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Working Americans

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Object Details

Introduction
In its third year, the Working Americans program in 1975 presented the skills and lore found within the work days and nights of transportation workers. The goal of the program was to put names and faces in place of services and machinery, to approximate as closely as possible the actual work place, the human feelings and the tone of the occupation. By focusing on the skills, styles, stories, jokes, beliefs and customs of contemporary workers, the Festival sought to reveal the similarities and differences of occupational backgrounds. Programs focused on air traffic controllers, commercial aircraft machinists and maintenance workers, railroad workers, workers in trucking, and deep sea and inland boatmen. Visitors to the Working Americans section of the Festival had three areas in which to share the occupational folklore and skills of workers in transportation. The first presented simulated work sites, including areas for bulk freight trucking, maritime skills, airline maintenance, and railroad maintenance of way. The second was devoted to the performance of stories, jokes, personal experiences and other narrative expressions of transportation workers. The Working Americans stage also featured the performance of songs and music growing out of the work experience. The third area was the Learning Center, where photographs of skills in the work environments, videotapes and sound recordings taken on-the-job could be experienced by the Festival visitor. Regular workshops and scheduled discussions dealt with such topics as the safety considerations in these occupations, the 24-hour work rhythm of transportation workers, and the similarities and differences found in the movement of people and goods by various transportation occupations. This presentation was the result of extensive planning and cooperation among the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Smithsonian Institution and its folklife scholars, the National Park Service, and transportation workers throughout the country. Shirley Askew served as Program Coordinator, with Robert McCarl as Field Research Coordinator and Susan Donahue as Assistant Program Coordinator. Sponsors included the AFL-CIO, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Presenters
Kenneth S. Goldstein, Archie Green, Teresa Pyott, Andy Wallace
Participants
Air Traffic Control Association Joseph P. O'Brien, President Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Burrell N. Whitmire, President Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Harold C. Crotty, President Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen of America Charles J. Chamberlain, 1921-, President International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Floyd E. Smith, President International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America Frank E. Fitzsimmons, President Seafarers International Union of North America Paul Hall, President United Transportation Union Al H. Chesser, President District of Columbia Truck Roadeo Gerald F. McCully, Chairman American Federation of Musicians Hal C. Davis, President in cooperation with The Music Performance Trust Funds Kenneth E. Raine, Trustee The music for this occasion is 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. John Benson, singer, fiddler Saul Broudy, singer, guitarist, harmonica player Mickey Clark, singer, guitarist Elizabeth Cotten, 1893-1987, singer, guitarist John Jackson, 1924-2002, singer, guitarist Louis Killen, 1934-2003, singer, concertina player Lewis London, singer, dobroist Bruce Phillips, 1935-2008, singer, guitarist Jim Ringer, 1936-1992, singer, guitarist Bodie Wagner, singer, guitarist Gerret Warner, singer, guitarist, banjo player Jeff Warner, singer, guitarist, banjo player
Collection Creator
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
See more items in
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife
Archival Repository
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Identifier
CFCH.SFF.1975, Series 9
Type
Archival materials
Collection Citation
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 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-1503511974073-1503511974217-5
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5306d3d21-db3b-43c9-a29c-37e2d9afa9b0

Related Content

  • Online Finding AidSmithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1975 Festival of American Folklife

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