Collection Inventory and Description

Series I: Manuscript and Print Materials

Series II: Electronic Media

Series III: Sound Recordings

Series IV: Graphic Images and Moving Images

Series V: Exhibition Materials

Additions to the Collection

Collection Concordance by Format

Italian-Americans in the West Project Collection

AFC 1989/022

Prepared by The American Folklife Center, Library of Congress Revised by Sarah Bradley Leighton and Rona R. Razon

September 1997


Collection Summary
	Creator	American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
	Title	Italian-Americans in the West Project Collection
	Inclusive Dates	1988-19931989-1991
	Abstract:	The collection consists of manuscript materials, sound recordings, graphic materials (including color slides, black-and-white negatives, and photographic prints), and moving images collected during a field research project documenting Italian American occupational, cultural, and religious traditions in several locations in the western United States. Fieldwork was conducted in Gilroy, California; San Pedro, California; Pueblo, Colorado; Carbon County, Utah; Walla Walla, Washington; and several mining and ranching communities in Nevada by staff of the American Folklife Center. The project was part of the Quincentenary Celebration of Christopher Columbus sponsored by the Library of Congress in 1992. It produced a traveling exhibition and book of essays, both titled, "Old Ties, New Attachments : Italian-American Folklife in the West."
	Extent:	104 boxes43 linear feet16,875 number of items in collection (16,476 manuscript pages, 298 original sound recordings, 31,416 graphic materials, 22 original moving images, 140 electronic media, and 12 artifacts).
	Language:	English, Italian
	Identification:	AFC 1989/022

Scope and Content

Italian-Americans in the West Project Collection contains the sound recordings, photographs, video recordings, fieldnotes, publications, ephemera, and accompanying manuscript materials associated with the American Folklife Center's Italian-Americans in the West project. This project was part of the Center's commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus, which was an element of a larger program on the Quincentenary sponsored by the Library of Congress. The purpose of the three-year field research project was to document aspects of traditional cultural expression of Italian Americans in the western United States.

Field research conducted from 1989 through 1991 was directed by Center folklife staff. During the course of the field research, teams of folklife researchers explored the ways Italian Americans have defined their identity as a cultural group in the past and present. Subject areas studied included public and private aspects of expression, foodways, occupations, festivals, and vernacular architecture. Multiple research sites afforded the opportunity to map cultural intersections of ethnic and regional history. The sites were chosen on the basis of cultural and economic definitions of the West, in communities where Italian Americans have long been associated with the distinctive economies of the regions. Fieldwork took place in the agricultural community of Gilroy, California; the commercial fishing town of San Pedro, California; the steel mill town of Pueblo, Colorado; several small mining and ranching communities in eastern and central Nevada;several mining towns in Carbon County, Utah; and the agricultural region of Walla Walla, Washington.

The field research resulted in a large quantity of multi-format documentation that constitutes the bulk of this collection. Other products from the project include the book, Old Ties, New Attachments: Italian-American Folklife in the West, edited by David A. Taylor and John Alexander Williams (1992), and a traveling exhibition of the same name. The exhibition curator was I. Sheldon Posen, who was assisted by Center staff member Camila Bryce-Laporte and several contractors including Anne Bowman, Victoria Brown, and Robin Fanslow. The exhibit opened at the De Saisset Museum in Santa Clara, California, on October 12, 1992, and the traveled to: The Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada; The Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, Los Angeles, California; The Museums at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York; and the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

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Selected Search Terms

People

Taylor, David Alan, 1951-
Williams, John Alexander, 1938-

Organizations

American Folklife Center, collector.
Archive of Folk Culture (Library of Congress)

Subjects

Columbus Quincentenary, 1992-1993--West (U.S.)
Field recordings--West (U.S.)
Italian American families--West (U.S.)
Italian Americans--California--Social life and customs.
Italian Americans--Colorado--Social life and customs.
Italian Americans--Nevada--Social life and customs.
Italian Americans--Utah--Social life and customs.
Italian Americans--Washington--Social life and customs.
Italian Americans--West (U.S.)--Folklore.
Italian Americans--West (U.S.)--Religion.
Italian Americans--West (U.S.)--Social life and customs.
Occupations--West (U.S.)

Places

West (U.S.)--Social life and customs.

Titles

Italian-American folklife in the West.
Old ties, new attachments.

Form/Genre

Clippings.
Ethnography.
Field recordings.
Interviews.
Manuscripts.
Oral histories.
Photographs.
Sound recordings.
Traveling exhibitions.
Videocassettes.

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Collection Inventory and Description

Series I: Manuscript and Print Materials

The manuscript materials provide supporting documentation for the entire project. Included are archival administrative materials such as log status reports that indicate the availability of reference copies, missing original items, electronic versions of documents, and so forth. Documents pertaining to the planning, administration, and promotion of the project are found in this series. Also included are fieldnotes, graphic material logs, sound recording logs, and video recording logs. This series also contains reports on the project and information on the book of collected essays. Finally, this series includes various publications such as books, articles, and periodicals as well as ephemera (e.g., newspaper clippings and maps) that provide background information on Italian-Americans in the western United States.

Collection Finding Aid

Diskette status reports

A description of the project's electronic files, their arrangement and location.

Log status reports.

Tables that note the status of individual logs for formatted materials (sound recordings, graphic materials, and manuscripts) by fieldworker and location (diskette, database, and printout).

Sound recordings status reports.

Tables (listed by fieldworker) that note the status of individual audiocassettes and reel-to-reel tapes, such as the existence of the original and reference copies and hard-copy logs.

Graphic materials status reports.

Tables (listed by fieldworker) that note the status of individual black-and-white rolls, contact sheets, color slides, color internegatives, and color negatives.

Videotape status report.

Table (listed by fieldworker) that notes the status of individual videotapes, including the existence of original and reference copies and related hard-copy logs.

Index terms.

Alphabatized list of searchable terms used in the IAW ASKSAM database.

Processing documentation--1996.

Preliminary box list, preliminary inventory, and other documentation related to the processing of this collection.

Processing documentation--1990.

Information on the initial processing of this collection.

Budget and expenses.

Draft project budgets, supplies and shipping receipts, and travel documentation.

Consent forms.

Blank forms and signed duplicates of informant release forms.

Correspondence.

General project correspondence dated between 1988 and 1990, arranged chronologically.

Informants--consent forms, signed.

Original release forms signed by informants, arranged alphabetically by project site.

Informants--consent forms, signed.

Original release forms signed by informants, arranged alphabetically by project site.

Informants--correspondence.

Correspondence between project personnel and informants, arranged alphabetically by project site.

Informants--general.

Newspaper clippings, biographical information, and miscellaneous documentation related to informants, arranged alphabetically by project site.

Informants--mailing lists.

Numerous copies of lists of informants' addresses. Note: Gift photographs from informants are located with the graphic materials in Box 87.

Personnel.

Correspondence and contract information, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker/consultant.

Personnel.

Correspondence and contract information, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker/consultant.

Planning.

Correspondence and contract information, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker/consultant.

Publicity and public relations.

Articles, brochures, fliers, news clippings and press releases concerning the Italian-Americans in the West project and other Columbian Quincentenary projects of the Library of Congress.

Disk directories.

Printouts of directories of reference computer diskettes containing project files. Diskettes arranged alphabetically by fieldworker. For more information, see Diskette Status Reports in folder 2.

Fieldnotes

Fieldworkers' notes concerning daily activities during the project, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then chronologically. For more information, see Fieldnotes Status Report in folder 3.

Handwritten notes and drawings.

Notebooks, sketch pads, and loose pages of notes and drawings made by fieldworkers during the project. Arranged alphabetically by fieldworker.

Handwritten notes and drawings.

Notebooks, sketch pads, and loose pages of notes and drawings made by fieldworkers during the project. Arranged alphabetically by fieldworker.

Sound recording logs.

Summaries of cassette and reel-to-reel recordings of interviews, music, and events, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by log number. For more information, see Audiocassette and Reel-to-Reel Logs Status Reports in folder 3.

Black-and-white photo logs.

Descriptions of black-and-white photos taken during the project, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by roll number. For more information, see Black-and-White Photograph Log Status Report in folder 3.

Color slide logs.

Descriptions of color slides taken during the project, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by slide sheet number. For more information, see Color Slide Log Status Report in folder 3.

Videotape logs.

Descriptions of videotapes taken during the project or donated to the project by informants, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker.

Reports.

Intermim, final, and post-project reports. Arranged alphabetically by author (fieldworker), and then alphabetically by report title.

Book.

Materials concerning Old Ties, New Attachments: Italian-American Folklife in the West. Includes a copy of the book, correspondence with contributors, essay proposals, publicity materials, and purchase requisitions.

Exhibit.

Publicity and background materials describing the exhibition, "Old Ties, New Attachments: Italian-American Folklife in the West." For more information, see Series V.

Collected publications.

Books, periodicals, journals, and articles about project sites collected as background information. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Collected publications.

Books, periodicals, journals, and articles about project sites collected as background information. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Collected publications.

Books, periodicals, journals, and articles about project sites collected as background information. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Ephemera.

Newspaper clippings, maps, unpublished manuscripts, and other materials collected during the project. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Ephemera.

Newspaper clippings, maps, unpublished manuscripts, and other materials collected during the project. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Ephemera.

Newspaper clippings, maps, unpublished manuscripts, and other materials collected during the project. Arranged alphabetically by project site.

Panoramic photographs and maps of Nevada (3 photographs; 3 maps)

Italian-Americans in the West Project Collection exhibit design drawings (10 drawings)

"Old Ties New Americans" exhibit poster (5 posters)

Joe Delume Ranch, Lincoln County, Nevada (20 blueprints)

Verde Yard Bake Oven, Helper, Utah (3 blueprints)

Joe Bruno Connected Building and Garden, Helper, Utah (6 blueprints)

Columbia Steel Company Bunkhouse, Columbia, Utah (6 blueprints)

Camillo Manina House, Spring Glen, Utah (6 blueprints)

Milano Court, Helper, Utah (3 blueprints)

Map of Pueblo, Colorado (1 map)

Architectural Drawings by Tom Carter (8 drawings)

Measured Drawing of San Pedro Community Gardens (1 drawing)

4th Annual Italian Days Heritage Poster, October 14-15, 1989 (1 poster)

Pueblo County, Colorado (3 blueprints)

Columbus Day Celebration 1989, San Francisco, California (5 posters)

Bonded Winery, Gilroy, California (7 blueprints)

Lateen Rigged Fishing Smack (2 schematics)

Walla Walla Sweet Onion Commission Advertising (1 pack of advertising materials)

Series II: Electronic Media

65 computer diskettes consist of original and reference disks that contain original files and reference copies of those files. The reference copies have been rearranged for better access. The diskettes contain the documentation from the fieldwork as well as administrative files. Printed directories of each disk can be found in Box 103 which contains 60 additional diskettes with digital images.

Computer diskettes.

Project documentation in electronic format (WordPerfect 5.1). 32 3.5-inch and 24 5.25-inch original disks containing original files and 18 3.5-inch reference disks containing copies of original files rearranged in a more logical order. Includes one disk that contains files of AFC administrative materials. Note: Additional diskettes are located in Box 103. The reference disks are arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and the files on the disks are arranged by fieldworker and then by document type. The original disks are arranged in numerical order. For more information, see Disk Directories in folders 58-59.

Series III: Sound Recordings

This series includes more than 500 original and reference copies of reel-to-reel and audiocassette field recordings. They consist predominantly of interviews with informants. Logs that describe the content of the recordings can be found in Series I.

Reel-to-reel tapes.

65 reel-to-reel tapes of interviews, music, and events, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by tape number. Reference copies are available in the Folklife Reading Room. For more information, see Sound Recording Logs in folders 89-105.

Audiocassettes.

233 audiocassette tapes of interviews, music, and events, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by tape number. Reference copies are available in the Folkife Reading Room. For more information, see Sound Recording Logs in folders 89-105.

Series IV: Graphic Images and Moving Images

Close to 25,000 images document the project's fieldwork. They include black and white negative rolls, contact sheets, color slides, negatives, and photographic prints. Logs describing the content of the field photographs are in Series I. There are more than 40 videocassettes that document a variety of festivals and events that took place in some of the Italian-American communities studied. Logs describing the content of some of these videos can be found in Series I.

Black-and-white negatives.

Approximately 554 black-and-white negative rolls (16,450 images) taken by fieldworkers during the project, arranged alphabetically by fieldworker and then numerically by roll number. For more information, see Black-and-White Photo Logs in folders 106-123. Contact sheets are also available through the Folklife Reading Room.

IAW-TC-C001-C008 (Tom Carter)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Tom Carter. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-TC-C009-C016 (Tom Carter)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Tom Carter. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-DD-C001-C013 (Doug DeNatale)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Doug DeNatale. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-DD-C014-C021 (Doug DeNatale)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Doug DeNatale. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-RF-C001-C011 (Russell Frank)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Russell Frank. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-RF-C012-C022 (Russell Frank)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Russell Frank. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-AG-C001-C013 (Andrea Graham)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Andrea Graham. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.

IAW-AG-C014-C018 (Andrea Graham)

Color slides taken by project fieldworker, Andrea Graham. For content details, see Color Slide Logs in folders 124-140.