Foreword
The collections in the American Folklife Center's Archive of Folk
Culture contain one-of-a-kind documentation of traditional cultural
expressions that date from the end of the nineteenth century through
the dawn of the twenty-first. Today there are more than three million
items of ethnographic documentation in the archive, a treasure
trove that represents over a hundred years of fieldwork. These
collections preserve for future researchers a record of the folklife,
cultural expressions, traditional arts, and oral histories of Americans
and of our global neighbors. Moreover the far-ranging work of building
the Folk Archive is ongoing. The American Folklife Center is actively
collecting and documenting the traditional culture of the new millennium.
The American Folklife Center, created by Congress in 1976 to "preserve
and present American folklife" is proud to accept this mandate
to collect, safeguard, and provide access to the unparalleled collections
of the Archive of Folk Culture. The archive is an extraordinary
resource for primary research on America's shared community-based
heritage, innumerable personal histories, and multicultural roots.
Rich and diverse, its collections provide a lasting record of American
social and cultural life, a record that is truly of, by, and for
the people.
Since the establishment of the Archive of American Folk-Song in
1928, the collections have grown in content and scope to include
the vital documentation of traditions and culture from every corner
of the nation. This list is long and includes cowboy poets, Cherokee
Indian basket-makers, Cajun fiddlers, Omaha Sioux drummers, Appalachian
ballad singers, Mississippi Delta bluesmen, Adirondack storytellers,
Texas barbecue masters, Italian American wine-makers, Palestinian
American embroiderers, Alaskan sled-dog mushers, and Maine boat
builders. The collections encompass and define the grassrppts traditions
of American life. In addition, the American Folklife Center collects
materials from across the globe: documention of traditional music
and pageantry from China; everyday life, work, and celebration
in Eastern Europe; music and other traditional expressions from
Central America, Papua New Guinea, and Africa.
As the Library of Congress is the repository for the world's collective
knowledge and achievement, so the American Folklife Center is the
repository for the world's folklore, traditional wisdom, and cultural
heritage. During the opening years of the twenty-first century,
the archive increased its holdings by over twenty-five percent,
and many large collections are augmented each year by additional
donations. The National Council for the Traditional Arts Collection
will provide an ongoing record of the outstanding folk artists
in our nation. The International Storytelling Collection contains
documentation of thousands of tale-tellers and folk narrators.
And the Veterans History Project is the most comprehensive national
oral history effort since the years of the Federal Writers Project
of the 1930s — collecting the personal stories of America's
living war veterans.
This illustrated guide to the American Folklife Center provides
an introduction to a research collection that allows us to understand
and embrace our American history and heritage, just as it offers
the opportunity for us to study and better understand the many
cultures of our globally linked, multicultural world. A sampling
of audio recordings from the Archive of Folk Culture is provided
in an accmpanying compact disc.
A few thanks are in order. The creation of this American Folklife
Center guide as an important addition to the Library's series of
illustrated guides was encouraged and supported by former Associate
Librarian of Congress Winston Tabb. James Hardin, writer and editor
of the American Folklife Center, took on the job of planning, researching,
writing, and coordinating the effort to make this publication a
reality. Working with Director of Publishing Ralph Eubanks and
editor Evelyn Sinclair of the Library of Congress Publishing Office,
Jim has created a wonderful guide to a complex ethnographic collection.
And finally, to all of the staff at the American Folklife Center
who assisted in choosing photos, writing captions, and selecting
recorded sound for the CD, a hearty thanks.
Peggy A. Bulger, Director
American Folklife Center
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