The collections of the American Folklife Center contain rich and varied
material that documents the diverse ethnic, religious, and other folk traditions
of the Empire State. Among its unique recordings are folklore of the Seneca,
Onondaga, and other Iroquois people; maritime music recorded in the 1930s;
folk tales of Albany's Dutch community; folksongs of the Adirondack and
Catskill regions; Jewish immigrant music; and children's songs and games
in Harlem. In 1982, the Center's Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools Project
documented Turkish, Caribbean, and Greek schools in New York City.
Educational Resources: View a list of educational materials related to New York (State) and New York City from A Teacher's Guide to Folklife Resources.
Folklife Resources: Find state folklife-related agencies, societies, archives, higher education programs, and more, in Folklife Sourcebook: A Directory of Folklife Resources in the United States.
Exhibitions: Traveling exhibit entitled "Generation to Generation: Sharing the Intangible,"
Linnwood-Oxford Senior Citizens Center, Buffalo; Columbia
University, Brookdale Institute on Aging, New York 1984; and Hartwick College, Yager
Museum, Oneonta, 1983-84.
Traveling exhibit entitled "Old Ties, New Attachments: Italian American Folklife in the West," The Museums at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, 1994.
Publications: "Ataturk School," Ethnic Heritage and Language Schools in America. [catalog record] [finding aid]
"Breakdancing: A Reporter's Story," Folklife Annual 1986. [catalog record]
"Building Community: Buffalo's Polish-American Mural Tradition," Folklife
Annual 1990. [catalog record]
"Community Murals and Religious Paintings Ethnic Images in Buffalo's
Polish-American District," Folklife Annual 90. [catalog record]
"In Memoriam: New York City's Memorial Walls," Folklife Annual 90. [catalog record]
A Brief List of Material Relating to New York State Folk Music (bibliography from 1975). [full text]
"Up On the Roof: Pigeon Flyers and City Skies," Folklife Annual 1988-89. [catalog record]
Published Recordings: Songs from the Iroquois Longhouse, Library of Congress AFS L6. [audiocassette]
Seneca Songs from the Coldspring Longhouse, Library of Congress
AFS L17. [audiocassette]
American Sea Songs and Shanties, Library of Congress AFS
L26/27. [audiocassette]
Child Ballads Traditional in the United States (I), Library
of Congress AFS L57. [audiocassette]