The Library of Congress provides access to these materials for noncommercial educational and research purposes and makes no warranty with regard to other uses. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or other rights holders (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.
The sound recordings were collected by a field researcher employed by the U.S. Government under the auspices of the WPA from 1938 to 1940. Transcriptions of the sound recordings were prepared by U.S. Government employees. Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. Note, however, that the persons interviewed or whose words were transcribed were not employees of the U.S. Government. Privacy and publicity rights may apply. While the Library is not aware of any copyright in the materials in this collection, users should be aware of possible rights particularly in the underlying works in the sound recordings.
The Library would like to hear from individuals or institutions that have information about these materials or have additional information about their history.
Credit Line: Library of Congress, American Folklife Center, WPA Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection.
The dust jackets of the sound recordings as prepared during the original field work, read:
California Folk Music Recorded by The Music Department of the University of California in Cooperation with the Archives of American Folk Song [currently the American Folklife Center] of the Library of Congress Under Works Progress Administration Official Project Number 665-08-3-30, Unit A25
am Jun-27-97