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Family Folklore

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Object Details

Introduction
The Family Folklore Program was established to collect family lore from Festival-goers. At its tent in the children's area, a group of folklorists were on hand to speak with visitors about their family lore and to audio record it. This included names and expressions (nicknames, pet names, names for automobiles, endearments, euphemisms, greetings, and family words and expressions of all kinds), foodways and traditional family foods (descriptions of holiday foods and traditional ethnic dishes, as well as special treats made for children - or invented by them), family anecdotes (ranging from legends of a family's ancestors to quirky family experiences). The program was animated by the hope that the participatory process of collection would be a rewarding one for Festival-goers, that it would enable them to bridge the gap between the great traditions expressed on the various stages and displays and the small traditions that are an integral part of everyday life, and to make the connection between the traditions of ethnic and occupational groups and those of their own families. More than 250 Festival-goers recorded their family lore, with sessions ranging from 15 minutes to more than an hour. Following the 1974 Festival, the Smithsonian put out a call for family photographs and family albums that generated an enthusiastic public response. The program was coordinated by Steven Zeitlin, together with Holly Cutting Baker, Sandra Gross, and Amy J. Kotkin. It continued to collect family lore from Festival-goers for three more years, through the 1977 Festival.
Fieldworkers
A team of graduate students in folklore - most enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania - served as interviewers to collect family folklore during the Festival. Between 1974 and 1977, team members included Deborah Autorino, Holly Cutting Baker, Linda Burack, Robert Clayton, Susan Davis, Lorrie Gross, Sandra Gross, Amy Kotkin, Carolyn Mitchell, Jack Santino, Paul Wagner, Linda Watson, Mark Workman, and Steven Zeitlin.
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 4
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-1503510202147-1503510202189-2
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5c317efbf-7b1b-444b-9e51-c27a188a29b2

Related Content

  • Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1974 Festival of American Folklife

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