John Botica playing the misnice, facing front, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Botica performing Dalmatian dance music from Croatia on May 26, 1938 and January 11, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Mountain View, California.
Aaron Morgan standing on porch with dog, photograph
Photograph caption: "Aaron Morgan at home." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aaron Morgan performing Anglo-American music on July 17 and 18, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Col... More
Sidney Robertson Cowell, copying California Folk Music Project recordi...
Photograph caption: Photo taken in the project office on Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, California in early 1939. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA California Folk Music Project in Northern... More
Dumbelek, bottom, side, top, and perspective views, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Dumbeg [dumbelek]. Includes enlarged section showing construction and mechanism details, with dimensions noted in inches. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms p... More
English guitar, front and side views and elevation, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Guitarra portuguesa -- English or Portuguese guitar. Drawing No. 6. Includes dimensions in inches. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field... More
Gusle, rear view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: Gusle owned, made, and played by Peter Boro. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939... More
Mrs. Ben Scott with fiddle, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "A dance fiddler." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mrs. Ben Scott and Myrtle B. Wilkinson performing Anglo-American music on the fiddle and tenor banjo on October 31, 19... More
Peter Boro playing gusle, seated, facing right, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Mateo, California.
Kamanche, front view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: Kemancha [kemanche] made and played by Bedros Haroutunian. From Armenia. An adaptation with some modern violin parts." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Bedros Haroutunian... More
Oud, photograph, Northern California, 1930 s
Photograph caption: "Owned and played by Mary Goshtigian. From Constantinople (Armenia). The pick is an eagle's feather from the Caucasus." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mary and Hartop G... More
Dvorgrle, top, end, and perspective views, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Dvogrla [dvorgrle] owned and played by Peter Boro. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croa... More
Zurna, full view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: Zurna from Turkish Armenia. "Owned and played by Joseph Bedrosian. His extra reeds dangle from the mouthpiece." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Joe Bedrosian performing ... More
John Selleck playing fiddle, facing front, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: A dance fiddler & 5-string banjo picker. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Selleck performing Anglo-American music on the fiddle on October 2, 1939, collected by Sidn... More
Ozzie Waters with divining-rod, three-quarter portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Ozzie 'switches' (witches) wells." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Sam "Mike" Blackburn performing Anglo-American songs on January 28 and May 31, 1939, collected by Sid... More
John Stone with gold mining pan, half-length portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Miner, fiddler, and singer, at Columbia, Tuolumne County, California." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Stone performing Anglo-American music on August 5 and 6, 193... More
Banjo, front view, mechanical drawing, Northern California
Drawing caption: American 5 string banjo. Drawing No. 14. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA California Folk Music Proje... More
English guitar, perspective view, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Guitarra portuguesa -- English or Portuguese guitar. Drawing No. 5. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA... More
San hsien, top, side, and perspective views, mechanical drawing
Although there is no caption beyond "Chinese" labelling this drawing, Sidney Robertson Cowell refers to this Chinese long-necked lute elsewhere in the collection as the "san hsien." Drawing caption: Drawing No... More
English guitar, back and side views and elevation, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Guitarra portuguesa -- English or Portuguese guitar. Drawing No. 4. Includes dimensions in inches and enlarged section showing tuning mechanism. Original in Music Library, University of Cali... More
Francisco Sanfilippo, half-length portrait, photograph
Francisco Sanfilippo is in the foreground, unidentified persons are in the background. Photograph caption: "Going back to his cronies on the fishing wharf in the sun." Forms part of a group of field materials d... More
Peter Boro playing gusle, seated, facing front, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Mateo, California.
Mary MacPhee, right profile, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mary MacPhee performing Gaelic songs from Scotland on June 15, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Berkeley, California.
Hartop Goshtigian playing the violin, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Armenian from Constantinople." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mary and Hartop Goshtigian performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish songs and music on April 17, 1939, coll... More
Peter Boro playing gusle, seated, right profile, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Mateo, California.
John Selleck playing fiddle, left profile, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "A dance fiddler & 5-string banjo picker." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Selleck performing Anglo-American music on the fiddle on October 2, 1939, collected by Si... More
Joe Bedrosian playing his zurna while being photographed by WPA photog...
Half-length portrait of Joe Bedrosian, seated, on left side of photograph. Photographer on right side of photo not identified. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Joe Bedrosian performing Arme... More
John McCready, portrait, photograph, Northern California
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John McCready performing Anglo-American songs on July 31, August 2, and August 5, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Groveland, Tuolumne County, California.
Siranoosh Shapazian, portrait, photograph, Northern California
Name erroneously listed as "Shabazian" on photograph caption. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Siranoosh Shapazian performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish songs on October 30, collected by Si... More
Yueh ch'in, top, side, and end views, mechanical drawing
Although there is no caption on this drawing, Sidney Robertson Cowell refers to the yueh ch'in elsewhere in this collection as the "moon lute" or "Chinese lute." Includes dimensions in inches. Original in Music... More
Oddrun Sigurasson, portrait, photograph, Northern California
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Oddrun Sigurasson performing Icelandic songs on May 25, 1938, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Francisco, California.
T. Shatinian playing blul near doorway, full-length portrait, photogra...
Photograph caption: Mr. Shatinian is standing near the doorway of his barbershop playing a blul from Armenia. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting T. Shatinian performing Armenian music on the b... More
Gusle, facing right, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: Gusle owned, made, and played by Peter Boro. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939... More
Pablo Ruthling, portrait, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: "Of German extraction, but has lived 11 years among Mexican Indians." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Pablo Ruthling performing an unaccompanied Spanish song from Mexico... More
Aaron Morgan facing front, head-and-shoulders portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aaron Morgan performing Anglo-American music on July 17 and 18, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Columbia, Tuolumne County, California.
T. Shatinian playing blul to the right of doorway, full-length portrai...
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting T. Shatinian performing Armenian music on the blul on April 24, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Fresno, California.
Guitar, front and side views, sketch
Drawing caption: Spanish guitar or Sonora. Pencil sketch on brown paper with dimensions noted. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documentin... More
George Vinton Graham with guitar, seated, right profile, facing window...
Photograph caption: "He is recording 'The Bridgewater' from his own typed 'ballet' [sheet of lyrics]." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting George Vinton Graham performing Anglo-American songs o... More
Archie Krotlian playing oud, half-length portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "The pick is an eagle's feather from the Caucasus." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aslanian's Armenian Orchestra performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish dance music on A... More
Anonymous man from Croatia playing Peter Boro's misnice, left profile,...
Photograph caption: "He would not record. This is Mr. Boro's instrument." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and Decembe... More
Jessie de Soto with her son Tommy, group portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Jessie de Soto performing Spanish songs from California on January 28, February 10, and August 14, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Concord, California.
Sidney Robertson Cowell, copying California Folk Music Project recordi...
Photograph caption: Photo taken in the project office on Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, California in early 1939. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA California Folk Music Project in Northern... More
Yueh ch'in, front view, mechanical drawing
Although there is no caption on this drawing, Sidney Robertson Cowell refers to the yueh ch'in elsewhere in this collection as the "moon lute" or "Chinese lute." Original in Music Library, University of Calif... More
Joe Bedrosian playing zurna, seated, left profile, three-quarter lengt...
Photograph caption: "Playing his surna [zurna]. From Turkish Armenia." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Joe Bedrosian performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish music on April 24, 1939, collecte... More
Francisco Sanfilippo, portrait, photograph, Northern California
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Francisco Sanfilippo performing unaccompanied Sicilian songs from Italy on February 11, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Martinez, California.
Mr. Prater in darkroom, portrait, photograph
Sidney Robertson Cowell notes on verso of photograph, 1938: "Mr. Prater, our wonderful Welsh photographer on the California Folk Music Project, who built the darkroom, did all our developing, printing, and enla... More
Viola d'arame, front, end, side, and scroll views, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Portuguese viola [viola d'arame]. Includes enlarged sections with dimensions in inches and interior construction details. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms ... More
Bedros Haroutunian holding saz, facing front, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Saz, a 3-stringed plucked instrument, very old in Armenia. Owned by Mr. Bedros Haroutunian . . . (No player located)." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Bedros Haroutunia... More
Qanun, full view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: Owned and played by Bedros Haroutunian. From Armenia. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Bedros Haroutunian performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish music on the kamanche and... More
Gusle, close-up of neck and left-hand technique, photograph
Photograph caption: Close-up of Peter Boro demonstrating left-hand technique on the gusle. Photograph caption: Gusle from Herzegovina [Hercegovina], made and played by Peter Boro. Forms part of a group of field... More
Francisco Sanfilippo's home with various Sicilian relatives and neighb...
The Sanfilippo home is in Martinez, California. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Francisco Sanfilippo performing unaccompanied Sicilian songs from Italy on February 11, 1939, collected by Si... More
John Stone with gold mining pan, half-length portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Miner, fiddler, and singer, at Columbia, Tuolumne County, California." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Stone performing Anglo-American music on August 5 and 6, 193... More
Tar, perspective view, mechanical drawing, Northern California
Drawing caption: "Tar" -- Georgian guitar. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Joe Daniels, an Assyrian from Soviet Georgia perf... More
Hardangar fiddle, side, top, and end views, left segment, sketch
Drawings AFS 1940/001: D18-D19 comprise two segments of one large sketch (with sections) of the Hardangar fiddle when placed side by side from left to right. Includes dimensions. No caption on this segment of s... More
J. L. Hall photographing qanun, left profile, photograph
Sidney Robertson Cowell notes on verso of copy of photograph in Music Division, Library of Congress: "J. L. Hall, volunteer photographer for the California Folk Music Project at work photographing Mr. Haroutuni... More
Anonymous man from Croatia playing Peter Boro's misnice, facing front,...
Photograph caption: "He would not record. This is Mr. Boro's instrument." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December... More
Anita Dormody, full-length portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Anita Dormody performing an Anglo-American song on August 19, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Carmel, California.
The Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection, Northern California
An article published by Brett Topping that appeared in the Volume 3, Number 3 (July 1980) issue of "Folklife Center News," pp. 4 - 5, 8.
John Stone playing fiddle, head-and-shoulders portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Stone performing Anglo-American music on August 5 and 6, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Columbia, Tuolumne County, California.
I'm going down this road feelin' bad textual and melodic transcription...
Five textual transcriptions and seven melodic transcriptions of this song sung by Warde Ford and Harmon Hart. In English.
Dvorgrle, rear view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: "Double flute from Herzegovina [Hercegovina], owned by Peter Boro." Photograph caption: "No player has been located." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performi... More
Gusle, top, side, and end views and side view of bow, mechanical drawi...
Drawing caption: Gusla [gusle] owned and played by Peter Boro. Includes dimensions in inches and information about construction materials. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms pa... More
Mary A. McDonald, head-and-shoulders portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mary A. McDonald performing Gaelic songs from Nova Scotia, Canada on April 11, 1939. collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Berkeley, California.
Bedros Haroutunian holding saz, facing left, portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Saz, a 3-stringed plucked instrument, very old in Armenia. Owned by Mr. Bedros Haroutunian. . . (No player located)." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Bedros Haroutunian... More
English guitars, side view, photograph, Northern California
Photograph caption: The guitar on the left is 70 years old, belongs to Alice Lemos Avila, and came from Faial Island in the Azores. The one on the right was made in the U.S. and belongs to Clifford Franco. Form... More
Qanun, close-up of tuning mechanism, photograph
Photograph caption: Owned and played by Bedros Haroutunian. From Armenia. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Bedros Haroutunian performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish music on the kamanche and... More
Gusle, close-up of head, photograph
Photograph caption: Gusle owned, made, and played by Peter Boro. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Peter Boro performing Croatian music on the gusle and misnice on May 7 and December 20, 1939... More
Maria Garcia, left profile, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Maria Garcia performing unaccompanied Spanish songs from Asturias, Spain on January 18 and 19, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Monterey, California.
Celtic harp, top and side views, sketch
No caption on sketch. Pencil sketch on brown paper. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berkeley. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA California Folk Music Project in N... More
Lirica, top, side, and perspective views, and bow, mechanical drawing
Drawing caption: Lirica--Dalmatian fiddle--owned and played by John Botica. Includes dimensions in inches and information about construction materials. Original in Music Library, University of California, Berke... More
Qanun, top and side views, left side, sketch
Drawings AFS 1940/001: D24-D25 comprise two segments of one large sketch (with section) of the qanun when placed side by side from left to right. Includes dimensions, construction details, and sketch of tuning ... More
Oud, close-up of fingerboard, photograph
Photograph caption: "Owned and played by Mary Goshtigian. From Constantinople (Armenia). The pick is an eagle's feather from the Caucasus." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Mary and Hartop G... More
Sal Lucido facing front, portrait, photograph
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Sal Lucido performing an unaccompanied Sicilian song on February 11, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Martinez, California.
Aaron Morgan facing left, smiling, head-and-shoulders portrait, photog...
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aaron Morgan performing Anglo-American music on July 17 and 18, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Columbia, Tuolumne County, California.
Indian women at Pala Mission, group portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Left to right: Senoras Pico, Valenzuela, de la Golsh, Ortega, Myers, and Acosta." There are, however, only five women visible on the photograph. Forms part of a group of field materials doc... More
Aaron Morgan seated on porch, photograph
Photograph caption: "Aaron Morgan at home." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aaron Morgan performing Anglo-American music on July 17 and 18, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Col... More
Ozzie Waters with divining-rod, full-length portrait, photograph
Photograph caption: "Ozzie 'switches' (witches) wells." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Sam "Mike" Blackburn performing Anglo-American songs on January 28 and May 31, 1939, collected by Sid... More
Sidney Robertson Cowell Administrative materials, Northern California
Public domain scan of American Folklife Center document, manuscript, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description.
Sargeant Tally-ho textual and melodic transcriptions
Contains potentially offensive sexual innuendo. Two textual and one melodic song transcriptions. In English.
John Selleck facing left, head-and-shoulders portrait, photograph
Sidney Robertson Cowell notes on verso of photograph: "Wonderful fiddler from near Placerville, California." Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Selleck performing Anglo-American music on ... More
Jack Donohue textual transcrptions with notes
Textual song transcription with handwritten notes made by Robert Walker and eight pages of handwritten notes inscribed by Sidney Robertson Cowell regarding similarities between the two songs, "Jack Donohue" and... More
The Recording of Folk Music in California
An article Sidney Robertson Cowell published in "California Folklore Quarterly," vol. 1, no. 1, January 1942, pp. 7 - 23.
I'm going down this road feelin' bad textual and melodic transcription...
Five textual transcriptions and seven melodic transcriptions of this song sung by Warde Ford and Harmon Hart. In English.
Draftsmen making construction drawings of folk instruments at the Shat...
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting the WPA California Folk Music Project in Northern California, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell from 1938 to 1940.
Alonzo the brave and the fair Imogene textual and melodic transcriptio...
Textual and melodic song transcriptions. In English.
Sapateia = The Bootmaker textual and melodic transcriptions
Portuguese textual transcription and cipher notation of song.
John and Pen McCready, group portrait, photograph
John McCready is standing to the left of Pen McCready. Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John McCready performing Anglo-American songs on July 31, August 2, and August 5, 1939, collected by S... More
The Recording of Folk Music in California
An article Sidney Robertson Cowell published in "California Folklore Quarterly," vol. 1, no. 1, January 1942, pp. 7 - 23.
Beneath the old oak tree textual and melodic transcriptions
Two textual and one melodic song transcriptions. In English.
The Green fields of Virginia textual transcriptions
Two textual song transcriptions. In English.
Five folk dances of the Azores textual and melodic transcriptions with...
Textual Portuguese and melodic transcriptions of five folk dances from the Azores, with English translations and notes by Alice Lemos Avila. The dances are called "Padresinho," "A Praia," "O Ladrao" (and varian... More
Barbara Allen textual and melodic transcriptions
Three textual and two melodic transcriptions of the song sung by George Vinton Graham and textual and melodic transcriptions of Alex Barr's version of the song. In English.
Proposal to the Northern WPA For the study of traditional music in Cal...
Proposal submitted to the Northern California Work Projects Administration Office in San Francisco detailing the project Sidney Robertson Cowell conceived to collect traditional music in Northern California.
Field reports, - Public domain document scan
Fieldnotes written by Sidney Robertson Cowell and submitted to the Northern California WPA Office in San Francisco during the course of the California Folk Music Project.
The Mowing of the hay textual and melodic transcriptions
Contains sexual innuendo. Three textual and two melodic song transcriptions. In English.
Field reports, - Public domain document scan
Fieldnotes written by Sidney Robertson Cowell and submitted to the Northern California WPA Office in San Francisco during the course of the California Folk Music Project.
Five Portuguese folk dances from the Azores manuscript
Background information on five Portuguese folk dances by WPA staff member, Alice Lemos Avila.
Captain Hull and proud Dacus textual and melodic transcriptions
Two textual song transcriptions, one melodic transcription, and handwritten notes inscribed by Sidney Robertson Cowell. In English.
The Cumberland's crew textual and melodic transcriptions with notes
Nine textual and two melodic song transcriptions sung variously by George Vinton Graham, Warde Ford, and Elizabeth W. Ford, with handwritten notes inscribed by Sidney Robertson Cowell. In English.
Field reports, - Public domain document scan
Fieldnotes written by Sidney Robertson Cowell and submitted to the Northern California WPA Office in San Francisco during the course of the California Folk Music Project.
The Bishop of Canterbury textual and melodic transcriptions with notes
Three textual and one melodic song transcriptions with several pages of handwritten notes inscribed by Sidney Robertson Cowell. In English.