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Working Americans

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Object Details

Introduction
Since 1971, under the rubric of "Union Workers" and, later, "Working Americans", the Festival of American Folklife broadened the scope of traditional folklore by including exhibits featuring the American working man and woman. The premise was that folklore is a continuing process and that occupations generate individual styles, superstitions, language, initiations that unite those workers within one occupation across the country and around the world. In 1974, the skills of workers from a large number of contemporary occupations centered on communication were exhibited in the Working Americans area of the Festival. In addition, this program focused on the folklore of these occupations: occupational jokes, rituals, beliefs, customs, language, and stories that express workers' true attitudes toward themselves, their jobs and co-workers, their working conditions and unions, their industries, and local communities. The Festival's concern was to present the worker not only as a skilled practitioner of his or her trade, but even more importantly, as a person whose entire expressive culture is heavily influenced by the work he or she does. Presentations in 1974 were organized around several domains of communication: graphic communications, radio broadcasting, telecommunications, ham radio (amateur radio), theater work, and music. Festival presentations were the result of extensive planning and cooperation among the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Smithsonian and its folklife scholars, and the National Park Service. The program coordinator was Shirley Askew, assisted by Susan Donahue; consultants included Kenneth Goldstein, Archie Green, and Jill Shuman. Presentations in 1974 laid the groundwork for the major Bicentennial Festival of American Folklife, including as many as 90 occupational groups.
Fieldworkers
Robert Baron, Saul Broudy, Bruce Nickerson, Robert E. Porter, Richard Skrinjar
Participants
Communications Workers of America Joseph A. Beirne, 1911-, President Jeffrey Shaw, exhibit coordinator Participants: -- Participants:Albert GreenwoodCalvin FosterEdward O'ConnorJames SpicknallChris DreslinMax LindseyElmer PilgrimRichard LincolnDon FoxGroff (Sarge) YeckJohn ClaggettFrancis J. Kriege, Jr.Roger CullerC. W. SmithHarold NewtonJohn RumseyAlice WilliamsVicki WhiteBlondell WareWila HallDavid MooreBernice LaCourHazell Rouse Graphic Arts International Union Kenneth J. Brown, President John A. Stagg, exhibit coordinator Walter Lypka, exhibit coordinator Participants: -- Participants:Carolyn ForsterHarvey LovinArnold GrummerOther members of the Graphic Arts International Union also participated in this exhibit. Foundation for Amateur Radio Hugh Turnbull, W3ABC, President Edmund B. Redington, W4ZM, exhibit coordinator The Foundation acknowledges the support and co-operation of the national organization of radio amateurs, The American Radio Relay League, Inc. (Newington, Conn.), and the participation of the following League officials: Victor Clark, W4KFC (Vice President), and Harry McConaghy, W3SW (Director, Atlantic Division). Department of State Amateur Radio Club -- Department of State Amateur Radio ClubBryan Cordray, WA5SPIJohn Swafford, W4HUWilliam R. Jochimsen, W3UVFred Vogel, WA3QBKHersh Miller, W3SWDMac Shimp, WA3PPPJim Brown, W5DRPJames Bullington, K4LSDGale Conard, K3VTAPauline Conard, WA3VHHTom Masingill, WB4KNWGlen Starkey, K4PUISam Staton, K41TBDexter Anderson, K3KWJWill DeCierq, WA4DIBEarle Sherman, K4HQP National Capital DX Association -- National Capital DX AssociationDon Search, W3AZDJim Douglas, W3ZNHLynn Lamb, W3BWZPete Huber, WA3KSQJoe Mikuckis, K3CHPBurt Cohen, W3CREDick Price, W3DBTGeorge Grant, WA3MBQDick Propst, W3NLBill May, W3RXMort Cohen, K3SXQBill Shepherd, W3ZSRSteve Jarrett, K4CFBRay Johnson, K4DXOPete Raymond, K4EKJJinny Beyer, W41DGRay Porter, K40MRRay Spence, W4QAWTed Cohen, W4UMFJohn Kanode, W4WSFJohn Boyd, W4WWG The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Northern Virginia FM Association, Inc. -- Northern Virginia FM Association, Inc.George Miller, K4EJYCharles Raybuck, W4YEBJ. William Miller, K3MMWalter Lockhart, W3PWBDonald Dunlap, WB4QAXRobert Payton, W4GPD Amateur Radio Public Service Corps -- Amateur Radio Public Service CorpsKarl Medrow, W3FAJohn Munholland, K3LFDBob Slagle, K4GRBud Cone, WA4PBGSherm Winings, WB4RDVJohn Manning, WB4MAECharles Stay, W4HECraig Church, K4GORPhilip Sager, WB4FDTSteve Floyd, WB4YHDMarc Pressman, WB4DRBKen Johnson, WN4GHY Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) -- Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)Perry I. Klein, K3JTEJan A. King, W3GEYWm. A. Hook, W3QBCCharles Dorian, W3JPTWilliam A. Tynan, W3KMVJoseph Kasser, G3ZCZ/W3Richard Daniels, WA4DGUThomas H. Mitchell, WA3TBDEdward Ramos, W3HQHR. Alfred Whiting, K3BRS Metrovision, Inc. (Amateur television club) -- Metrovision, Inc. (Amateur television club)Terry Fox, WB4JFIMike Bray, WB4DVDBruce Brown, WB4YTUTom Lucas, WA4RBEPaul Lain, W4WHODon Miller, W9NTPJohn Oehlenschlager, WA4EMOStu Mitchell, WAODYJJohn Hart, K3KWOPhil Poole, WB4FQRFrank Lamm, WB4FUJ Washington Area Young Ladies Radio Club (WAYLARC) -- Washington Area Young Ladies Radio Club (WAYLARC)Irene Akers, W3RXJElizabeth Zandonini, W3CDQEthel Smith, K4LMBMaxine Harris, WA4UWKJanie Mcintyre, K4BNGClaire Bardon, K4TVTMary Seaton, W4HRDPat Morton, LU1BAR/3Meg Cauffield, W3UTRPeg Demueles, WA3SCXSandra Rutiser, K3SOXGinny Pemkerton, K4SHE Actors Equity Association National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians Scenic Artists of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades American Federation of Musicians Hal C. Davis, President in cooperation with THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TRUST FUNDS Kenneth E. Raine, Trustee Music Performance Trust Funds The music for this occasion was provided by a grant from the Music Performance Trust Funds, a public service organization, created and financed by the recording industries under agreements with the American Federation of Musicians. Phyllis Boyens, 1947-2009, singer, guitarist Philip Cassadore, 1932-1985, Apache singer Sam Chatmon, 1899-1983, blues singer, guitarist, Hollandale, Mississippi Hazel Dickens, 1935-2011, singer, guitarist Jim Garland, 1905-1978, singer, guitarist Joe Glazer, 1918-2006, singer, guitarist Sarah Ogan Gunning, 1910-1983, singer, guitarist Janie Hunter, 1918-1997, singer, ring-games Bessie Jones, 1902-1984, singer, ring-games Jesse Mays, spiritual singer, Independence, Mississippi Mary McCaslin, 1946-, singer, guitarist Paul Ortega, 1937-, Apache singer Bruce Phillips, 1935-2008, singer, guitarist Jim Ringer, 1936-1992, singer, guitarist Florence Reece, 1900-1986, singer Houston Stackhouse, 1910-1980, blues singer, Crystal Springs, Mississippi James "Son" Thomas, 1926-1993, blues singer, Leland, Mississippi Varney Watson, singer, guitarist Floyd Westerman, 1936-2007, Sioux singer Nimrod Workman, 1895-1994, singer, balladeer
Collection Creator
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
See more items in
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife
Archival Repository
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Identifier
CFCH.SFF.1974, Series 9
Type
Archival materials
Collection Citation
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
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 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.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1503510202147-1503510202247-3
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5f48dd211-4045-4a57-a2a5-8e2f9b3dfcc7

Related Content

  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife

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