Robert Winslow Gordon 1888-1961
[Robert W. Gordon's huge Collection has yet to be fully explored. His Collection is stored at two places: 1) the University of Oregon and 2) Library of Congress. The contents of the collections are listed below (after a brief biography).
I'm including Gorden's "Inferno" Collection which can be accessed by clicking on the attached page on the left hand column. Warning: The "inferno" collection contains explicit lyrics and lanuguage not suitable for some viewers.
Some small parts of the other Gordon Collections may be viewed on-line at library of Congress and I'll reproduce them here as well. The Gordon Collection has other collections by different collectors. The Oregon Gordon Collection has Songs of the Dogwatch by Joseph McGinnis, Songs My Mother Sang by Mary Newcomb, and Collection of Folksongs by Betty Bush Winger. The Library of Congress Gordon Collection has many others (see below).
I'm including the recording and liner notes of Folk-Songs of America: The Robert Winslow Gordon Collection, 1922-1932 produced from Gordon's cylinders in circa 1978. R. Matteson 2011]
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Robert Gordon palying cards with himself in a double exposure photo he took himself circa 1900.
Robert Winslow Gordon 1888-1961
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Winslow Gordon with Edison Cylinders
Born September 2, 1888
Bangor, Maine
Died March 26, 1961
Nationality United States
Education Harvard University
Occupation folklorist
Employer University of California at Berkley, Library of Congress
Robert Winslow Gordon was born September 2, 1888 in Bangor, Maine. Educated at Harvard, he joined the English faculty at the University of California at Berkley in 1918. He was the founding head of the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress in 1928, later the Archive of Folk Culture, which became part of the American Folklife Center. He was a pioneer in using mechanical means to document folk musicians, originally using Edison cylinder recordings. He is known among folk singers as the originator of the infamous Gordon "Inferno" Collection of American songs, and he also collected an early version of Kumbaya[1]. From 1943 to 1958, he was a Professor of English at George Washington University.He died March 26, 1961.
References
1.^ Freedman, Samuel G. (19 November 2010). "A Long Road From ‘Come by Here’ to ‘Kumbaya’". New York Times. . Retrieved 20 November 2010.
Folk-Songs of America: The Robert Winslow Gordon Collection, 1922-1932
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Robert W. Gordon Collection at the University of Oregon
Biography
Kodish, Debora. Good Friends and Bad Enemies: Robert Winslow Gordon and the Study of American Folksong. ISBN 978-0252012518.
Persondata
Name Robert Winslow Gordon
Alternative names Robert W. Gordon
Short description American folklorist
Date of birth September 2, 1888
Place of birth Bangor, Maine
Date of death March 26, 1961
Place of death
Gordon, Robert W[inslow] (1888-1961)
Gordon edited the "Old Songs That Men Have Sung" department for Adventure, 1923-1927. From 1925 to 1927, Howard corresponded with him and sent him versions of a number of songs, two of which appeared in the department. See under "Folk Songs."
[Robert W. Gordon to REH, 12 March 1928: "The New York TIMES began running a series for me in the Sunday editions, Magazine Section. So far fifteen articles have appeared in this first series and three more are to come.... Here is one of my TIMES articles that may be of passing interest to you since it deals with a few of the negro chanties and work songs of this particular district."
(Gordon was in Darien, Georgia.)]
REH to Robert W. Gordon, 14 May 1928: "Your article was great -- that's all that can be said about it -- it was superb. I'm glad your publishing your findings and look forward to your book."
Overview of the Collection
Creator: Gordon, Robert Winslow
Title: Robert W. Gordon collection
Dates: ca. 1906-1939 ( inclusive )
Quantity: 9.5 linear feet (19 containers)
Collection Number: Ax 039
Summary: Robert Winslow Gordon was an authority on American folksong. The collection contains primarily collected folksongs, ballads, and lore.
Repository: University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections & University Archives
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299
URL: http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/index.html
Languages: Collection materials are in English.
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical Note
Robert Winslow Gordon was one of the first and foremost authorities on American folksong. Gordon was born on September 2, 1888 in Bangor, Maine. He was the eighth descendant in a direct line from Alexander Gordon, a Scotsman who came to the colonies as a political prisoner in 1652.
In 1906 Gordon attended Harvard University on scholarship to the English Department. By 1912 he was teaching within that department and he then began his research into folk poetry. Gordon's initial course work was in the ballad, but curiosity soon led him to the collection of folksongs in his spare time. He began experimenting with cylinder recordings, an uncommon practice even among established folk scholars of the time.
In 1918 Gordon accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at the University of California at Berkeley. While at Berkeley he became editor of the "Old Songs" department of a pulp publication called Adventurer Magazine. This position allowed Gordon to collect and record a vast array of folksong material from regions spanning the entire United States. These he presented to the public with historical and critical commentary. This mingling of the popular and academic spheres was unappreciated by Gordon's Berkeley peers. However, some scholars hold this to be the finest work published in American folk song of the time.
In 1924 Gordon returned to Harvard and made plans to embark upon a field trip more extensive than any that had yet been taken in the study of folk song. He proposed to begin in Asheville, North Carolina travelling through the United States and into Canada, and ending in Newfoundland. Gordon set out in 1925 but financial and personal considerations, combined with the overwhelming amount of material that he found in and about the Asheville area, severely limited the original scope of his vision. However, it was in Asheville that he collected an array of material concerning the folksong "Dixie" among others. This was the first of many trips Gordon would make into the southern states for the collection of folk song.
Between 1925 and 1928 Gordon left the constraints and responsibilities of the university behind him and moved his family to Darien, Georgia. In Darien he conducted extensive fieldwork and supported his household through his work with Adventurer, and as a roving correspondent for The New York Times. It was here that Gordon found the time to engage in theoretical work that he felt university life had denied him. His work at this time involved the context for development and performance of Negro folksongs, chants, shouts, spirituals, and chanteys.
In 1928 Gordon established the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress. This was the first national center devoted to American Folk Culture. Gordon held this position for five years during which time he continued his collection and recording in the south. By the time Gordon parted ways with the ACLS, the archive contained some 8,000 texts with music for some 700 titles, all indexed. During this period Gordon also did research and gave testimony on the behalf of Victor Records in a claim of authorship suit brought against that company concerning "Old 97." This case came before the court in 1933. At this point Gordon was recognized as an authority in his field.
From 1934 until his retirement in 1958, Gordon worked for the Department of the Interior, the English Department of George Washington University, and the Navy Department, engaging his passion for folklore in his spare time. He collaborated with many others in his field, published a number of articles, and held lectures and discussions at local social clubs in the Washington D.C. area. After his retirement Gordon moved in with his daughter and her husband in McLean Virginia. He died on March 26, 1961 at the age of 71.
Content Description
The Robert W. Gordon Collection represents one of the largest collections of American folk song outside of the Library of Congress. It contains approximately 4,000 song texts and fragments, 2,250 of which were privately collected and 1,700 of which were transcribed from published sources. It also includes a comprehensive first-line index.
The Collection contains seven bound volumes of songs, ballads, and lore collected and/or transcribed from published sources. Subjects represented include sea serpents, camp meetings, contemporary Civil War accounts, Dan Emmett, pre-minstrel songs, early minstrel songs, minstrel songs, "Dixie", "John Brown", Negro and white spirituals, play-party songs, cowboy songs, and sailor songs.
The Gordon collection also contains songs and lore privately collected by Gordon in California, North Carolina and Georgia, as well as from readers of Adventurer Magazine, in which Gordon edited a column called "Old Songs Men Have Sung." Included are songs of war, camp songs, soldier songs, early American minstrel, Negro and white spirituals, murder ballads, sea songs, Irish ballads and songs, many versions of various classed folksongs, cowboy songs, and some songs from folk-song collector Mary Newcomb not included in her manuscript, "Songs My Mother Sang".
The collection includes three apparently complete manuscripts from private collectors that may not be found in the Library of Congress Archive. The first is Songs of the Dogwatch by Joseph McGinnis, which contains carbon copies of song texts and hand printed music representing songs of the sea, whaling ships, the Great Lakes, the Erie Canal, and chanteys. The second is a photostat copy of Songs My Mother Sang by Mary Newcomb, which contains song texts with music representing Child ballads, ballads and songs of the British Isles, sentimental and humorous songs, Negro and pseudo-Negro songs, and dance and play-party songs. The third is Collection of Folksongs by Betty Bush Winger, which contains white, Negro, and pseudo-Negro religious and spiritual songs.
Included as well are papers from Joanna Colcord's Roll and Go, with notes and variants of songs appearing in that book. There are also letters, documents, bills and accounts for Gordon's role in the George vs. Victor suit concerning "The Old 97", as well as various texts of that and other classed folksongs.
The collection also contains tear sheets from "Old Songs Men Have Sung" dating from June 1922 to September 1927, as well as published material from the New York Times and Gordon's book Folksongs of America. Finally, there are volumes of Gordon's class notes from Harvard University in the collection as well.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
Collection is open to the public.
Collection must be used in Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room.
Restrictions on Use :
Property rights reside with Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections & University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation :
{Identification of item], Robert W. Gordon Collection, Ax 039, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Or.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
The collection is organized into the following series:
Series I. Collected Folksongs
Series II. Classed Folksongs/Origins and Variants of Individual Songs
Series III. Manuscripts/Collections for Review by Gordon
Series IV. Published Works
Series V. Class Notes
Custodial History :
The papers of Robert Winslow Gordon were donated to the University of Oregon by his daughter, Mrs. Roberta Gordon Nye in 1962, at the suggestion of professor Arthur G. Brodeur, Visiting Professor of English, at the University of Oregon. The Gordon Collection was originally housed at the Randall V. Mills Archive of Northwest Folklore, but is now located in the University of Oregon Knight Library.
Separated Materials :
The Randall V. Mills Archive of Northwest Folklore has retained the song index and miscellaneous memorabilia from the collection.
Detailed Description of the Collection
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I: Collected Folksongs, undated
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1 Collected Folksongs (published sources)
1 2 Collected Folksongs (published sources)
1 3 Index to correspondents and folksongs on record
1 4 Collected Folksongs-McIlhenny/Purcell MSS
1 5 Bound personal journal of folksongs
1 6 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
2 1 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
3 1 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
3 2 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
4 1 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
5 1 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
5 2 Collected Folksongs-Bound (published sources)
6 1 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-mostly murder
6 2 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-Newcomb 1931
6 3 Collected Folksongs-misc. from various informants (published sources)
6 4 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.
6 5 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.
6 6 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.
6 7 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.-Collected in Calif.
6 8 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.-Collected in Calif.
6 9 Collected Folksongs-songs and ballads-misc.-Collected in Calif.
6 10 Collected Folksongs-Irish and misc. songs
6 11 Collected Folksongs-misc. from various informants
7 1 Collected Folksongs-ballads: MSS Volume
7 2 Collected Folksongs-songs, ballads, misc. from singers and reciters
7 3 Collected Folksongs-recorded songs and ballads-"Asheville Collection"
7 4 Collected Folksongs-recorded songs and ballads-"Asheville Collection"
Series II: Classed Folksongs/Origins and Variants of Individual Songs, Undated
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
8 1 Classed Folksongs - Cowboy songs- E.C. Will. Murpheysville
8 2 Classed Folksongs - Judgement Day
8 3 Classed Folksongs - Soldier, War, Camp
8 4 Classed Folksongs - "Singer's Journal"
8 5 Classed Folksongs - Americana
8 6 Classed Folksongs - Emmett
8 7 Classed Folksongs - Pre-Minstrel
8 8 Classed Folksongs - Folk-Minstrel Interrelations
8 9 Classed Folksongs - Mountain (dance, fiddle, banjo)
8 10 Classed Folksongs - White Spirituals
8 11 Classed Folksongs - White Spirituals
8 12 Classed Folksongs - White Spirituals
9 1 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"
9 2 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny" (papers)
9 3 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"
9 4 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"
9 5 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"
Box Folder
9 5 Unmarked (brown) Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"/Vulgar
9 6 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"/Vulgar
9 7 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"/Vulgar
9 8 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"/Vulgar
9 9 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Frankie and Johnny"/Vulgar
9 10 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Springfield Mountain"
9 11 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Stackalee"
9 12 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Brady"
9 13 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Railroad Bill"
9 14 Classed Individual Folksongs - "John Hardy/Casey Jones/Railroad"
9 15 Classed Individual Folksongs - "John Henry"
10 1 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Old 97"
10 2 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Old 97"
10 3 Classed Individual Folksongs - "Old 97" - George vs. Victor
10 4 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor-correspondence February 12, 1923-September 5, 1930
10 5 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor-correspondence September 11, 1930-November 6, 1930
10 6 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor-correspondence November 7, 1930-January 4, 1934
10 7 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor - misc.
10 8 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor - expenses
10 9 Classed Individual Folksongs - George vs. Victor - expenses
Series III: MSS/Collections for Review by Gordon, Undated
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
11 1 MSS/Coll.-Newcomb-"Songs My Mother Sang" -songs and ballads (Kentucky)
11 2 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Preface - English/Scottish Traditional
11 3 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Imported
11 4 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Native
11 5 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- True-Love
11 6 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Sentimental/Religious/Humorous
11 7 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- "Negro"/"Pseudo-Negro"
11 8 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..." - Dialogue/Sequence
11 9 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- misc./fragments
11 10 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Dance Plays/ Children's Games/Nursery
11 11 MSS/Coll.- Newcomb- "Songs..."- Notes and Index
11 12 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes (A-C)-Sea Chanteys
11 13 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes (D-H)-Sea Chanteys
11 14 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes (I-L)-Sea Chanteys
11 15 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes (M-P)-Sea Chanteys
12 1 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes (Q-Z)-Sea Chanteys
12 2 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Intro/Chantey/Forecastle/Short-Drag/ Halyard
12 3 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Negro/Windlass/Capstan/Forecastle/Sentimental Ballad
12 4 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Conclusion
12 5 MSS/Coll.- Colcord- "Roll and Go"- Notes/Text/Sources/Clipping
13 1 MSS/Coll.-McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," Forecastle songs pp. 1-60)
13 2 MSS/Coll.- McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," Forecastle songs (pp. 61-119)
13 3 MSS/Coll.- McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," incomplete copy
13 4 MSS/Coll.- McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," incomplete copy
13 5 MSS/Coll.- McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," words only
13 6 MSS/Coll.- McGinnis- "Songs of the Dogwatch," words only
13 7 MSS/Coll.-Winger- "Folk Songs...," Point Pleasant, W.Va
13 8 MSS/Coll.-Winger- "Folk Songs...," Point Pleasant, W.Va.
Series IV: Published Works, 1939, 1922-1927
Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries A1: "The New Green Mountain Songster", in Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society 1939
Box Folder
14 1 Published Works - "The Negro Spiritual" 1939
14 2 Published Works - Golden Box/Etchings/Barry 1939
14 3 Published Works - "Folk Songs of America" 1939
14 4 Published Works - "Folk Songs of America" 1939
Subseries A2: Published Works - Bound - Adventurer Magazine June 20, 1922-June 15, 1927 (non-inclusive)
Box Folder
15 1 Published Works - Adventurer
15 2 Published Works - Adventurer
15 3 Published Works - Adventurer June 20, 1922
15 4 Published Works - Adventurer July 10, 1922
15 5 Published Works - Adventurer July 30, 1922
15 6 Published Works - Adventurer August 20, 1922
15 7 Published Works - Adventurer September 10, 1922
15 8 Published Works - Adventurer September 30, 1922
15 9 Published Works - Adventurer October 20, 1922
15 10 Published Works - Adventurer November 10, 1922
15 11 Published Works - Adventurer November 30, 1922
15 12 Published Works - Adventurer December 20, 1922
15 13 Published Works - Adventurer January 10, 1923
15 14 Published Works - Adventurer January 30, 1923
15 15 Published Works - Adventurer February 20, 1923
15 16 Published Works - Adventurer March 10, 1923
15 17 Published Works - Adventurer March 30, 1923
15 18 Published Works - Adventurer April 20, 1923
15 19 Published Works - Adventurer May 10, 1923
15 20 Published Works - Adventurer May 30, 1923
15 21 Published Works - Adventurer June 20, 1923
15 22 Published Works - Adventurer July 10, 1923
15 23 Published Works - Adventurer July 30, 1923
15 24 Published Works - Adventurer August 20, 1923
15 25 Published Works - Adventurer September 10, 1923
15 26 Published Works - Adventurer September 30, 1923
15 27 Published Works - Adventurer October 20, 1923
15 28 Published Works - Adventurer November 10, 1923
15 29 Published Works - Adventurer November 30, 1923
15 30 Published Works - Adventurer December 20, 1923
15 31 Published Works - Adventurer January 10, 1924
15 32 Published Works - Adventurer January 30, 1924
15 33 Published Works - Adventurer February 20, 1924
15 34 Published Works - Adventurer March 10, 1924
15 35 Published Works - Adventurer March 30, 1924
15 36 Published Works - Adventurer April 20, 1924
15 37 Published Works - Adventurer May 10, 1924
15 38 Published Works - Adventurer May 30, 1924
15 39 Published Works - Adventurer June 20, 1924
16 1 Published Works - Adventurer July 10, 1924
16 2 Published Works - Adventurer July 30, 1924
16 3 Published Works - Adventurer August 20, 1924
16 4 Published Works - Adventurer September 10, 1924
16 5 Published Works - Adventurer September 30, 1924
16 6 Published Works - Adventurer October 20, 1924
16 7 Published Works - Adventurer November 10, 1924
16 8 Published Works - Adventurer November 30, 1924
16 9 Published Works - Adventurer December 20, 1924
16 10 Published Works - Adventurer January 10, 1925
16 11 Published Works - Adventurer January 30, 1925
16 12 Published Works - Adventurer February 20, 1925
16 13 Published Works - Adventurer March 10, 1925
16 14 Published Works - Adventurer March 30, 1925
16 15 Published Works - Adventurer April 20, 1925
16 16 Published Works - Adventurer May 10, 1925
16 17 Published Works - Adventurer May 30, 1925
16 18 Published Works - Adventurer June 20, 1925
16 19 Published Works - Adventurer July 10, 1925
16 20 Published Works - Adventurer July 30, 1925
16 21 Published Works - Adventurer August 20, 1925
16 22 Published Works - Adventurer September 10, 1925
16 23 Published Works - Adventurer September 30, 1925
16 24 Published Works - Adventurer October 20, 1925
16 25 Published Works - Adventurer November 10, 1925
16 26 Published Works - Adventurer December 10, 1925
16 27 Published Works - Adventurer January 10, 1926
16 28 Published Works - Adventurer January 30, 1926
16 29 Published Works - Adventurer February 20, 1926
16 30 Published Works - Adventurer March 10, 1926
16 31 Published Works - Adventurer March 30, 1926
16 32 Published Works - Adventurer April 23, 1926
16 33 Published Works - Adventurer May 23, 1926
16 34 Published Works - Adventurer June 23, 1926
16 35 Published Works - Adventurer July 23, 1926
16 36 Published Works - Adventurer August 23, 1926
16 37 Published Works - Adventurer September 23, 1926
16 38 Published Works - Adventurer October 23, 1926
16 39 Published Works - Adventurer November 8, 1926
16 40 Published Works - Adventurer December 8, 1926
16 41 Published Works - Adventurer December 31, 1926
16 42 Published Works - Adventurer January 1, 1927
16 43 Published Works - Adventurer February 1, 1927
16 44 Published Works - Adventurer March 1, 1927
16 45 Published Works - Adventurer April 1, 1927
16 46 Published Works - Adventurer April 15, 1927
16 47 Published Works - Adventurer May 15, 1927
16 48 Published Works - Adventurer June 15, 1927
16 49 Published Works - Adventurer July 15, 1927
16 50 Published Works - Adventurer August 15, 1927
16 51 Published Works - Adventurer September 15, 1927
Series V: Class Notes, undated
Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
17 1 Class Notes - English 39
17 2 Class Notes - English 39
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #1 0f 6
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #2 0f 6
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #3 0f 6
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #4 0f 6
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #5 0f 6
17 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #6 0f 6
18 1 Class Notes - Philosophy
18 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #1 0f 4
18 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #2 0f 4
18 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #3 0f 4
18 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #4 0f 4
19 1 Class Notes - English 41
19 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #1 0f 2
19 Bound Volume - Class Notes-Harvard, Volume #2 0f 2
19 Bound Volume - Class Notes-"Notes in English 15" #1 of 1
Subjects
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Personal Names :
Colcord, Joanna Carver, 1882-1960
Gordon, Robert Winslow--Archives
Newcomb, Mary, 1894-1967
Geographical Names :
Asheville (N.C.)--Social life and customs
United States
Subject Terms :
Ballads, Irish--United States
Folk songs--United States
Murder--Songs and music
Sea songs
Spirituals (Songs)
Titles within the Collection :
Folksongs of America
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Gordon Manuscript Collections- Library of Congress
Acquired and/or indexed by Robert Winslow Gordon in the Archive of Folk Song
Arthur Mss. See Odum Mss.
Boyd Mss. Typescript of ca. 125 songs sent in by J. P. Boyd, Alliance, North Carolina, 1926-27. Indexed. Typescript in Archive.
Davids Mss. Manuscript of thirty-three songs, written by R. M. Davids, ca. 1924. Sent in by Joanna Colcord, December 1929. Indexed. Original and two typescript copies in archive.
Frothingham Mss. 137 letters containing queries and texts sent in to Robert Frothingham, editor of "Old Songs That Men Have Sung" column in Adventure Magazine, 1922-23. Indexed. Original letters and two typescript copies of texts in archive.
Galt Mss. Ca. 115 songs, obtained from Nellie Galt, Louisville, Kentucky, ca. 1928, and corresponding in part with several cylinder recordings in the Archive. Mostly Indexed. Some of these recordings presumably in archive, but no transcriptions.
Gordon Mss. 3858 letters containing texts and requests sent in to Robert Winslow Gordon, editor of "Old Songs That Men Have Sung" column in Adventure Magazine, 1923-27, plus a few scattered texts dating from 1911 to 1932. Indexed. Original letters and two typescript copies of texts (one bound) in archive.
Gordon Collection: California. Ca. 400 songs and groups of text acquired by Robert Winslow Gordon while he lived in California, mostly dated 1922-23. The first part corresponds with recordings numbered 1 through 142. Indexed. Recordings and original manuscripts in archive. Scattered typescripts numbered 1 through 130 are housed in the Randall V. Mills Memorial Archive of Northwest Folklore, University of Oregon.
Gordon Collection: GA. Ca. 555 songs acquired by Robert Winslow Gordon while he resided in Darien, Georgia, mainly during the years 1926-28. The first half corresponds with recordings numbered A203 to A563. Indexed. Recordings but no manuscript in archive.
Gordon Collection: N. C. 374 texts acquired by Robert Winslow Gordon during a field trip in North Carolina, October-December 1925. Texts 1-298 correspond with recordings A1-A202. Indexed. Recordings, two typescripts of 1-298, and one typescript of whole in archive.
Hanford Mss. Eight texts sent in by J. H. Hanford, Cleveland, Ohio, obtained from Esther Stover, Cleveland, January 12, 1930, who had learned them from her father in Iowa City, Iowa. Indexed. Original typescript and two typescript copies in archive.
Henry Mss. Sixty-one typewritten texts of Southern Appalachian ballads and songs sent in by Mellinger Edward Henry, Ridgefield, New Jersey, 1928-29. Most texts and headnotes were later published in Journal of American Folklore and Henry's Folk-Songs from the Southern Highlands (New York, J. J. Augustin, 1938). Indexed. Original and two typescript copies in archive.
Johnson Mss. Fifteen handwritten texts sent in by Guy B. Johnson, University of North Carolina, ca. 1929, written down by Walter Jordan, New York City, as learned in the south twenty years before. Not Indexed. Original and two typescript copies in archive.
McAdams Thesis. Ca. 140 Negro songs, contained in Nettie F. McAdams' The Folk-songs of the American Negro: A Collection of Unprinted Texts Preceded by a General Survey of the Traits of the Negro Song (University of California Master's Thesis, 1923). Indexed. Bound photocopy in archive.
McGinnis Mss. Ca. 130 sea chanties and songs sent in by Joseph F. McGinnis, Brooklyn, New York, 1928-29, including music. Indexed. Original manuscript returned 1929. Copy at University of Oregon.
McIlhenny Mss. Louisiana Negro Spirituals, collection of ca. 325 pages and 125 texts and tunes compiled by E. A. McIlhenny, Avery Island, Louisiana. See McIlhenny's Befo' de War Spirituals (Boston, Christopher Publishing House, 1933). Indexed. Microfilm copy in music division.
Newcomb Mss. 403 page photostat manuscript by Mary Newcomb, Louisville, Kentucky, entitled Songs My Mother Sang, containing 210 texts with 101 tunes, from New Hope, Kentucky, sent in 1929-30. Miss Newcomb was attempting to find a publisher for this manuscript. Indexed. Not in archive. Copy at university of Oregon.
Newcomb Mss. (additional): 102 texts from Kentucky sent in by Mary Newcomb, 1930-31. Indexed. One typescript copy in archive.
Neal-Brown Co. Songs: Brown County Songs and Ballads, collected and annotated by Mabel Evangeline Neal (Indiana University Master's Thesis, 1926), 100 songs, 183 pages. Indexed. Bound photostat copy in archive.
Odum-Arthur Mss. Eighty-three typewritten texts sent in by Howard W. Odum, University of North Carolina, July 10, 1929, obtained from J. D. Arthur, Tennessee. Indexed. Original and two typewritten copies in archive.
Phillips Mss. Tablet of twenty-two hand-written texts sent in by R. W. Phillips, Akeley, Minnesota, March 22, 1924. Indexed. Original and two typescript copies in archive.
Purcell Mss. 108 song texts with music sent in by Miss Margaret Purcell, Greenwood, Virginia, ca. 1929. Indexed. Not in archive.
Winger Mss. Two collections of 50 and 75 songs respectively, obtained from Miss Betty Bush Winger, Point Pleasant, West Virginia; Negro songs from Miss Winger's home in Ozark region of Missouri. Manuscript II corresponds with ca. twenty-five recordings made by R. W. Gordon at Point Pleasant, 1931-32. Indexed. Recordings in archive. Typescript at University of Oregon.