Finding Aids to Collections in the Archive of Folk Culture

CROATIA COLLECTIONS
IN THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK CULTURE

Compiled by: Erica Haskell and Vivy Niotis
Series Editor: Ann Hoog
Revised: December 2012

AFC 1940/001: W.P.A. California Folk Music Project Collection, 1938-1940
Two hundred thirty-nine discs and 115 folders of sound recordings, photographs, drawings, transcriptions, correspondence, and manuscripts documenting the folk music of 17 ethnic groups in northern California. Recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell for the Northern California Work Projects Administration (WPA), 1938-40. [catalog record] [online presentation]

AFS 3846: One disc containing Croatian and Dalmatian dance tunes performed by John Botica. Recorded in Mountain View, California, May 26, 1938 and January 11, 1939.

AFS 3846A1: A shepherd's dance tune from Croatia performed on the svirala. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 251A) [audio]

AFS 3846A2: The Dalmatian dance "Poskocnica" performed on the misnice. (4 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 251A) [audio]

AFS 3846B1: The Dalmatian dance "kolo" and a demonstration of tuning performed on the lirica. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 251A) [audio]

AFS 3846B2: Demonstration of tuning for the misnice. (30 seconds; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 251A) [audio]

AFS 4262-4263: Two discs containing two renditions of the Dalmatian dance "Poskocnica" performed on the lirica by Tony Dedo. Recorded in Woodside, California, May 2, 1939. (8 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 291B)

AFS 4262A1: "Poskocnica," a Dalmatian dance performed on the lirica. (4 minutes) [audio]

AFS 4263A-B: "Poskocnica," a Dalmatian dance performed on the lirica. (4 minutes) [audio]

AFS 4264: One disc containing Croatian music performed by Peter Boro. Recorded in San Mateo, California, May 7, 1939.

AFS 4264A1: A melody performed on the misnice. (4 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 291B) [audio]

AFS 4264A2: A demonstration of tuning on the misnice. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 291B) [audio]

AFS 4264B1: A melody performed on the misnice. (3 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 291B) [audio]

AFS 4264B2: A melody performed on the gusle. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 291B) [audio]

AFS 4276-4277A: Two discs containing Croatian music performed by Peter Boro. Recorded in San Mateo, California, May 7, 1939 and December 20, 1939.

AFS 4276A: A melody performed on the gusle recorded December 20, 1939. (6 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 292B) [audio]

AFS 4276B: A melody performed on the misnice recorded December 20, 1939. (6 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 292B) [audio]

AFS 4277A1: A melody performed on the gusle recorded May 7, 1939. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 292B) [audio]

AFS 4277A2: "Konjanik," which is part of the epic of Kosovo, sung and played on the gusle. Recorded May 7, 1939. (3 minutes; preservation tape LWO 4872 reel 292B) [audio]

AFC 1941/012: Robert F. Draves and Helene Stratman-Thomas Collection of Wisconsin Recordings
Seventy-eight 12-inch discs of conversations, instrumentals, poems, and songs recorded at various locations in Wisconsin by Robert F. Draves and Helene Stratman-Thomas (Blotz), November 15, 1940 - August 19, 1941, for the Library of Congress and the University of Wisconsin. The collection includes 3/4 linear inch of descriptions and lists. [catalog record]

AFS 4948-4951: Four discs containing Croatian dances and songs performed by the Tamburica Quartet. Recorded in Madison, Wisconsin, November 15, 1940. Performers are Anne Elias, Charles Elias, Jr., Martha Elias, and Mary Filipovich. Some items are arranged or composed by Charles Elias, Sr.

AFS 4948A: "Marinen March," a song composed by Milutin Plemeniti Farkas. Performed on the berdo, bisernica, bugaria, and kontrasica. (3 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4948B-4949A: Two performances of a medley of four songs entitled "Na selu" (In the village), "Vesela Srbadija" (Happy Serbian youth), "Posviraj" (Play a little), "Ljubi me duso" (Kiss me, my soul), and "Malo ja, malo ti" (A little me, a little you). Performed on the berdo, two bisernicas, and kontrasica. (5 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4949B3-4950A1: Description of tamburica instruments spoken by Charles Elias, Jr. (9 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4950A2-3: "Da nije ljubavi ne bi svita bilo" (If there was no love, there would be no world), a love song; and "Vinca" (Give us some wine), a drinking song. Performed on the berdo, bisernica, bugaria, and kontrasica. (2 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4950B: "Oj, pastiri" (Oh, shepherds) and "Radujte se narodi da cujete glas" (Rejoice, oh people, come to hear His voice), Christmas songs performed on the berdo, two bracs, and bugaria. (4 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4951A: "Narodi nam se Kralj Nebeski" (Born to us is a Heavenly King), a Christmas song; and a medley of "kolos." Performed on the berdo, two bracs, and bugaria. (3 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFS 4951B: "Grudne boli" (Heartache), a waltz. Performed on the bisernicas, bugaria, and piano. (3 minutes; preservation tape LWO 3493 reel 2B)

AFC 1959/012: Austrian Academy of Sciences Phonogrammarchiv Collection
Eight 5-inch tapes of field recordings of Austrian folk music performed on zither, violin, and other instruments; folk songs, choral singing, children's songs, yodeling, hymns, funeral songs, and a recording of an Austrian wedding; plus Hungarian dances and Croatian choral singing and children's songs. Recordings were made in various locations, most between 1953 and 1957, Pech dances were recorded in 1939. Recordings are from the collections of the Austrian Academy of Sciences audiovisual research archive in Vienna. The collection was received in an exchange with the Library of Congress, and includes an interview in German with Werner Elinger conducted by Fred Oliver about the Library of Congress. The collection includes 1/4 linear inch of lists. [catalog record]

AFC 1960/008: Barbara Krader Collection of Serbian, Macedonian, and Croatian Music
Field recordings made by Barbara Krader in 1951 for her study of Serbian wedding songs. According to Krader, her recordings were made "in the region of Sumadija, north Serbia; in the environs of Leskovac, south of Nis in East serbia; and in northern Macedonia, from ethnic groups of Serbian origin. In all these cases wedding songs were sought in preference to other material, but some other ritual songs were recorded in Sumadija, and some epic songs were recorded in Macedonia in Staro Nagoricino and Brazda. From the professional Macedonian folklore ensemble I recorded in Skopje songs of various sorts, and dances..." The collection also includes her recordings of the "Festival narodnih igara i pesama" -- "Festival of folk songs and dances" held in Opatija, September 9-13, 1951 which featured songs and dances of Serbia (including sword dances of Albanians living in Serbia), Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia, Macedonia, and Croatia. The collection includes the original program for this festival, written in Serbian [?], English, and French. One of the tapes was a gift to Barbara Krader from Dr. Petar Guberina of the University of Zagreb in 1953 of ritual songs and speech from Susak, Croatia. The collection includes a letter from Barbara Krader, July 17, 1958, to the Archive of Folk Song staff describing the collection. (AFS 11,720-11,727) [catalog record]

AFC 1973/028: Laura Boulton Collection Part 11: Music of the Peoples of Canada
Three hundred eighteen 10-inch discs of instrumentals and songs recorded in British Columbia, Illinois (U.S.), Manitoba, Minnesota (U.S), Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec by Laura Boulton, 1941-42, for the National Film Board of Canada. The collection includes three linear inches of notes. Includes several Indian, Eskimo and immigrant groups, especially French-Canadian, Anglo Irish, Scottish (including Gaelic), and Polish.

AFS 16,571: One tape containing "A Hero of Lika," "Come My Dear," and "Your Dark Eyes" performed by the Croatian Tambouritza Orchestra and Chorus. Recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1941-42.

AFS 16,573: One tape containing "The Wine Glass Broke," "Drinking Wine," "Czech Medley," "My Little Wife" performed by the Croatian Tambouritza Orchestra and Chorus. Recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1941-42.

AFS 16,575A-B1: One tape containing Croatian dances performed by the Croatian Tambouritza Orchestra and Chorus. Recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota, 1941-42.

AFS 22,573-22,577: Keith Ludden / Kansas Folk Music and Oral History Collection
Five 10-inch tapes of oral histories, narratives, songs, and stories including blues, Croatian, gospel, mariachi, old-time, and Tamburitzen groups, as well as solo performances on chord organ, fiddle, guitar, hammered dulcimer, harmonica, and musical saw. Recorded at various locations in Kansas by Keith Ludden, June-August 1980, for the Kansas Folklife Project at the University for Man under the direction of Julie Coates. The collection includes 39 pages of correspondence, lists, and tape logs.

AFS 22,575: One tape containing an oral history interview with Ed and Marijana Grisnick about growing up in the Strawberry Hill district of Kansas City, tamburitzan music, Slavic people, painting, Croatian weddings, dances, Croatian music, and several other topics. (RWA 7796)

AFS 22,576: One tape containing Croatian music performed by Ed Grisnick and His Orchestra. Recorded in Kansas City, Kansas, July and August 1980. (RWA 7797)

AFS 22,576: One tape containing music played by the St. John's Tamburitzans. Recorded in Kansas, 1980. (RWA 7797)

AFC 1981/004: Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection
Ninety-nine 7-inch tapes and 245 audiocassettes, 13 linear inches of contact sheets, 8 3/4 linear feet of field notes and logs, 3080 slides, 210 photographs, and 2 videos from the Chicago Ethnic Arts Project Collection, a field survey of ethnic artistic expression including dance, foodways, neighborhood gatherings, religious celebrations, and instrumental and vocal music. Recorded in the Chicago, Illinois, area by various collectors under the direction of Elena Bradunas, February-November 1977; under the joint sponsorship of the American Folklife Center and the Illinois Arts Council. The collection includes a 561-page report on the project published by the American Folklife Center in January 1978. [catalog record] [finding aid]

Note: Sound and photo logs of specific content relating to the Croatian communities of Chicago can be accessed by contacting the Folklife Reading Room.

AFC 1981/018: Ethnic Broadcasting in America Collection
Eighteen 7-inch tapes, two 5-inch tapes, and 117 audiocassettes of ethnic radio broadcasts recorded for the Ethnic Broadcasting in America Project of the American Folklife Center. Recorded mostly off the air by Elena Bradunas, Theodore Grame, Alan Jabbour, with others at various locations in the United States, 1977-78. Documentation includes Theodore Grame's Ethnic Broadcasting in the United States (Washington, D.C.: American Folklife Center, 1980) and 9 linear inches of manuscript materials. [catalog record]

AFS 23,090: One tape containing a Croatian radio program. Broadcast on WJVK in Detroit, Michigan, June 30, 1945. (RXA 4467)

AFS 23,138-23,139: Two tapes containing a Croatian radio program. Broadcast on WTAQ, La Grange, Illinois, June 11, 1978. (RYA 2986-87)

AFC 1994/005: George W. Tressel Collection
Ten 7-inch tapes of Croatian and Serbian music which George Tressel recorded on several late-night occasions at a "Balkan cafe" in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. Two hours of performances by the Popovich (Popovic) Bothers and Martin Kapugi's (Kapudji) ensemble, whose repertories exemplify the music and instrumentation of post-World War I Serbian and Croatian immigrants. Both groups also perform several bar-room standards. Both were documented by the American Folklife Center's Chicago Ethnic Arts project (see AFC 1981/004). Instruments include the brac (Croatian plucked lute), bugarij (long-necked lute) and prime (small lute made from turtle shell).

AFC 1998/001: Joel Martin Halpern Collection
Sixteen boxes of manuscripts, 45 sound recordings, 2526 graphic materials, and 8 moving images related to the anthropological field work in the Balkans, primarily among the Serbs; and among Laotian, Vietnamese, and Inuit ethnic groups. The collection includes abstracts, published and unpublished articles, brochures, coding instructions, curricula vitae, exhibit catalogs, logs, periodicals, and other manuscript material. Collected and donated by Joel Martin Halpern and Barbara Kerewsky-Halpern, 1950-2000. [catalog record] [finding aid]

AFC 1998/001: Folder 26: One folder containing an article by Joel Martin Halpern, 1961-- "Coding Instructions for Yugoslav Interviews," 1961: 1-55 (two copies included). Carried out in Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

AFC 1998/001: Folder 49: One folder containing Croatian monographs and serials--photocopies of cover pages.

AFC 1998/001: Folders 67-79: Thirteen folders containing 8 articles in Croation about Croation history and traditions.

AFC 2004/034: Jerry Grcevich Concert Collection
Homegrown 2004 concert, "Jerry Grcevich and his Orchestra, Tamburitza music from Pennsylvania," recorded in Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress. Collection includes sound and video recordings of a concert of Croatian tamburitza music; manuscripts include program flyer and other printed information about the performers and tamburitza ensembles. Also included is a sound recording of an interview with Jerry Grcevich about his family history and musical training. Grcevich demonstrates the various tambura instruments, their tuning, and their roles in a tamburitza orchestra; discusses his study, performance, and recording in Croatia; the members of his orchestra; and music crossing borders in Europe and the United States. [catalog record]