Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Encyclopedia
The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is housed in the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington, D.C.
, United States.
The Ralph Rinzler Archives consist of two major collections. The first is the Moses and Frances Asch collection, which consists of the original recordings, business records, correspondence, and photographic material that came to the Smithsonian with the purchase of Folkways Records
in 1987. It also contains recordings on the Paredon, Cook, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk
, and Monitor labels that have been subsequently acquired by the Smithsonian. These labels are currently operated by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
The Rinzler Archives also houses an extensive collection of recordings documenting ethnic music traditions from around the world, early American country music and bluegrass, blues, and examples of folk revival
performances on other labels. Listening copies of most of the Folkways catalog are kept in the Archives, and are available to researchers.
The other major archival collection in the Rinzler Archives consists of the written, audio, and visual records of projects and exhibits sponsored by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: most notably, more than three decades of recordings documeting fieldwork, research and performances related to the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival (formerly known as the Festival of American Folklife), which takes place each summer on the National Mall
of the United States in Washington, D.C.
The Archives' holdings are global in perspective, and include such topics as world ethnic performance traditions, historical and spoken word recordings, sounds of science and nature, occupational folklore, and family folklore. The collections are also strong in American, and more specifically Euro-American, African-American, Caribbean, and Native American music and performance traditions. These are living archives, from which recordings and videotapes are regularly issued or reissued for enjoyment and scholarly research.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States.
The Ralph Rinzler Archives consist of two major collections. The first is the Moses and Frances Asch collection, which consists of the original recordings, business records, correspondence, and photographic material that came to the Smithsonian with the purchase of Folkways Records
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
in 1987. It also contains recordings on the Paredon, Cook, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk
Fast Folk
Fast Folk Musical Magazine , was a combination magazine and record album published from February 1982 to 1997...
, and Monitor labels that have been subsequently acquired by the Smithsonian. These labels are currently operated by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
The Rinzler Archives also houses an extensive collection of recordings documenting ethnic music traditions from around the world, early American country music and bluegrass, blues, and examples of folk revival
American folk music revival
The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, John Jacob...
performances on other labels. Listening copies of most of the Folkways catalog are kept in the Archives, and are available to researchers.
The other major archival collection in the Rinzler Archives consists of the written, audio, and visual records of projects and exhibits sponsored by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: most notably, more than three decades of recordings documeting fieldwork, research and performances related to the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival (formerly known as the Festival of American Folklife), which takes place each summer on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
of the United States in Washington, D.C.
The Archives' holdings are global in perspective, and include such topics as world ethnic performance traditions, historical and spoken word recordings, sounds of science and nature, occupational folklore, and family folklore. The collections are also strong in American, and more specifically Euro-American, African-American, Caribbean, and Native American music and performance traditions. These are living archives, from which recordings and videotapes are regularly issued or reissued for enjoyment and scholarly research.
Highlights of Rinzler Archive holdings
- more than 17,300 commercial discs
- 4000 acetate discs
- approximately 45,000 audiotapes (reel, cassette, DAT)
- more than 2000 CDs
- over 1,000,000 still images
- 2500 videotapes
- more than 500,000 feet of motion picture film
- drawings and posters
- files of correspondence and business records for Folkways and other labels held by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
lyrics, correspondence, and drawings (part of Folkways Collection)
Specific collections
- Moses and Frances Asch Collection (Folkways RecordsFolkways RecordsFolkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
) - Cook RecordsCook RecordsCook Records was a record label founded by Emory Cook . Cook was an audio engineer and inventor. From 1952 to 1966, Cook used his Sounds of our Times and Cook Laboratories record labels to demonstrate his philosophy about sound, his recording equipment, and his manufacturing techniques.- Recording...
- Diana Davies Photograph Collection
- Dyer-Bennet Records
- Fast Folk Magazine Recordings
- Smithsonian Folklife FestivalSmithsonian Folklife FestivalThe Smithsonian Folklife Festival, launched in 1967, is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage presented annually in the summer in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is held for two weeks around the Fourth of July holiday...
documentation - Lee Hays Papers
- Robert C. Malone Photograph Collection
- Monitor Records
- Paredon Records
- Frederic Ramsey Jr. Tape Collection
- Ralph RinzlerRalph RinzlerRalph Rinzler was the co-founder of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the Mall every summer in Washington, D.C., where he worked as a curator for American art, music, and folk culture at the Smithsonian....
Collection