Finding Aids to Collections Organized by Topic in the Archive of Folk Culture

BOATBUILDING DOCUMENTATION
IN THE ARCHIVE OF FOLK CULTURE

Compiled by: Seth C. Bruggeman
Series Editor: Joseph C. Hickerson

Publication Date: August 1995
Series Number: LCFAFA No. 16
ISSN 0736-4903

Sound Recordings

AFS 7100-7316: Two hundred sixteen 12-inch discs and one 6-inch disc of birds, instrumentals, monologues, religious matter, shanties, songs, and stories recorded in Nova Scotia by Helen Creighton, July 1943--June 1944. The collection includes six hundred sixty-six pages of textual transcriptions and notes.

AFS 7207B; 7312A1: Two 12-inch discs containing a story of how birch bark canoes were made by Indians in the old days, spoken by former Micmac chief, William Paul. Recorded at the Shubenacadie Indian Reservation, Nova Scotia, April 30, 1944. (Five minutes; tape copy on LWO 5111 reels 19A, 28A)

AFS 13,154-13,157: Four 10-inch tapes of songs and stories recorded on the Eastern Shore of Maryland by George G. Carey, July-August 1967 and February 1968. The collection includes seventeen pages of notes.

AFS 13,156A80, 88: One tape containing a description of "hauling masts" and "making masts for the Pungies," spoken by Will Holland, recorded in Fairmount, February 8, 1968. (One minute; LWO 5349 reel 3A)

AFS 15,111-15,225: One hundred fifteen cassettes of oral history recorded in Aroostook County by staff of the Cary Library, Houlton, Maine, 1971-72. The collection includes a sixteen-page list of contributors, a forty-seven-page general index, and features information concerning bateaux, canoes, pirogues, tow boats, wangan boats, and their construction. (LWO 7036)

AFS 17,007-17,012: Six cassettes of oral history recorded in Aroostook County by staff of the Cary Library, Houlton, Maine, 1972-73. The collection includes a six-page general index and information concerning boats and boatbuilding with reference to ferries and flangers. (LWO 7973)

AFS 19,259: One 10-inch tape of an interview with Madison Mitchell, decoy maker, recorded in Havre de Grace, Maryland, by Zack Krieger and Gerald E. Parsons, May 18, 1977. The tape includes a one-minute description of a bushwack boat in mid-construction. (LWO 12,105)

AFS 20,874-21,249: One hundred seventy-nine 7-inch tapes, one 5-inch tape, and one hundred ninety-six cassettes from the South-Central Georgia Folklife Project Collection, a field survey of regional folklife including bluegrass music, children's games, crafts, folk medicine, foodways, gravestones, narratives, occupational folklore, religious music and services, and songs. Recorded in Georgia by Thomas Adler, Carl Fleischhauer, Alan Jabbour, William Lightfoot, Howard Marshall, Beverly J. Robinson, and David Stanley, July-August 1977. Cosponsored by the American Folklife Center and the Arts Experiment Station of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The collection includes nine linear feet of documentation and logs as well as sketches of flat-bottom boats found within David Stanley's field notes.

AFS 21,168-21,169: Two cassettes containing a discussion of agriculture, boating, tobacco marketing, and other local lore, spoken by Allen Shellhorse. Recorded by David Stanley in Tifton, July 14, 1977.

AFS 21,168B2: Discussion of local boatbuilders and their construction methods. (One minute; RYA 979B)

AFS 21,168B8: Discussion of the construction, design, and performance of a flat-bottom wooden boat. (Two minutes; RYA 979B)

AFS 21,169A5: Discussion of flat-bottom plywood boats including mention of builders, materials, and structural members. (Seven minutes; RYA 980A)

AFS 21,172A13: One cassette containing comments on the disappearance of local boatbuilders and a description of flat-bottom boats, spoken by "Uncle" Guy Fuller. Recorded in Fitzgerald by David Stanley, July 16, 1977. (One minute; RYA 983A)

AFS 21,189B14: One cassette containing a discussion of cypress and flat-bottom boats spoken by Johnnie Garrison. Recorded in Fitzgerald by David Stanley, August 4, 1977. (Two minutes; RYA 1000B)

AFS 21,211: One cassette containing a discussion of boatbuilding, fishing, local landmarks and lore, and swampland, spoken by Vernon Harris. Recorded on the Alapaha River, near Enigma, by David Stanley, August 17, 1977. (RYA 1022)

AFS 21,211A1: Description of home-built boats and explanation of jigless construction method. (Four minutes)

AFS 21,211B1: Discussion of bateaux and single-log construction methods. (One minute)

AFS 21,215: One cassette containing a description of building cypress bateaux and discussion of single-log boat construction lore, spoken by Dave Mathis. Recorded in Ocilla by David Stanley, August 19, 1977. (Four minutes; RYA 1026)

AFS 22,104-22,136: Thirty-three 10-inch tapes of ballads, conversation, fiddle tunes, instrumental music, songs, and stories recorded in the Adirondack and Lake Champlain regions of New York and Vermont by Marjorie Lansing Porter, 1943-67. The collection includes one hundred fifty-nine pages of notes.

AFS 22,132: One tape containing descriptions of boatbuilding, guiding, and transportation recorded in the Lake Champlain region, July 3, 1952--May 11, 1965. (LWO 17,128 reel 29)

AFS 22,132A9: Recollections of canal and gun boats built by the Winans brothers of Basin Harbor, on Lake Champlain, in the early nineteenth century, spoken by Frank Winans. Recorded in Brandon, Vermont, May 13, 1960. (One minute)

AFS 22,132A10: Description of the first steamboat built for use on the Hudson River, read from Hiram Walward's Four Eras in the History of Transportation by Marjorie Lansing Porter. Recorded in Chain, New York, May 30, 1954. (One minute)

AFS 22,132A12: Recollections of professional and non-professional boatbuilding in Essex, New York, spoken by Edwin "Dick" Meade. Recorded in Harmony Hill, New York, May 11, 1965. (Five minutes)

AFS 22,132B1: Description of the Essex boatbuilding industry and marine railways, spoken by Edwin "Dick" Meade. Recorded in Harmony Hill, New York, May 11, 1965. (Two minutes)

AFS 22,132B2: Comments on canal boat construction, spoken by Donald Cameron. Recorded in Plattsburgh, New York, March 16, 1952. (One minute)

AFS 22,155-22,157: Three 7-inch tapes of a discussion about railbird hunting, upland bird hunting, and waterfowling on the Upper Chesapeake, spoken by Robert Litzenberg. Recorded in Elkton, Maryland, by Gerald E. Parsons, September 18, 1981. The collection includes three color slides and eight pages of transcriptions.

AFS 22,156A13: One tape containing a description of railbird skiffs built by the Taggert family and comments on their performance. (One minute; RXA 3847A)

AFS 22,157A21-24: One tape containing a discussion of clinker-built railskiffs, cross-planking, and stern configurations. (Three minutes; RXA 3848A)

AFS 22,409-22,429: Twenty-one 7-inch tapes of interviews, songs, and stories spoken and sung mostly by Alex Kellam, recorded primarily in Crisfield, Maryland, by George G. Carey and Carl Fleischhauer, 1977-78. The collection includes seventy pages of notes and transcriptions and fourteen pages of photocopied contact sheets of photographs of Crisfield, Kellam, and various watercraft.

AFS 22,418A4; 22,421A3: Two tapes containing descriptions of wartime shipfitting in Baltimore, and comments on the wisdom of planning prior to building boats or creating art, spoken by Alex Kellam, June 16, 1977. (Seven minutes; RXA 3715A; 3718A)

AFS 22,426: One tape recorded at the Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, Washington, D.C., October 7, 1978.

AFS 22,426A2: Discussion of ship-model construction, spoken by Herman(n) Stine of Wenona. (Two minutes; RXA 3723A)

AFS 22,426A5: Description of skipjack set-up, parts, dock items, and rigging, spoken by Alex Kellam. (Three minutes; RXA 3723A)

The following collections have not yet been fully processed:

AFS 22,208-22,405: One hundred thirty-nine 7-inch tapes and fifty-nine cassettes from the Rhode Island Folklife Project, a field project examining folk cultural activities, including ethnic, occupational, and regional traditions in Rhode Island. Recorded in Rhode Island by Michael E. Bell, Thomas Burns, Kenneth E. Goldstein, and Geraldine Johnson, July 15--December 31, 1979. Cosponsored by the American Folklife Center, the Rhode Island Council on the Arts, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. The collection includes six linear feet of documentation of photographs and sound recordings, field notes, manuscripts, photographs, photographic contact sheets, and slides.

AFS 22,282A6: One tape containing a description of first carpentry experience involving the construction of a small rowboat, spoken by Al and Evelyn Armstrong. Recorded in Bonnet Shores by Thomas Burns, August 23, 1979. (One minute; RXA 3938A)

AFS 22,290: One tape containing a discussion of beach life and boating spoken by Raymond John Fontaine. Recorded in Plum Beach by Thomas Burns, September 12, 1979. (RXA 3946)

AFS 22,290A5: Discussion of two boats, their construction, and construction costs. (Two minutes)

AFS 22,290A9: Discussion of sailing small boats and building a skiff as a youth in the 1930s. (Two minutes)

AFS 22,297A15: One tape containing a description of small toy boats built for children, spoken by L. E. and Margaret Rondeau. Recorded in Providence by Thomas Burns, September 15, 1979. (One minute; RXA 3953A)

AFS 22,309A2: One cassette containing a discussion of marine propellers and means by which to increase efficiency through modification, spoken by Don Woodward. Recorded in Fort Getty by Thomas Burns, August 29, 1979. (One minute; RYA 2553A)

AFS 22,313-22,316, 22,348, 22,350: Six cassettes containing primarily detailed descriptions of quahog skiff construction, spoken by Alfred Potter. Recorded in North Kingston by Thomas Burns, September 24, September 29, October 10, November 14, and December 21, 1979. The collection includes nine black-and-white photographs and one color transparency of Potter's shop and boat projects. (Six hours; RYA 2557-2560, 2592, 2593)

AFS 22,334B1-3: One cassette containing a discussion of double-ender construction on Block Island, sail boats, and sails, spoken by Fred Beuson. Recorded on Block Island by Thomas Burns, October 28, 1979. (Three minutes; RYA 2578B)

AFS 23,725-24,090: One hundred nineteen cassettes, two hundred forty-one 7-inch tapes, and six 5-inch tapes from the Pinelands Folklife Project, a field project intended to identify and document various strains of traditional culture within and around the Pinelands National Reserve, to facilitate land-use planning in the Pinelands and along the coast, and to develop products to enhance public education about the relationship between the region and its cultural resources. Recorded in various locations in New Jersey by Bonnie Blair, Tom Carroll, Christine Cartwright, Carl Fleischhauer, Mary Hufford, Eugene Hunn, Jens Lund, Rita Moonsammy, Malachi O'Connor, Gerald E. Parsons, Nora Rubenstein, Sue Samuelson, and Elaine Thatcher, August 15, 1983--March 31, 1984. Cosponsored by the American Folklife Center, National Park Service, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Human Resources, New Jersey Historical Commission, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Pinelands Commission. The collection includes twelve linear feet of field notes, ephemera, photograph contact sheets, and photograph and sound recording documentation. The project's findings are published in Mary Hufford's one hundred forty-four page report, One Space, Many Places, Folklife and Land Use in New Jersey's Pinelands National Reserve (Washington, D.C.: American Folklife Center, 1986; F142.P5P57 1986).

AFS 23,888A6: One tape containing a discussion of Jersey sea skiffs built by Carl Adams, spoken by Theodore "Ted" VonBosse. Recorded in Port Republic by Jens Lund, August 21, 1983. (One minute; RXA 5976A)

AFS 23,889: One tape containing a discussion of boating, decoy making, and hunting, spoken by Theodore "Ted" VonBosse. Recorded in Port Republic by Jens Lund, August 21, 1983. (RXA 5977)

AFS 23,889A3: Discussion of construction, design, and use of Barnegat Bay sneakboxes. (Three minutes)

AFS 23,889A6: Discussion of restoration and use of a Van Zant sneakbox and use of pondboxes. (Seven minutes)

AFS 23,889A9: Discussion of construction and use of a Chesapeake skiff, crab garveys, and pondboxes, with comments on the suitability of wooden boats for hunting. (Twenty minutes)

AFS 23,893A2: One tape containing a discussion of early, local shipbuilding industry, spoken by George Brewer. Recorded in Dennisville by Jens Lund, October 15, 1983. (One minute; RXA 5981A)

AFS 23,894A2: One tape containing a discussion of cedar used for planking oysterboats, spoken by George Brewer. Recorded in Dennisville by Jens Lund, October 15, 1983. (Two minutes; RXA 5982A)

AFS 23,896A1: One tape containing a discussion of boatbuilding, local shipyards, and oysterboat lumber, spoken by George Brewer. Recorded in Dennisville by Jens Lund, October 15, 1983. (Two minutes; RXA 5984A)

AFS 23,899A2: One tape containing a discussion of criteria for good oysterboat lumber, spoken by George Brewer. Recorded in Great Cedar Swamp by Jens Lund, October 18, 1983. (One minute; RXA 5987A)

AFS 23,903: One tape containing a discussion of bayman skills, boats, and oyster tonging, spoken by Louis Peterson. Recorded in Heislerville by Jens Lund, October 22, 1983. (RXA 5991)

AFS 23,903A4-5: Discussion of converting a garvey into a houseboat, a cross-eyed boatbuilder, and garvey construction. (Ten minutes)

AFS 23,904A2: One tape containing a discussion of the installation of an early oyster sorter and a through haul, spoken by Louis Peterson. Recorded in Heislerville by Jens Lund, October 22, 1983. (Four minutes; RXA 5992A)

AFS 23,905: One tape containing a discussion of commercial fishing and reminiscence of childhood, spoken by Louis Peterson. Recorded in Heislerville by Jens Lund, October 22, 1983. (RXA 5993)

AFS 23,905A4: Discussion of shipyard work, including mention of carpentry, caulking, and painting. The collection includes a two-page description of "corking" (caulking) technique in Joseph Czarnecki's field notes, numbered PFP84-FJC0321. (One minute)

AFS 23,905A7: Discussion of garvey construction, durability, and lumber selection. (Twelve minutes)

AFS 23,905A8: Discussion of bateau and garvey construction. (One minute)

AFS 23,905A14: Discussion of changes in local boatbuilding trends. (Two minutes)

AFS 23,906A5-6: One tape containing a discussion of the building of a bateau and garvey and their builder, spoken by Louis Peterson. Recorded in Heislerville by Jens Lund, October 22, 1983. (Eighteen minutes; RXA 5994A)

AFS 23,907A6: One tape containing a discussion of the final stages of garvey construction, spoken by Louis Peterson. Recorded in Heislerville by Jens Lund, October 21, 1983. (Six minutes; RXA 5995A)

AFS 24,015: One tape containing comments on local community and personal reminiscences, spoken by Floyd and Betty Lamson West. Recorded in New Gretna by Elaine Thatcher, September 23, 1983. (RXA 6071)

AFS 24,015A4: Discussion of home-built garvey and its construction. (Five minutes)

AFS 24,015A5: Description of design and use of Barnegat sneakboxes and garveys, and discussion of a local boatbuilder. (Six minutes)

AFS 24,020: One tape containing a discussion of boats, childhood reminiscences, and social commentary, spoken by George Heinrichs, a third generation sneakbox builder. Recorded in New Gretna by Elaine Thatcher, October 1, 1983. (RXA 6076)

AFS 24,020A1: Description of garveys and sneakboxes, and discussion of family boatbuilding tradition. (Five minutes)

AFS 24,020A3: Discussion of sneakbox construction and the difficulty of passing on the tradition. (One minute)

AFS 24,020A4: Discussion of family boatbuilding tradition, sneakbox construction, and problems with fiberglass sneakboxes. (Three minutes)

AFS 24,020A8: Description of steps in building a sneakbox and discussion of decline of Jersey white cedar. (One minute)

AFS 24,020A9: Description of sneakbox-building process with mention of materials and tools. (Four minutes)

AFS 24,020A12: Discussion of sneakboxes built for sail. (One minute)

AFS 24,021: One tape containing a discussion of hunting, lima beans, and miniature sneakboxes, spoken by George Heinrichs. Recorded in New Gretna by Elaine Thatcher, October 1, 1983. (RXA 6077)

AFS 24,021A1: Discussion of miniature sneakboxes and their construction. (Five minutes)

AFS 24,021A5: Discussing of cedar framing and planking lumber. (Two minutes)

AFS 26,770-26,815: Forty-six cassettes from the Florida Maritime Heritage Survey, a field project examining the maritime folklife of the Apalachicola region of Florida, including boatbuilding traditions and occupational lore. Recorded in Florida by Barbara Beauchamp, Marcus Hepburn, Ormond Loomis, Nancy Nusz, and David Taylor, July 15, 1986--November 11, 1986. Cosponsored by the American Folklife Center and the Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs. The collection includes two linear feet of field notes, photographic contact sheets, slides, and sound recording and photograph documentation.

AFS 26,782A12: One cassette containing a description of the builder, structure, and use of a Bahamian work boat, and comments on the versatility of boatbuilders, spoken by Robert Ingle. Recorded in Apalachicola by Nancy Nusz, October 9, 1986. (Six minutes)

AFS 26,793A12: One cassette containing a discussion of construction and design of various steel and wood craft, spoken by commercial fisherman Charles Herrin. Recorded in Jacksonville by David Taylor, July 31, 1986. The collection includes one hundred eighty black-and-white photographs of Herrin's boatbuilding projects. (Twenty-two minutes)

AFS 26,795A2: One cassette containing a discussion of Greek boatbuilding tradition in northwestern Florida, spoken by Mat Roland. Recorded in Mayport by David Taylor, August 5, 1986. (One minute)

AFS 26,796: One cassette containing reminiscences of work in the seafood industry, spoken by Albert Gufford. Recorded in Mayport by David Taylor, August 8, 1986.

AFS 26,796A7: Description of father's work in shipyards during World War I. (One minute)

AFS 26,796B11, 15: Description of various boats with mention of construction, deck gear, design, and engines. (Two minutes)

AFS 26,804A13-57, B: One cassette containing descriptions of local boatbuilders and watercraft, and a discussion of boatbuilding experience and technique, spoken by boatbuilder J. L. "Bud" Seymour. Recorded in Apalachicola by David Taylor, October 15, 1986. The collection includes ninety-seven black-and-white photographs of Seymour's boatbuilding projects. (Forty-one minutes)

AFS 26,805A29-31: One cassette containing descriptions of oyster skiff design and layout, spoken by Grady Leavins. Recorded in Apalachicola by David Taylor, October 16, 1986. (Two minutes)

AFS 26,806A18-42, B: One cassette containing descriptions of local boatbuilders and craft and discussion of boatbuilding experience and technique, spoken by boatbuilder Bobby Shiver. Recorded in Eastpoint by David Taylor, November 3, 1986. (Forty-eight minutes)

AFS 26,807: One cassette containing discussion of boatbuilding including comments on advertising, billing, and taking orders, spoken by boatbuilder Bobby Shiver. Recorded in Eastpoint by David Taylor, November 3, 1986. The collection includes one hundred eighty black-and-white photographs of Bobby Shiver's boat projects. (Eighteen minutes)

AFS 26,808: One cassette containing a discussion of fishing, Florida immigrant groups, and oystering, spoken by Angelo Fichera. Recorded in Apalachicola by David Taylor, November 5, 1986.

AFS 26,808A13-15: Discussion of fishing craft, including mention of builders, engines, size, and use. (Two minutes)

AFS 26,808A41-42: Description of mullet fishing skiffs, including mention of sails, shape, and size. (One minute)

AFS 26,810A8-10: One cassette containing descriptions of building planked and plywood oyster and river boats, and learning to build boats, spoken by Albert "Corky" Richards. Recorded in Apalachicola by David Taylor, November 7, 1986. (One minute)

AFS 26,814-26,815: Two cassettes containing reminiscences of work in the seafood industry, spoken by Frank "Sonny Boy" Segree. Recorded in Eastpoint by David Taylor, November 11, 1986.

AFS 26,814A16-17: Discussion of the advent of the outboard motor, and boat repair. (One minute)

AFS 26,814A26-28: Discussion of boatbuilding materials, builders, and a skiff with a "spinnow"-shaped bow. (Three minutes)

AFS 26,814B5: Description of local marine blacksmithing. (One minute)

AFS 26,815A23-25: Discussion of local boatbuilders and their craft. (Two minutes)

AFC 1991/029: Eighteen 7-inch tapes and twenty-eight cassettes from the Maine Acadian Survey, a field project examining the Acadian folklife of St. John Valley, Maine. Recorded by Ray Brassieur, Howard W. Marshall, Lisa Ornstein, and David Whitman, June-July 1991. Cosponsored by the American Folklife Center and the North Atlantic Regional Office of the National Park Service. The collection includes six videotapes and seven linear feet of documentation of photographs and sound recordings, ephemera, field notes, manuscripts, photographs, and slides. The project's findings are found in a one hundred ninety-nine page report, The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey.

MAP-RB-A007B5-B7: One cassette containing discussion of the building and the builders of plank and strip canoes, spoken by Julie Bayley and Pat Ouellette. Recorded on the road near Grand Falls by Ray Brassieur, Lisa Ornstein, and David Whitman, June 17, 1991. (Eight minutes)

MAP-RB-A012A13-B: One cassette containing discussions of the builders, building, development, and use of birch-bark, plank, and strip canoes, spoken by Mark Jalbert and Jerry White. Recorded in Frenchville by Ray Brassieur and David Whitman, July 11, 1991. The collection includes five black-and-white photographs of a strip canoe in various stages of construction. (Forty-seven minutes)

Manuscript Collections

Taylor, David Alan. "A Survey of Traditional Systems of Boat Design Used in the Vicinity of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, and Hardangerfjord, Norway." St. John's: Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1989. Ph.d. diss. in folklore, 450 pages.

Sixty-six-page transcript of an interview with William Barnes concerning traditional wooden boatbuilding. Compiled in Harpswell, Maine, by Abbott Sprague, November 10, 1977--January 3, 1978, with assistance from the American Folklife Center and Bowdoin College. The collection includes sixteen black-and-white photographs of boats in various stages of construction and four blueprints of the schooner Mariah.

Vertical Subject File

One folder of articles and brochures entitled "boatbuilding," currently containing the following:

The Ozark Johnboat: Its History, Form, and Functions, edited by Dana Everts-Boehm and Ray C. Brassier. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri, 1991. A brochure describing the construction, history, potential future, and use of the Missouri Ozark johnboat.

"Lofting Demystified, Parts 1 and 2." Two articles commenting on and describing the process of lofting watercraft lines written by C. Greg Rossel. Excerpted from Woodenboat, number 111, January-February 1993, pp. 66-77 and number 112, March-April 1993, pp. 35-46.

"Boatbuilding Lives on in Pierre Part." An article describing the history and practice of boatbuilding in Pierre Part, Louisiana, written by Andrea Populus. Source unknown.

"Preserving Louisiana's Boatbuilding Heritage." An article discussing the perpetuation of Gulf Coast boatbuilding traditions written by Robert Fritchey. Excerpted from National Fisherman, July 1988, p. 59.

"Old Town Canoe; At One Maine Factory, They Still Make Canoes the Old-Fashioned Way--by Hand and from Wood." An article discussing the history, method, and practice of modern canoe construction at the Old Town Canoe Company in Old Town, Maine, written by Roy Bongartz. Excerpted from Amtrak Express, volume 4, number 4, April 1984, pp. 51-56.

"The Return of Adirondack Guide Boats." An article discussing reconstruction and restoration efforts to preserve the Adirondack guide boat tradition written by Marilyn Stout. Excerpted from New York Times, June 8, 1983, p. C10.

"Building Ribless Boats." An article describing the process of constructing a ribless boat. Excerpted from American Agriculturist for the Farm, Garden, and Household, volume 35, number 3, March 1876, p. 100.

"How to Build a Small Boat." An article describing the process of building simple flat-bottom and lap-streak boats. Excerpted from American Agriculturist for the Farm, Garden, and Household, volume 15, number 7, July 1881, p. 282.

The Acquisition and Documentation of an Artifact, by David W. Zimmerly. Ottawa: National Museum of Man. A brochure describing the documentation of Alaskan Eskimo kayak construction. Reprinted from Canadian Museums Gazette, volume 10, number 3, n.d., pp. 18-34.

Addendum

The Archive of Folk Culture has recently received twenty-nine videotapes, 321 pages of transcriptions on diskette, and a six-page final report of the 1992 segment of the Brevard County Oral History Video Project. The collection documents the regional, occupational, and ethnic heritage of Brevard County, Florida. The collection refers to each interview as a field recording with one or more videotapes per recording. Videotape 2 of field recording 15 includes a description of steamboats with reference to structural appearance and engines, spoken by Oliver Haisten; recorded in Cocoa Beach by Nancy Yasecko and Robert Gilbert, August 26, 1992. (One minute)

The Folklife Center's Italian-Americans in the West project explored the Italian-American experience in the western United States. The study involved field research in Italian communities in five western states: California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Washington. Between 1989 and 1990, researchers interviewed members of the communities in order to document past and present aspects of Italian-American culture. The collection includes over 300 hours of tape-recorded interviews with Italian-Americans and other residents of the study communities; approximately 24,000 black-and-white and color photographs, and 35 hours of videotape. Approximately 2,000 pages of fieldnotes, photo and tape catalogs, and assorted ephemera were also collected in the study communities. This material was used to create a traveling exhibition on Italian-American folklife in the West entitled "Old Ties, New Attachments." The project's findings are published in Old Ties, New Attachments: Italian-American Folklife in the West (Washington, D.C.; American Folklife Center, 1992; F596.3.I8T54). The project is not yet fully processed. The following were recorded in San Pedro, California.

IAW-RF-A003A30: One cassette containing a discussion of mast and boom construction using hand tools spoken by Leonard Taormina. Recorded in San Pedro by Russell Frank, July 21, 1989. (One minute)

IAW-RF-A008A2: One cassette containing a discussion of the building of a sardine boat and its dimensions spoken by Libby DiBernardo. Recorded in San Pedro by Russell Frank, July 24, 1989. (One minute)

IAW-RF-A017A10: One cassette containing a discussion of fishing boat construction and its cost spoken by Ferdinando DiBernardo. Recorded in San Pedro by Russell Frank and Paola Tavarelli, July 29, 1989. (One minute)

Glossary of Select Terms Used in This Finding Aid

Barnegat Bay sneakbox: A small, round-bottom waterfowling boat of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, origin.

Bateau (pl. Bateaux): A flat-bottomed boat with flaring sides and raked bow and stern.

Bayman-skills: The abilities necessary to perform water-related tasks in regions such as Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, where marine industry is both land and water-based.

Birch-bark canoe: A canoe with hull covered by one or more pieces of stitched birch-bark.

Boom: A spar used to extend the foot of a sail.

Bushwack boat: A boat propelled by pulling surrounding plant growth or overhanging trees.

Canal boat: A boat designed for use on narrow, man-made waterways and used primarily for hauling bulk loads.

Canoe: A light, narrow boat with pointed, usually symmetric ends typically propelled by hand-held paddle.

Caulking: The process or material used to make the joint between two planks watertight.

Clinker-built: See "Lap-streak."

Corking: See "Caulking."

Crab garvey: A small, flat-bottomed boat commonly found along the New Jersey coast with broad, square ends used for catching and transporting crabs.

Cross-planking: The process of installing bottom planks perpendicular to a boat's centerline.

Cypress: The wood derived from a variety of evergreen tree of the pine family unique to swampland.

Deck: A horizontal surface in a boat.

Deck gear: All items necessary for the operation of a watercraft kept within immediate reach of the crew.

Decoy: An imitation waterfowl, usually carved from wood, used by a hunter to lure prey.

Double-ender: A boat with symmetric, or nearly symmetric, bow and stern.

Ferry: A boat used to transport passengers, vehicles, or goods.

Fiberglass: A synthetic material that, when combined with resin, grows hard and waterproof. Commonly utilized in boat construction.

Flanger: A small, flat-bottomed boat.

Frame: A transverse rib-like structure to which planking is attached.

Framing: The process of constructing a frame.

Guide boat: A boat designed primarily for guiding.

Guiding: The act of leading a party, usually a hunting party, through hazardous and or inaccessible terrain.

Gun boat: A military boat laden with one or more large artillery pieces.

Hull: The body of a boat exclusive of upper decks and rigging.

Jig: A frame or guide upon which a boat's superstructure is constructed.

Johnboat: A narrow, flat-bottomed, square-ended boat used primarily on inland waterways.

Kayak: A decked, canoe-like boat of Eskimo origin.

Lap-streak (strake): A method of hull planking in which each plank overlaps the next by a short distance.

Lofting: The process of enlarging to full size the contours and dimensions of a hull as represented by blueprint.

Marine railway: A segment of track used to transport large boats short distances from land to water.

Marine propeller: A forged, screw-like device fastened to the end of a boat engine's drive shaft, converting engine rotation to forward or reverse thrust.

Mast: A vertical spar extending from a deck supporting both mast and rigging.

Outboard motor: A small, usually stern-mounted, single thrust unit containing an engine, drive shaft, and propeller.

Oyster tonging: The process of lifting oysters from their beds using oyster tongs.

Oyster tongs: A scissors-like tool used to capture and lift oysters from their beds below the water line.

Pirogue: A canoe-like boat primarily of the dugout variety.

Plank canoe: A canoe with hull composed of planks.

Planking: The strips of timber composing a boat's exterior hull structure.

Plywood: A composite wood product formed of several veneers of varying wood types.

Pondbox: A small, square, one-man waterfowling boat not intended for transportation.

Quahog: A thick-shelled, American clam.

Railbird: A variety of waterfowl common to New Jersey marshlands.

Rib: A lateral member of a boat's superstructure usually steam-bent and evenly spaced.

Rigging: All running and standing lines used to control and support sails and spars.

Shipfitting: The process of arranging structural members prior to welding or riveting. Commonly associated with naval ship construction.

Skiff: A small, light rowing or sailing boat.

Skipjack: A wide, sail-powered, oyster dredging boat found primarily on the Chesapeake Bay.

Sneakbox: See "Barnegat Bay sneakbox."

Stern: The rear segment of a boat.

Strip canoe: A canoe with hull composed of narrow, wooden slats.

Through hull: Any hardware that penetrates the hull so as to necessitate the removal of a hull cross-section.

Tow boat: A boat used to pull barges, bulk loads, or other boats.

Wangan boat: A boat used for carrying provisions.