inocencio, Terry Liu, Lucy Long, Cliff Murphy, Konrad Ng, Franklin Odo, Mark Puryear, Ang Robinson, Take Toma, Gerald Yamada, Michael Wilpers
Participants:
CRAFT TRADITIONS
Menosh Hashim, Indian American Urdu teacher, Falls Church, Virginia
Hongyi He, Chinese American paper cutter, Astoria, New York
HIRO, Japanese American painter and calligrapher, Alexandria, Virginia
Vu Hoi, Vietnamese American calligrapher, Merrifield, Virginia
Akiko Keene, Japanese American doll maker, Potomac, Maryland
Myoung-Won Kwon, Korean American calligrapher, Silver Spring, Maryland
Mereadani Lomaloma, Fijian American tapa painter, Washington, D.C.
Peni Lomaloma, Fijian American tapa painter, Washington, D.C.
Bertrand Mao, Chinese American calligrapher, Potomac, Maryland
Sushmita Mazumdar, Indian American bookmaker, Arlington, Virginia
Helen Sze McCarthy, Taiwanese American painter, Silver Spring, Maryland
Gankhuyag Natsag, Mongolian American mask maker and calligrapher, Arlington, Virginia
Khin Mg San, Burmese American chinlone master and ball maker
Teresiter Sauler, Fijian American tapa painter, Washington, D.C.
Melissa Mokihana Scalph, Hawaiian lei maker, Alexandria, Virginia
Sala Sucu, Fijian American tapa painter, Washington, D.C.
Sivoni Sucu, Fijian American tapa painter, Washington, D.C.
Sue Tun, Burmese American muralist, Alexandria, Virginia
Paiboon Uthikamporn, Thai American calligrapher, Rockville, Maryland
Debi Velasco, Hawaiian lei maker, Lanham, Maryland
FOODWAYS TRADITIONS
Roohi Ahuja, Sikh
Karuna Baskaran, Bangladeshi American, Sterling, Virginia
Lok Tiwari, Nepalese American, Silver Spring, Maryland
Arnedo "Nedo" Valera, Filipino American, Fairfax, Virginia
Benita Wong, Chinese American, Vienna, Virginia
PERFORMANCE TRADITIONS
Aloha Boys (Hawaiian) -- Aloha Boys (Hawaiian)Glen Hirabayashi, McLean, VirginiaIsaac Ho'opi', McLean, VirginiaIrv Queja, McLean, Virginia
American Bando Association (Burmese American) -- American Bando Association (Burmese American)Dara Brown, Bryan Carr, Sidney Grandison, Richard Gray, Fredericka Prevost, Levron Scuchalter, John Tolbert, André Turner, Duvon Winborne
Bhangra and Giddha: Folk Dances of Punjab
Burma American Buddhist Association
Burmese American Dance -- Burmese American DanceKyaw Tha Hla, Myat Yin Chaw
Cambodian American Heritage Inc. -- Cambodian American Heritage Inc.Solei Becker, Paula Chea, Bonavy Chhim, Juliana Dos, Angela Ea, Laura Kun, Marina Kun, Lynna Lam, Alyssa Lim, Davina Lim, Maleena Lim, Samontha Lushinski, Victoria Mam, Diana Ouk, Kristina Ouk, Aleeyha Sophia Prak, Grace Rafferty, Megan Jean Smith, Chhomnimol Murielle Sokhon, Voleak Evelyn Sokhon, Kesarah Touch, Elizabeth Yap, Erica Yap, Katherine Yap, Regina Yap, Stephanie Yap, Darlene You, Vannika Jasmine You
Cambodian Buddhist Society Culture Group -- Cambodian Buddhist Society Culture GroupAnthony, Khalarath Bloesch, Kim Bloesch, Rachna Chhay, Rachny Chhay, Ngek Chum, Sovan Chum, Key Ek, Viphas Heng, Sophy Hoeung, Ra Klay, Elizabeth Korn, Dinita Mani, Masady Mani, Sok Nou, Chanversa Omkar, Chris Omkar, Joanna Pecore, Annong Phann, Dante Phann, Bobbharath Rithipol, Manida Sam, Vathana Say, Suejane Tan, Sunny Tech, Allsya Thao, Victor Thao, Sochietah Ung, Ganbott Voey
Chinatown Community Cultural Center and the Wong People, Washington, D.C. -- Chinatown Community Cultural Center and the Wong People, Washington, D.C.Sifu Raymond Wong, Mei Cao, Sue Lin Li, Damian Ma, Charles Meadows, Michael Peters, Dat Phan, Can-Ye Wong
Chinese Opera (Society for Kunqu Arts)
Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company (Korean American), Washington, D.C.
Dhroopad (Bangladeshi American)
Fiji Vesi Tagitagi Ensemble -- Fiji Vesi Tagitagi EnsembleLitia Lomalagi, Sili Lomalagi, Louise Lomaloma, Sala Sucu, Saula Sucu
Ganga (Bengali American) -- Ganga (Bengali American)Hitabrata Roy, Vienna, VirginiaKrishna RoyBroto Roy, Falls Church, VirginiaNupur LahiriIndrajit Roy ChowdhuryGautam Adhikari
Hakka Association in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Hakka TungFa Chorus of Greater Washington, D.C.
Halau Ho'omau (Hawaiian)
Halau O'Aulani (Hawaiian)
Hawaiian Serenaders and Dancers
Himalayan Music Group from Nepal with Prem Raja Mahat
India International School
Kaur Foundation (Sikh)
Korean American Cultural Arts Foundation
Lao American Break-dancers -- Lao American Break-dancersBinly AKA Lancer, Kennedy Phounsiri, Ranny Sitthideth, Issy Visarayachack
Lao American Women's Association of Greater Washington, D.C. -- Lao American Women's Association of Greater Washington, D.C.Sue Chaison, Reagan Naughton, Sengpheth Sandara, Nicky Tummatip
Lao Heritage Foundation Musicians -- Lao Heritage Foundation MusiciansBriana Chaisone, Bobby Inthavong, Khamsa Sounviengxay, Xai Souphom
Lao Swan Dance Group -- Lao Swan Dance GroupMimi Chanthaphone, Sivilay Phabmixay, Silidavone Phanthavong, Christina Sivanthaphanith
Marshallese Community
Mongolian School of Greater Washington
Mongolian Wrestlers
Nen Daiko—Ekoji Buddhist Temple (Japanese American) -- Nen Daiko—Ekoji Buddhist Temple (Japanese American)Cordula Dahal, Brant Horio, Maya Horio, Emily Ihara, Lisa Iwahara, Diane Miyasato, Greg Nakamura, Lisa Noguchi, Kevin Shin
Sulu D.C. (Asian Pacific American) -- Sulu D.C. (Asian Pacific American)Kilusan Bautistsa, Lily Bee, Regie Cabico (host), Alexander Cena, Simone Jacobson, Gowri K, Jenny C. Lares, iLL-Literacy, The Pinstriped Rebel (deejay), SNRG, Tiayi Sun, Yoko K
Sutera Malaysia
Sutradhar Institute (Indian American)
Tae Kwon Do
Ultimate Kali-Eskrima (Filipino American) -- Ultimate Kali-Eskrima (Filipino American)Walter H. Crisostomo, Wesley H. Crisostomo, Lexi D. Crisostomo, Kibok Kim, Ron Laster, Hans Ege Werger
Washington Gu-Zheng Ensemble -- Washington Gu-Zheng EnsembleGrace Chu, Alice Kan, Kent Kan, Jane Li, Li Li, Phoebe Liu, Angela Wang
Washington Toho Koto Society -- Washington Toho Koto SocietyZainab Abdul-Rahim, Miya Aoki, Jim Best, Kyle Brady, Wanda Butler Hardie, Colin Khem, Lombar Martinez, Kyoko Okamoto, Keiko O'Rourke, Sachiko Smith, Izumi Tamanaha, Yoshiko Tucker
Wat Thai of Washington, D.C.
TALKSTORY DISCUSSION STAGE -- TALKSTORY DISCUSSION STAGEKiran Ahuja, Keola Akana, Chris Baltazar, Kumar Barve, Ahmad Borhani and family, Hung Bui, Eric Byler, Yoonmee Chang, Nicholas Chen, Wendy Cheng, Laura Chin, Harry Chow, Sandy Hoa Dang, Judith Do, Tammy Duckworth, Kimmie Duong, Ryan Edgar, Eni Faleomavaega, Theo-dric Feng, Cora Foley, Jennie Chin Hansen, Lisa Hasegawa, HIRO, Mazie Hirono, Vu Hoi, Michael Honda, Bel Leong Hong, Terry Hong, Nasima Hosain, Kun-yen Huang, Hoa Tu Huong, Tommy Hwang, Grant Ichikawa, Gina Inocencio, Tim Johnson, Tanya Joshua, Harminder Kaur, Mark Keam, Phyllis Khaing, Jeong H. Kim, Yann King, Harold Koh, Howard Koh, Soohyun Julie Koo, Ford Kuramoto, Chin-fun Kwok, Myoung-Won Kwon, Cherry Kwunyeun, Rosetta Lai, Jenny Lares, Brigitte Le, D. Lee, Susan Lee, Wendy Lim, Michael Lin, Lawrence Liu, Juanita Tamayo Lott, Gerald Maa, Harpal S. Mangat, Bertrand Mao, Gale Awaya McCallum, Lurline McGregor, Norman Mineta, V. Mirandah, Ruby Moy, Myamya Myaing, Hiu Newcomb and family, Long Nguyen, Franklin Odo, Annabel Park, H.K. Park, Alakananda Paul, Dilip Paul, Saswati Paul, Mali Phonpadith, Lili Qi, Shirley Queja, Sonia Reynolds, Anna Rhee, Amy Rider, Miriam Riedmiller, Noriko Sanefuji, Larry Shinagawa, Eric Shinseki, Shiro Shintaku, Sala Sucu, Saula Sucu, Carol Takafuji, Annie Tao, Take Toma, Sandi Tun, Carmelita Tursi, Kris Valderrama, Yeni Wong, Gerald Yamada, Bruce Yamashita, Joanne Yamauchi, Al Yanger, Charlotte Yeh, Joanna Zhao
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: 2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
Washington, D.C.: It's Our Home was a program rich with the memories and flourishing traditional practices of the city's fishermen, taxi and bus drivers, lawyers, dancers, activists, retirees, seamstresses, craftspeople, musicians, choirs, quartets, gardeners, poets, cooks, quilters, and rappers, from east of the Anacostia River to west of Rock Creek Park. Washington, D.C., is a city of refuge and advocacy for the marginalized peoples of our nation and the world, and participants helped visitors see the social, cultural, and political context for their folklife practices. More than 45 researchers from community institutions and universities in the District worked for over a year and compiled cultural documentation on hundreds of potential Festival participants. Then they tackled the ticklish task of making a coherent statement about their multi-faceted city. A few examples illustrate what they found and chose to present on the National Mall.
Soccer, for example, offers windows to connections and community. New immigrants to Washington often search for soccer teams from home. Each week Washington's parks host a small contest between nations, from Trinidad to Korea and Ethiopia. Spectators cook and share traditional foods, play music, and dance, transforming these games into celebrations. Long-time Washingtonians have grown to love soccer as well, and the city has nurtured its own legendary players and coaches, clinics and camps, styles, language, and new generations of players.
Washington, D.C., residents are also enthusiastic participants in and spectators of numerous parades and processions throughout the year. Caribbean Carnival, Gay Pride, Chinese New Year, Unifest, Halloween, the Cherry Blossom, and inaugural parades and Good Friday processions are examples of lively celebratory events that take place on city streets. Participants in those celebrations spend countless hours in detailed planning and preparation to create the delicate balance between artistic style and performance. Spectators interact with performers as this unpredictable form of dynamic street theater pulsates through city neighborhoods. Folklife Festival visitors could enjoy both the celebrations themselves and the behind-the-scenes preparations.
The program also honored community life and civic action, including the memories of the neighborhoods that people built as safe spaces from discrimination, and others that people lost through urban renewal and relocation. Participants described the city's long tradition of human rights activism, and they shared the songs, arts, stories, icons, rituals, and memorabilia that have enlivened this tradition.
Go-go, Washington's indigenous music, may be the quintessential urban music, all percussion and beat, pulsing from garbage can lids, plastic buckets, homemade drums, cowbells, bass guitar, and saxophone, drawing audiences into passionate call-and-response as they identify the neighborhoods where they live. As musicians, deejays, dancers, stylists, instrument builders, and fans make this music, they also communicate its deep and complex roots in African American musical styles, the history of live musical gatherings in the city, and the pride of place expressed in a musical tradition that begins with meager material resources.
Marianna Blagburn, Michael McBride, Brett Williams, and John Franklin were Curators, and Ivy Young was Program Coordinator. Program Area Organizers were: Gabriel Benn (spoken word), Tom Blagburn (basketball), Sally Gifford (social justice dialogues), Lisa Pegram (spoken word), and Lauren Rogers (reunions). Marianna Blagburn and Brett Williams were Research Coordinators.
The program was produced in collaboration with the D. C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Major support was provided by the Government of the District of Columbia, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, Hilton Hotels Corporation, The Dunn and Bradstreet Corporation, The Meyer Foundation, The Washington Post, Chevy Chase Bank, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, IBM, and the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds. Additional support was provided by the D.C. Humanities Council; the Blum Kovler Foundation; Program in African American Culture, Division of Cultural History, National Museum of American History; and SPOT Image Corporation.
Researchers:
Lois E. Adams, Diane A. Bacote, Candace Barnes, Sue Barnes, Gabriel C. Benn, Toni Blackman, Tom Blagburn, Iley Brown II, James Brown, Jr., P J. Brownlee, Camilla Bryce-Laporte, Anika Collins, Evelyn Curenton, Sandy Dang, Anna De Fina, Jane Flegel, Christopher Flores, Paul Gardullo, Lilo Gonzales, Alan Hersker, Sherri Lawson-Clark, William Mabry, Atiba Madyun, Angie Manzano, Susie McFadden-Resper, Melinda Michels, Lisa Pegram, Jemima Pierre, Kishanna Poteat, Rose Powhatan, Mingo Roberts, Elizabeth Sheehan, Danette Sokocich, Pallavi Thakur, Michael Twitty, Nilda Villalta, Sheila Wise, Yohannes Zeleke
Presenters:
Gabriel Benn, Kai Blagburn, Rahman Branch, Camilla Bryce-Laporte, Kenny Carroll, Anna DeFina, Robert Fry, Howard Gassaway, Jordan Graye, Marjorie Hunt, Philippa Jackson, Linda Lee, Beverly Lindsay, Diana N'Diaye, Lisa Pegram, Mingo Roberts, Sheila Roberts, Ryan Rodríguez, Stephen Syphax, Michael Twitty, Nilda Villalta, David Wang, Brian Williams
Participants:
CRAFT TRADITIONS
James Brown, fiber artist
Daughters of Dorcas -- Daughters of DorcasViola Canady, quilterRaymond Dobard, quilter
Veronica DeNegri, -- arpilleras -- maker
Videlbina Flores-Fitch, piñata maker
Carlos Gomez, -- berimbau -- maker
Iola Hall, basket weaver
Brian Hamilton, stained glass maker
Alfredo Herrera, woodcarver
Lafayette Elementary School Quilters -- Lafayette Elementary School QuiltersJory BaroneKathy ByrdEdith JicklingJane McIntyre
Patrick Plunkett, stone carver
Vilma Quintanilla, quinceañera dress maker
Francisco Rigores, drum maker
Andy Seferlis, stone carver
Constantine Seferlis, stone carver
Mamo Tessema, potter
Rome Yetbarek, basket weaver
DANCE TRADITIONS
African Heritage Drummers and Dancers
Andrew Cacho African Drummers and Dancers
International Capoeira Angola Foundation -- International Capoeira Angola FoundationSheryll AldredChandra BrownSkher BrownHahnhuynh Armando DrakeCarlos GomezKojo JohnsonGabriela MandolesiCobra MansaSaadika MooreFrancisco Bermudez MoralesGege PoggiSylvia RobinsonAmina Malik SantemuKevin WilsonAyende Youmans
Poetry in Motion -- Poetry in MotionLarry BarronCharles BrownLevet Brown, Jr.Antonio F. BrutonSarah L. CrawleyRenee FinkleyGloria GoodeClinton J. GreenGary HolmesMary D. HopkinsGrace Little, vocalsJames OnqueCrystal P. ThompsonMell L. WalkerWarren E. WashingtonAnthony Yancey
the blueshounds -- the blueshoundsChris Dean, bassBarbara Jackson, lead vocalsNick Martin, keyboardsTony Rakusin, guitarBarry Turner, drums
Big Hillbilly Bluegrass -- Big Hillbilly BluegrassMike Marceau, bassTad Marks, fiddleBob Perilla, guitar, vocalsDick Smith, banjo, mandolin
Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers -- Chuck Brown and the Soul SearchersChuck Brown, guitar, vocalsBrad Clement, trumpetGlen Ellis, bassRobert Green, congasJuJu House, drumsBrian Mills, saxophoneSherrie Mitchell, keyboard
Sin Miedo -- Sin MiedoAnna Mercedes Castrello, lead vocalsBrad Clements, trumpetRalph Eskenazi, timbalesSamuel Mungia, bassPatrick Noel, bongosDidier Prossaird, pianoGary Sosias, congas
Sweet Honey in the Rock -- Sweet Honey in the RockYsaye Maria Barnwell, vocalsNitanju Bolade Casel, vocalsAisha Kahlil, vocalsCarol Maillard, vocalsBernice Johnson Reagan, vocalsShirley Childress Saxton, ASL interpreter
Nap Turner
Youth Steel Band
D.C. Divas
Julia Nixon -- Julia NixonJulia Nixon, vocalsDavid Ylvisaker, piano
Bernice and Toshi Reagon -- Bernice and Toshi ReagonMichelle Lanchester, vocalsBernice Reagan, vocalsToshi Reagan, vocals, guitarYasmeen, vocals
SACRED MUSIC TRADITIONS
Barbara Gaskins -- Barbara GaskinsRoyce Bouknight, bassDeborah Delgado, vocalsBarbara Roy Gaskins, vocals, lead and rhythm guitarCharles Marvary, drumsKim Watson, vocals
B'nai Shalom Adult and Youth Choir
Cambodian Network Council - Cambodian Arts Project -- Cambodian Network Council - Cambodian Arts ProjectNatalie Chhuan, cymbals, dancerPhavann ChhuanRithy Chhuan, dancerThyda Chhuan, dancerBonnary Lek, dancerAmarind Sam, dancerChanmoly Sam, dancerLaksmi Sam, dancerMalene Sam, dancer
Cardozo High School Concert Choir
Carlton Burgess & Friends
Complete Praise
Rev. James Flowers and the Flowers Family Singers -- Rev. James Flowers and the Flowers Family SingersTommy Crosby, guitarReverend James N. Flowers, Jr., vocalsLizzy Flowers, vocalsMargaret L. Flowers, vocalsYolanda Flowers, vocalsMarie Hickson, vocalsDorothy McDowell, vocalsJerry Parker, keyboardsMargie Pickett, vocalsErma Reed-Flowers, vocalsMildred Scruggs, vocalsGeorge White, drumsTommy White, bass
Foundation Khadimou Rossoul, North America -- Foundation Khadimou Rossoul, North AmericaPape DiengCheikh KèbèMassaer SambKhidim SeckPape SeckAbdoulaye TambaEl Hadj ThiamMourtala Thiam
The Four Echoes -- The Four EchoesGeorge G. Blake, tenorWilliam Evans, lead vocalsJames Stein, baritoneGlen Taylor, lead guitar, vocals
Holy Comforter - St. Cyprian Catholic Church Gospel Choir -- Holy Comforter - St. Cyprian Catholic Church Gospel ChoirKenneth Louis, music director
Kings of Harmony - United House of Prayer for All Peoples
Keshet Chorale of the D.C. Jewish Community Center
Maria Luisa Sylos-Labini, Northern Italian cooking
Sing Tam, Chinese cooking
Ester Treviño, Salvadoran cooking
Taye Wogederes, Ethiopian cooking
Dorothy Young, African-American cooking
Bruno Zara, Central Italian cooking
Christina Zara, Central Italian cooking
GARDENING TRADITIONS
Diane Dale
Patricia Giles
Pride Heitt
Columbus Jones
Frieda Murray
Judy Tiger
SOCIAL JUSTICE TRADITIONS
Judith Bauer
Dorothy Brizill
Carl Cole
Sandy Dang
Lori Dodson
Alfred Dudley
Bernice Fonteneau
Pat Hawkins
George LaRoche
Julius Lofton
Ignatius Mason
Phil Ogilvie
Mark Richards
Maurice Shorter
Kathryn Sinzinger
Larry Smith
John C. Snipes
Ivan Walk
Karen Zachary
SPOKEN, WRITTEN, RHYTHMIC WORD TRADITIONS
D.C. National Teen Slam Team -- D.C. National Teen Slam TeamHenry ArangoKenneth CarrollIsaac ColonJabari ExumOkechukwu lwealaLarry RobertsonLauren Wyatt
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: 2000 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
