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Series 6: Sound Recordings, 1977 (continued)
Subseries 13: White Southerners
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20773A - AFS 20774A Interview with Reverend Iberus Hacker on his biography, the Appalachian region and artists, and the Great American Coffee House, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-3, April 15, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0777 - 0778
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20773a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20773b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20774a
3 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 3-part interview with Rev. Iberus Hacker at the North American Coffee House, 2918 N. Lincoln Ave in the Lake View neighborhood; about blues artists like Homesick James, and comments about artists and festivals, mentions Lee Jackson; about the All Night Blues Jam; about organizations like the Rainbow Coalition, Uptown Community Organization, Appalachian Cultural Exchange; Hacker from Clay County KY; about Clay county politics; Hacker was raised in a conservative part of Tennessee, motivated by Christian aspects of the Civil Rights movement, sees cities as being in crisis, verge of collapse, people are afraid of neighbors; Hackers hopes the coffee shop will bridge communities, have church service and various secular music and stand-up performances; about the people with Appalachian heritage, most in their 50s, many families came in the 1940s and 1950s, 10 percent in poverty, about class structures and effect of mass culture; how bars are segregated in Chicago, seeks to have a place that is not segregated. Part 2 of a 3-part interview with Rev. Iberus Hacker at the North American Coffee House, 2918 N. Lincoln Ave in the Lake View neighborhood; about ethnic-segregated bars, Hacker does not oppose, concerning Appalachian migrants, understands that there are people who live in front of their television sets, many people live within five blocks of Lincoln Park and do not know it is there; Hacker notes that in many cases, women are the heads of households; people read their hometown newspapers , vote absentee, and never become citizens of Chicago, Hacker has preached at a thousand funerals, only one person buried in Chicago; about Appalachian arts, quilt-making, woodcraft, music; about how quilts have become a marketable commodity, had formerly been gifts; about music in bars and elsewhere, includes a lot of bluegrass; about the coffeehouse, no paid staff, one year old, small grant from Church of the Brethern, Hacker organized the coffeehouse but resigned this month (April 1977), there is a solid nucleus in place now, not intended to be a commercial success, mainly an alternative to bars, about the role of coffeehouses; about fiddle players and other musicians, mentions Bob Hoban, Little Fiddling Susie, Glen [Glenn ?] Davis; topic continues in part 3. Part 3 of a 3-part interview with Rev. Iberus Hacker at the North American Coffee House, 2918 N. Lincoln Ave in the Lakeview neighborhood; more about musicians, mention of Tennessee Slim, Luther [Swanner?], Wally [Friedrick ?], Gamble Rogers and the Serendipity Singers, Jim Hill at WMAQ radio, Art Thieme, Martha Hayes, Jo Mapes, Rosetta Tharp (Arkansas); comments about Uptown neighborhood and the boundary with Lake View.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20774B - AFS 20775B Interview with Judy McLaughlin and Holly Highfill at Southern Culture Exchange Center, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-3, April 15, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0778-0779
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20774b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20775a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20775b
3 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 3-part interview with Holly Highfill and Judy McLaughlin at the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College, 954 W. Montrose Ave.; Holly Highfill on the sense of neighborhood, Uptown neighborhood, its boundaries, Appalachians and many Latinos, recently more Appalachians in Albany Park, Cicero, Crystal Lake, other suburbs; whatever the sense of unity among Appalachian, it is not expressed though organizations, more via clans and families, and by home county, e.g., Logan County WV or Pike County KY; people did not think of themselves as a group until they came to Chicago; about Jimmy Hill from northern Alabama, racing car man, has family in Michigan City IN; for Appalachians, the most obvious identifying marker is speech; about Lloyd Ratliff from Pike County, bluegrass musician, does workshops in schools, talks about coal mining; channel 5 (public) has a program called "Small World"; other musicians include Little Fiddling Susie, Tennessee Slim plays at Hank's Tap, Rick Prince, Fred Field, A.P. Crowley [Crowler ?]; there is a clogging group, ages 20 to 50; about types of dancing. Part 2 of a 3-part interview with Holly Highfill and Judy McLaughlin at the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College, 954 W. Montrose Ave.; Holly Highfill on churches, about a fundamentalist preacher comes with bus and takes kids to Hammond IN all day Sunday; then about Highfill's work, concerning murals, coal mining mural at a college here; mention of several murals that Highfill has created, with helpers, about creating murals; about alternate schools to high schools for some children; about art and schools; McLaughlin joins the conversation; about the history of the Center, four years old, started by groups that wanted a place to meet, desire to support sense of community, most who come are not college educated; one involved person was a son of political activist Peggy Terry; there was a feeling that people could be brought together via art and other activities; Center conducted a survey of children; about quilting; about how some whose parents came from the South want to learn traditional arts; Louise Heymann teaches quilting; Ada Sparks was a writer and is a quilter; Kenneth Johnson is a sculptor (figurines) from Logan WV. Part 3 of a 3-part interview with Holly Highfill and Judy McLaughlin at the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College, 954 W. Montrose Ave.; about a 12-year old girl (Pansy ?) Branham who did a mural about black lung disease, now in the Chicago black lung association office, where her mother works, other names of possible people of interest to the project, looking at atlas about locations of interest; duration of this recording about six and a half minutes.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20776A - AFS 20778A Interview with Ada Sparks about quilting, writing, and living in Chicago, Illinois, part 1-5, April 15, 1977; April 18, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0780 - 0782
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20776a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20776b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20777a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20777b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20778a
5 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 5-part interview with writer, poet, and quiltmaker Ada Sparks, born in Golconda, Illinois, with Kentucky family connections, at her home in the Lake View neighborhood; an additional woman's voice is heard, possibly Holly Highfill or Judy McLaughlin at the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College; topics include Spark's writing, including a short story written in 1945; biographic notes, born in Frankfurt KY, came to Chicago in 1937 at age 19, did housework, has siblings, mixed feelings about the city, finds an identity as "hillbilly" and becomes aware of other cultures; the Clearwater Saloon; about work for Southerners, many lack education; about the Uptown neighborhood; mention of Hy Thurman, "From Blues to Bluegrass"; about the Country and Western songs Sparks has written; remarks on Southern Baptists, religion as a socially cohesive element, mention of Seventh Day Adventists, about preachers, mentions North Shore Baptist Church, mentions Primitive Baptists; about knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, the Center for Cultural Exchange teaches quilting; how Sparks learned quilting. Part 2 of a 5-part interview with writer, poet, and quiltmaker Ada Sparks, born in Golconda, Illinois, with Kentucky family connections, at her home in the Lake View neighborhood; an additional woman's voice is heard, possibly Holly Highfill or Judy McLaughlin from the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College; topics include learning about the native plants and animals where she grew up; what makes a "good Southerner"; advantages of being in the north, including education, about discrimination against hillbillies; about Southern foodways, spring greens, wilted lettuce, banana pudding; about square dancing; Sparks reads a poem she wrote years ago, after visiting home in Kentucky, titles "Visit Home"; about writing a short story based on fact; about writing as art; about a quilting book and the market for quilts; about rolled paper beads; braided rugs; about craft sales at the Cooper Christy Handcraft Shop, including nice but sub-par quilts; about whether Sparks would do it over and come to Chicago (probably not); about her two years (including 1947) in the Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium on North Pulaski; this plunged Sparks into an integrated situation; in Golconda, Sparks had little exposure to African Americans; moved to nearby Rosiclare IL (all white), then to Marion County KY, segregated; meant many white people did not see "the other America"; Sparks's maiden name Stevens [Stephens ?]; about race relations, Sparks tries to respond to actions not color; about her fact-based story "Act of God," little girls, another was named Blankenship, Sparks's mother took in washing; about writers, Sparks likes Azimov, recently read Shardik by Richard Adams, likes J.R.R. Tolkien, William Brashler's City Dogs about Chicago; about poetry, Country and Western music; comments on Pentecostal churches, speaking in tongues. Part 3 of a 5-part interview with writer, poet, and quiltmaker Ada Sparks, born in Golconda, Illinois, with Kentucky family connections, at her home in the Lake View neighborhood; an additional woman's voice is heard, possibly Holly Highfill or Judy McLaughlin from the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College; topics include discussion of the near north sections of Chicago; churches; quits discussed as fieldworker Carl Fleaischhauer photographs examples; discussion about a quilt from Sparks's sister, made printed feed bags; extended technical discussion of quiltmaking; discussion of aesthetics, sources of income; about making the quilts as a fundraiser. Part 4 of a 5-part interview with writer, poet, and quiltmaker Ada Sparks, born in Golconda, Illinois, with Kentucky family connections, at her home in the Lake View neighborhood; an additional woman's voice is heard, possibly Holly Highfill or Judy McLaughlin from the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College; topics include Sparks's new quilts, including one of the twelve tribes of Israel, related to some clippings included in the photographs made during this interview; additional discussion of technical and aesthetic aspects of quilt-making and quilts; about a fabric block used as pillow top; about the names for quilt patterns; about Sparks's writing, includes songs but she does not sing, also stories, pertain to her family and early memories, mention of medicine shows and opium. Part 5 of a 5-part interview with writer, poet, and quiltmaker Ada Sparks, born in Golconda, Illinois, with Kentucky family connections, at her home in the Lake View neighborhood; an additional woman's voice is heard, possibly Holly Highfill or Judy McLaughlin from the Southern Culture Exchange Center of Columbia College; topics include children, writing; fieldworker Browning asks about Sparks's earlier comment (part 2 of the interview) about speaking in tongues in a Pentecostal church, Sparks had been frightened by the experience; about writing and taking a writing class, the role of the teacher, taking criticism in this context; biographical notes, Sparks had had tuberculosis, lived for a while in the Southwest, then in a sanitarium in Chicago; about writing songs and poems, music, a band; about Iberus Hacker's coffee house, its clientele, not really from the South; about the Southern Culture Exchange, many interesting people she met via this venue; musings on the future, what if she left town, about family.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20779A - AFS 20779B Interview and performances by fiddle-player Nancy Buckalew, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, April 19, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0783
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20779a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20779b
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 2-part interview with and music performances by former Alabaman and fiddle player Nancy Buckalew, recorded at Johnny's Tavern in Cicero, Illinois; topics include Buckalew's sense of making her way in the world (you need "backbone and guts"); biographical information, learning fiddle playing from her father and with her brother, playing and singing in the style of Jimmie Rodgers; Buckalew quit playing when she married but her children wanted to learn so she bought a fiddle in 1969, then other instruments, now teaching her grandson Johnnie Glassco; how Buckalew had gone far and near to play, played with Chicago musician Tennessee Slim, about reduced popular affection for country fiddle at this time; about playing banjo; fiddle repertory includes hoedowns like "Arkansas Traveler" and "Boil (bile) them Cabbage Down"; about fiddle tunings, continued in part 2. Part 2 of a 2-part interview with and music performances by former Alabaman and fiddle player Nancy Buckalew, recorded at Johnny's Tavern in Cicero, Illinois; topics include fiddle tunings, continued from part 1, Buckalew uses non-standard tunings for "Black Mountain Rag" and "Bonaparte's Retreat"; about her father, Taylor Daniel; Buckalew born in 1914, married twice, worked for three years at Victor Gaskets in Chicago, then went back to Alabama and farmed, including some work with mules, made first crop on her own in 1961; crops included cotton, corn and pimento peppers; Buckalew sold $1,200 worth of corn, 20 bales of cotton, did not take her children out of school and worked the crops alone; 1965 was the last year she farmed; plays fiddle tunes "Boil (bile) them Cabbage Down," "Raggedy Ann," "Kentucky Waltz," "Golden Slippers," "Turkey in the Straw," "Arkansas Traveler," "St. Louis Blues," and "Bonaparte's Retreat"; spelling of the name of some family members, Glassco; Buckalew's mailing address is at the home of her daughter Heather Wright, 5733 W. Roosevelt Rd., Cicero IL 60650.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20780 - AFS 20781 Street preaching and singing near Wilson and Racine Avenues by Northside United Pentecostal Church, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, July 16, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RXA 1077-1078
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20780
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20781
2 audiotape reel, 7 in.
Part 1 of a 2-part recording of preaching and singing by Northside Pentecostal Church (1527 E. Edgewater) on the street near Harry S. Truman College, at W. Wilson and Racine Avenues in the Uptown neighborhood; the preaching and witnessing is largely directed at alcoholics and transients who habituate bars and a hotel in the neighborhood; the targets for evangelism included whites, Indians, and Spanish-speakers, but few African American (most who walked by seemed not in need of intervention); the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard, as was Junior Zornes (Lawrence Edward Zornes Jr.) and his wife, Dolly, and their son Jerry, who helped hold the microphones; the lead singer and guitar player was Joann Bolen (from Beckley WV), with her 15-year-old son Charles, both had come to Chicago 9½ years ago; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 802 hand-held microphone and a Sennheiser 402 on a stand; due to an error in tracing the cables, the fieldworker confused the inputs and much of these two recordings has the volume up on the hand-held mike while it is lying on the ground some distance from the action, and thus the recording is of inferior fidelity; the first segment of this recording is monaural and includes Bobby Goddard with a short introduction; the hymn: "When the Roll is Called up Yonder"; discussion by Goddard (whose public address system microphone is producing feedback); hvmn "We'll be Called to Meet Him in the Air"; Goddard remarks on meeting the Lord; hymn "Soon Comes the Judgement Day," also audible is the sound of a sinner being prayed over, kneeling in front of the singers; the second segment of this recording is in stereo, with the left channel silent or at very low levels; right channel carries the voice of an older man preaching, with the hymn "In that Beautiful Citv of Gold" in the background; hymn "I searched for Him . . . He filled that longing in my soul," during this hymn, the left channel (?) is heard at high volume; next segment, on the left is the sound of a sinner being prayed over while on the right there is testimony from a man from West Virginia and a woman, about family problems, while in the background an inebriated man complains that the service has woken him up; hymn " . . . to be sanctified" begins on left and right channels but the level on the rights drops off; on the next segment, there is preaching on the left channel, may be Junior Zornes, then the hymn "I can't help what others do . . ."; then Goddard's main sermon with the text from Proverbs 16:25; recording continues with better audio on the left and poor audio on the right; the sermon continues on part 2. Part 2 of a 2-part recording of preaching and singing by Northside Pentecostal Church (1527 E. Edgewater) on the street near Harry S. Truman College, at W. Wilson and Racine Avenues in the Uptown neighborhood; the preaching and witnessing is largely directed at alcoholics and transients who habituate bars and a hotel in the neighborhood; the targets for evangelism included whites, Indians, and Spanish-speakers, but few African American (most who walked by seemed not in need of intervention); the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard, as was Junior Zornes (Lawrence Edward Zornes Jr.) and his wife, Dolly, and their son Jerry, who helped hold the microphones; the lead singer and guitar player was Joann Bolen (from Beckley WV), with her 15-year-old son Charles, both had come to Chicago 9½ years ago; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 802 hand-held microphone and a Sennheiser 402 on a stand; due to an error in tracing the cables, the fieldworker confused the inputs and much of these two recordings has the volume up on the hand-held mike while it is lying on the ground some distance from the action, and thus the recording is of inferior fidelity; the first segment of this recording is a continuation of Bobby Goddard's sermon from part 1, mostly on the left channel with some on the right; a man interrupts with a request to "praise the man in the yellow shirt" (across the street); hymn "Please let me walk with you Jesus . . . " led by Joann Bolen; closing remarks by Goddard, with some audible heckling; final segment, left channel has mixed post-service conversation in which a woman named Huffman (Hoffman?) talks to Goddard about a sermon, right channel also has mixed post-service conversation; duration of part 2 is about 14 minutes.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20782 - AFS 20785 Church service at Northside United Pentecostal Church, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-4, July 17, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RXA 1079-1082
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20782
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20783
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20784
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20785
4 audiotape reel, 7 in.
Part 1 of a 4-part recording of the Sunday service at Northside Pentecostal Church, 1527 E. Edgewater Ave. in the Edgewater neighborhood; the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 402 microphone at the pulpit and, for most of the recording, a second Sennheiser 402 directed toward the congregation, with some variation as noted; this part includes Goddard's greetings, and a prayer with voiced heard from the congregation; song "We're together again," led by Paul Dean and Joann Bolen, both with vocal and guitar; hymn "I'll be Somewhere Listening to My Name" (number 25 in the hymnal Pentecostal Praises) led at the pulpit by a woman with Goddard standing behind her and singing as well; hymn "The Fullness of Godhead is all in Him" (number 29); Goddard makes a birthday call and a a boy and girl come forward and drop one penny for each year into a glass, as BG rings a little bell, congregation then sings "Happy Birthday to You"; Goddard states a welcome and transitions to Sunday School; Paul Dean remarks on the making of this recording (right channel only, the fieldworker then moves one microphone); Dean begins the adult Sunday School lesson, preceded by a hymn duet by Dean and Bolen (right channel), both playing guitars, "What a Glorious Day that Will Be"; Dean's Sunday School lesson, about the Pentecostal doctrine concerning speaking in tongues, baptism, and the doctrine of the Trinity (right channel only); Dean's lesson continues in part 2. Part 2 of a 4-part recording of the Sunday service at Northside Pentecostal Church, 1527 E. Edgewater Ave. in the Edgewater neighborhood; the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 402 microphone at the pulpit and, for most of the recording, a second Sennheiser 402 directed toward the congregation, with some variation as noted; this part continues Paul Dean's Sunday School lesson from part 1, on the right channel only, which continues in part 3. Part 3 of a 4-part recording of the Sunday service at Northside Pentecostal Church, 1527 E. Edgewater Ave. in the Edgewater neighborhood; the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 402 microphone at the pulpit and, for most of the recording, a second Sennheiser 402 directed toward the congregation, with some variation as noted; the first segment in this part continues Paul Dean's Sunday School lesson from part 2, on the right channel only; the second segment records Goddard's remarks from the pulpit that conclude the Sunday School lesson, on left channel with the right channel microphone again directed at the congregation; hymn "Oyer in the Gloryland" (number 140 in the hymnal Pentecostal Praises); led by Goddard and followed by his call for offerings; prayer from a congregant (name may be Brother Gregory), right channel only; offering hymn "You can't Outgive the Lord"; Goddard makes remarks no giving; duet by Joann Bolen, with guitar, and another woman, both standing behind pulpit with audio on both channels, "There'll be change after while"; children led by "Miss Debby" come up front and sing, right channel only, preceded by introduction by Goddard Debby, sing "Little Red Box," "There was a man who died for us and Jesus was his name, J-E-S-U-S," and "God is not Dead, He is still A1ive"; next is Goddard's sermon "Truth or Tradition," with live recording microphone on the left, while the public address system mixes with the congregational response on the right, with delay at the start as the right microphone is repositioned and its module is switched from 402 to 802. The tape runs out during the sermon, recording continues in part 4. Part 4 of a 4-part recording of the Sunday service at Northside Pentecostal Church, 1527 E. Edgewater Ave. in the Edgewater neighborhood; the leader and pastor was Bobby Goddard; recorded on a stereo Nagra IV with a Sennheiser 402 microphone at the pulpit and, for most of the recording, a second Sennheiser 402 directed toward the congregation, with some variation as noted; the first segment in this part continues Goddard's sermon from part 3; next segment is the closing prayer, with many voices speaking aloud and independently, with Goddard on the left channel and the congregation on the right, dominated by the voice of Paul Dean due to his proximity to the microphone; then an ending announcement, and for a bit, the tape continues to roll.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20786A - AFS 20786B Interview and country music performances by Johnny Grey, a steel mill worker from Alabama, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, May 18, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0784
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20786a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20786b
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 2-part recording of steel mill worker Johnny Grey (Johnny Gray ?) made by folklorist Ben Sandmel in the Quiet Knight nightclub, 953 W. Belmont Ave. in the Lake View neighborhood; Grey is originally from Berry (Barry?) Alabama, and lives in the Uptown neighborhood; in this recording, Grey sings and accompanies himself on guitar on "Wedding Bells," comments on how he went to jail young, and at age 16 was obliged to quit school and find a job; "Tonight I Just Don't give a Damn," more biographical comments; "This Time I Hurt her More than She Hurt me," how Grey's parents were separated when he was young; "She Thinks I Still Care," "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy," a fragment on guitar, "Here I am, I'm Drunk Again," Grey's recollection of going to Nashville and playing from club to club, including George Jones's club in Printers Alley, how he sang at Tootsies Orchid Lounge and was complimented by Grant Turner, Grey would like to go to Nashville permanently; "Jimmy Brown the Newsboy," as instrumental, how Grey attended a bluegrass festival in Ottawa Ohio; "God Gave You to Me," about Luke Hagv (Hagee, Hagie, Hagy ?), another Uptown musician, plays banjo like Ralph Stanley; Grey plays an unidentified instrumental not unlike "Freight Train"; fragment of a tune often called "The Promised Land," discussion of playing in bars, and about Chicago musicians. Part 2 of a 2-part recording of steel mill worker Johnny Grey (Johnny Gray ?) made by folklorist Ben Sandmel in the Quiet Knight nightclub, 953 W. Belmont Ave. in the Lake View neighborhood; Grey is originally from Berry (Barry?) Alabama, and lives in the Uptown neighborhood; in this recording, Grey discusses the make-up of the ideal band, number of instruments, twin fiddles; then sings and accompanies himself on guitar on "I Saw the Light"; duration of this recording is less than 5 minutes.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20787 Interview with Reverend Bobby Goddard in his home, Chicago, Illinois, July 19, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0785
Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20787
audiocassette, C-60
Interview with Pentecostal preacher Bobby Goddard at his home, 2506 W. Hutchison St. in the North Center neighborhood, relating to his life and to the Northside Pentecostal Church; Goddard is from Raleigh County, West Virginia; about Paul Dean, also a leader of Northside church, Dean had been in the Assemblies of God denomination for thirty years prior to joining Northside; about Joann Bolen and her husband, from Beckley WV; other members of the church have connections back to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama; fieldworker moves the microphone, clips to Goddard's shirt; Goddard explains that he has been the Northside pastor for seven years, he and another man started with a storefront; the current building had been Lutheran, the Church of God, now Pentecostal; Goddard's storefront church had been in the 2300 block of Lincoln Ave near Fullerton; in the neighborhood south of Lake View (Lincoln Park ?); Goddard's home is on the western side of Lake View; Goddard says that the Northside members come from every part of Chicago, more from Lake View, Uptown, and Rogers Park; Goddard has a bus he uses to bring people to church, its route includes Albany Park, Lake View, Uptown, sometime he stops as specific homes, sometimes at street corners; the van will carry up to 42 people, including children; Goddard is working on getting a larger bus into operation; Goddard was 28 when he came to Chicago in 1959, married no children; had been truck driver at coal mines but they were shutting down; Goddard arrived in a Sunday and met his brother the next day, then got a job in a gasket factory in Skokie, four and half miles away; about people going back to the South, Goddard said, "Oh yes, that's why we have such a small church, our people all head back South"; there is also a great movement to the suburbs, suburban Pentecostal churches are the only ones growing today; about the "sections" of Goddard's branch of Pentecostalism, Illinois has 12 sections; 17 churches in Chicago and near suburbs with average of from 50-70 members, although one has 350; about Uptown, as a neighborhood from migrants from the South over time, Goddard remembers arriving and hopes to move before long; about his feelings about Raleigh County, "my heart is set on the work of God, I feel Chicago is the greatest mission field in the entire world"; Goddard's mother and wife's parents still in WV; how Goddard hopes the church will grow and he will be able to quit his job; about the call the be preacher, Goddard felt it strongly, "the Bible became real to me, as if I'm living with the Apostles"; Goddard says that he outlines his sermons, he sits by himself and thoughts come to him, inspired by God, he jots notes on paper, the starting point is always a Bible verse; Goddard studies the Bible, and a concordance, late at night, certain verses become real to him; how the Lord used material things to bring about the spiritual; Goddard had been raised as a Baptist; when preaching now, sometimes he gets in the spirit and the notes are set aside; how members get anointed and words come fast; about mastering the skill to preach, role of experience.
Subseries 14: Polish
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20788A - AFS 20789B Interview with Alvin and Jeannette Sajewski in their store about Polish music and traditions, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-4, June 02, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0786 - 0787
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20788a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20788b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20789a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20789b
4 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 4-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; about contacts to visit, Jeanette recommends Fr. Donald Bilinski (Polish Museum of America), the Daily Zgoda, and Dr. Bzienski; then discussion of how local musicians come to the store, mostly polka orchestra members, long tradition of Polish music in the Chicago area and polka is at its height, even with young people; polka has been here from the time of the first settlers; the old timers played by ear, violin, clarinet, coronet, button accordions; music was an important part of leisure time, songs were passed on through the generations; how groups were formed to play at weddings and other functions, first informal, later with more training, some were composers; Polish and English translations were used; Jeanette and Alvin know most of musicians in the Polish tradition in the area; Alvin describes how they [including his father Wladyslaw] helped musicians get their start, how they helped the recording companies with advice; we grew up with the cylinder records, folks wanted Polish music if they were to purchase phonographs, the Sajewskis agreed to stock and sell phonographs if Polish records were made, then they helped the musicians produce the records, also published sheet music, what the people wanted generated the demand; Frank Przybylski worked with their father; he would transcribe a tune from the person who knew it and then it would be printed, also songs were composed for special events; this all started around 1910 or 1911; Alvin describes immigration to Chicago, how people lived when they arrived, churches were formed, there was a need for a gathering place such as a church hall, life centered around the parish, music including hymns were common; St. Joseph's day was important; Sajewski published hymns too, and songs in Polish for Mother's Day; music would be used by the parochial schools, for example, in programs for the mothers, or the pastor's name day or mother superior's name day; Alvin says "It all starts with that little church first"; then comes the need for schools, English and Polish in them, children participated; how the Sajewski's music business was involved because of the needs generated by the schools, Polish songs for the first graders; this was 25 years ago, all in Polish, not so much now; but today Polish is offered in some schools, as well as in ethnic community Saturday schools; there are important Polish fraternal organizations such as the Polish National Alliance (PNA), the Polish Roman Catholic Union (PRCU), the Polish Wornen's Alliance, all wish to teach children Polish; Polonia (Polish Chicago) is on the south side, around 47th and Ashland, and in Sajewski's neighborhood; the music store also published Polish plays from 1910-15 to about 1930-34, performances in parishes, fundraiser like carnivals, ways for the young people to get money for the parish; before WWII there was not much outside entertainment, comments about the kinds of entertainment in Polonia before the war; about young people's activities, their social life, the ways boys met girls; there were masses for the children daily, also various societies in the parishes, e.g., the St. Ann's Society for women, others for young people; there were plays in Polish for 6th grade and up, and graduation songs, and there were "mock" Polish weddings, a staged event with invitations to parishioners so they could participate, discussion of mock weddings continues in part 2. Part 2 of a 4-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; about mock weddings, continued from part 1was a great money maker; folks paid for the food, there would be a traditional bride dance and folks would try to break plates by throwing silver dollars at them; another activity was the Polish minstrel show where people would dress in oriental costumes but speak Polish; these were run by parishes and not by professional entertainers, people could get their start this way, later some might become professional actors and actresses; song fests were big and Sajewski's published sheet music and books for these; today, Sajewski publishes polka music and books, most for popular dancing; Alvin says nowadays, "If they play an oberek [dance genre], they dance a polka to it"; piano became popular around 1905 or so, and very popular around 1910-15, families bought them, everybody wanted sewing machines too, sold door to door from carts, then sheet music was wanted, Sajewski published same; player piano rolls came out about 1919 or earlier and were desirable; Poles and other ethnic groups wanted piano rolls and created the demand; most worked at International Harvester or Pullman, the store carried the pianos but needed rolls in other languages; Alvin's father Wladyslaw approached the U.S. Music Roll Company about to making Polish piano rolls, they wouldn't, so he paid in advance and, in time, there were 140 Sajewski Specials; another company was QRS Piano Rolls and they began printing the words on the rolls; funeral homes wanted music to play in the background during funerals, and they approached Sajewski the record companies to produce these in Polish but could not offer large enough sales, some funeral homes did experiment with Polish records but it was not a success, the songs upset the Polish patrons, people would associate the songs with the death of loved ones and get upset whenever they'd hear that song; Jeanette shows instruction books Sajewski did for piano players in Polish and English, there were also used by teachers; some books are for choirs; these have Easter and Christmas hymns in them, sold to Churches and to people who used them at home; there is a sing-along book with popular old time Polish songs called the Radio Songbook because a radio show advertised the book, first published around 1943; Sajewski's advertised on Polish radio shows; Jeanette says doctors recommended during WWII that depressed persons listen to music, and songs from previous wars were recycled; Jeanette shows the latest polka books, musicians used to need music for each instrument but now music is mostly read, so just need two, C and B-flat; Sajewski is very proud of their dance instruction book for national Polish dances, with charts for dances, music, and information about each dance, used in dance schools in the U.S. and other nations; there are records with the book, music played by the man who created the book, he was born in Poland; Jeanette shows a record that was a great hit with the American public, recorded by many artists including Bobby Vinton, every daddy sang it to his daughter; Stephen J. Zielinski composed the lyrics and Frank Przybylski the music; about immigrants after WWII, Jeanette says they had their culture started and were not lonesome for the home country like the folks who came in the 1910s who clung together and whose hearts were linked to those left behind; post-WWII the immigrants were already displaced from camps and other places, simply alive and glad to be so, they wanted to fit themselves into this country or any they came to live in, they have more "international desire" and adapted more; some do come to the store for modern music imported from Poland, and classical music, and for folk songs done by choirs with ballet companies; Jeanette appreciates these forms of music for the beauty but it does not have the strength the country music did; Sajewskis have obtained records from Poland since 1914-18, and through WWII. and now they get it in greater volume, classical, rock and roll, jazz, folk songs, ballads, all modern and in Polish, but Americans don't buy the jazz or rock and roll since they have their own; some young people do buy it out of curiosity, and some buy it for their relatives in Poland. Part 3 of a 4-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; about the recent banquet honoring Sajewski, and about its program, which includes a list of people Sajewski family helped to record; Jeanette compiled the book; about the 9 children, 5 boys and 4 girls, and how they all worked in the store as children; they lived over the store, their dad Wladyslaw built a store at 1017 Milwaukee Ave. for the family, with a 12 room apartment that offered 5 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, a laundry room, kitchen, dining room; the store had custom built oak cabinets and they were moved to the current store, Jeanette says, "And we cherish these memories, it's been a whole lifetime, two lifetimes, dad's and ours"; why and how they talked Alvin into the testimonial dinner to celebrate the 80 years of Sajewski's store; Alvin talks about his trip to Washington, DC [to the American Folklife Center's 1977 Ethnic Recordings in America conference], one of the happiest days of his life; about forgetting his heart medicine, about meeting Myron Surmach and their long acquaintance by mail; about a book of speeches also published by Sajewski for name days or other occasions; a model to teach public speaking; more about the Polish dance book (discussed in part 2), how Wladyslaw had gone to Poland to find such a book but could not, he returned and told his two colleagues they would have to write one, so one got the music ready and the other took little dolls in costume and set up a stage and moved them through the dances, in order to work out the figures of the dance, charts of which are drawn by hand; Alvin discusses how his father organized the first travel excursion to Poland after WWI in 1927, when Lindbergh was f lying across the ocean, they went by the ship Ile de France from Chicago, Wladyslaw had organized the Polish Businessman's Association and they sponsored the trip, which cost about $300, the wine on the ship was special because it was prohibition in the U.S.; their mother went on the second excursion; Alvin has never been to Poland and has no desire to go, he has no relatives there, and has little time for travel; Christmas is a rush time in the store and family members come to help out, otherwise he and Jeanette manage well; each of the other brothers grew out of the store, two became pharmacists; Alvin went to high school and business college but worked with his father all the time; the other siblings wanted to do other things; by 1919-1920, he was his father's right hand man; Wladyslaw died in 1948 but was active until the end; he remembers that on a Saturday they finished in the store and were joking with each other, Alvin went home and his father went upstairs, then on Sunday they went to a Polish play at Holy Trinity school, and his dad died in his seat there, his head fell onto their mother's shoulder, it was April 14, he was waiting for the curtain to go up, everyone there was a friend, a Polish radio announcer carried him out, he never regained consciousness; they had worked as a team and many times since, Alvin has felt his father's presence in the store; especially when he has to make difficult decisions, mention the Polish National Alliance (PNA) building dedication on the coming weekend; Jeanette and Alvin show things from the testimonial dinner, one from the Polish Disc Jockey's Association; Jeanette tells how important it was to her to have this event; there are certificates from the International Polka Association, from the Polish American Press, document from the Pope, in Polish, an electric clock with the Polish musicians' names on it, the bandleader Walter "Li'l Wally" Jagiello sent a floral piece; there were displays on a table at the hall with photos and records, catalogs from the early days, assembled by a brother and brother-in-law; discussion of the displays continues in part 4. Part 4 of a 4-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; about the recent banquet honoring Sajewski, continuation of discussion of the display and its items; discussion of juke boxes in taverns after prohibition, a new market for records but the style changed, the "Beer Barrel Polka" had just come out, young people wanted something new, Frankie Yankovic was part of the new trend, the person who was recording him was uncertain about the quality and asked Alvin about him, Alvin reassured him.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20790A - AFS 20790B Interview with Wanda Krozel about Polish crafts, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, June 02, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0788
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20790a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20790b
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Wanda Krozel about her craft work, biography, and her collection of Polish craft items; topics on this recording include discussion of her parents, born in Poland as was Krozel's husband [Josef], who is the president of the Highlanders [probably the Polish Highlanders Alliance, a Chicago-based organization for the Goral ethnic group of Poland] in his second 3 year term; Wanda Krozel has been in the group since she was a child, her father was in it; about her collection of craft items, "I appreciate anything that's hand done, where these people see it all the time and think nothing of it"; Krozel picks up anything that interests her, her first trip to Poland was in 1970 for her 25th anniversary; her husband worked in Poland for a while and got things for her during that period too; she has been to Poland every year since that time; how she travels, 4 of her 6 children have gone too, she. has 3 at home now; describes a trip made in the winter; not a good time to go for her, she stays with her father's family in the Podhale region; if she meets someone or sees something they have that she likes, she asks them to get it for her or finds out where it came from and gets it herself; she describes carving or engraving on glass; work done by someone she met in Poland, also comments on a man who paints on glass now in the U.S.; she likes any kind of craft; Krozel shows her eggs, which she painted herself, she paints eggs with watercolors, after penciling in the design; she uses designs from postcards, towels, postage stamps, anywhere she can get ideas; Krozel uses "double 0" brushes, the work is very fine; she has a collection of things from which she can get ideas; the Polish eggs are her favorites; because no one else does them, some have Christmas themes, the Stations of the Cross; Krozel gives her eggs away; she started doing eggs when a nun in the 8th grade gave her class eggs to decorate for a priest, without suggestions, they were to design on their own; she experiments with different kinds of eggs to see if she can work with them, will create an egg for a friend on a special occasion; Krozel's largest is a goose egg with a church design, the smallest is a finch egg; she is full of ideas but has no time to do them and is looking forward to being alone for 3 weeks on her son's farm in Indiana; Krozel has never taken an art lesson and is afraid to do things on her own, why she copies designs; a neighbor who saw her eggs after she moved to present house about 15 years ago encouraged her to let others see them, she took them to a PTA competition with other schools and has subsequently been showing them in public; regarding her collection of craft items, Krozel likes unusual things, comments on a few, most she has are modern and made for the tourist trade like the inlaid straw pictures; about painting on glass; about a doll maker whom she visited in Poland, whose dolls are authentic in detail; Krozel's wood carving, discussion of how she decorated a mirror herself, burning the wood to make it match the style; about a man who paints on glass and instructed Krozel in this craft; Krozel also does leather work and carving; about a man who made inlaid boxes, he is back in Poland how, he had come to craft demonstrations at various functions; about a man who makes the mountaineer style pipes of metal and clay (Krozel's role in the Highlanders is/was to arrange for public displays of crafts and so on.); the collection includes items that belong to her family, e.g., a box brought to her by her mother 40 or so years ago, when Krozel was 4 years old, her mother had been visiting in Poland and the box was from a cousin, the names are marked on the bottom; as a child she treasured such things and wanted to see who made them; she has made Polish costumes for her children's dolls; about weaving and rug making, she knows a woman in the U.S. whose husband made her a little hand loom to demonstrate Polish weaving for Krozel's events; the woman has been in the U.S. for 1 or 2 years, her husband came first and brought her over, they meet at her house for the lessons in painting on glass; Krozel makes up the weaving design as she goes along; about leather work; Krozel shows examples of metal work on Highlander men's pins, her teacher knows all about the function and motifs of the pins; Krozel describes how the pins hold the material of the shirt together. Part 2 of a 2-part interview with Wanda Krozel about her craft work, biography, and her collection of Polish craft items; topics on this recording include how eggs are dyed with onion skin in the old Polish style, and then scratched with designs; about a Highlanders group that performs song and dance but sponsors no craft; Krozel shows highlander fiddle and how it fits into sleeves of men's cape; a mountain goat is part of the logo of the Highlanders group, an important mountaineer symbol; Krozel is learning things from the new people coming from Poland, although her father was president of the organization, he was not interested in history; the group is now made up of lots of second generations folks, and they have circles of their organization in Chicago and elsewhere, about 90 percent of her circle is second generation, Chicago is the main lodge, there is another circle is in New Jersey; about the embroidery on her husband's costume, made by the brother of a man who came to Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife in 1976; of her collection, some things Krozel bought and some she made, a nativity set with Christ made from oats; about the importance of the eagle in mountaineer symbolism; Krozel shows the fieldworker an authentic broom, a horse whip, a horse collar with bells, cow bells, candle holders, straw pictures, (sound from television set is heard), wood carving by a man who was in Poland but lives in Chicago now; Polish glass engraving, more dyed and etched eggs; about a ladies club meeting, Krozel made an egg tree, all eggs were colored red, white and blue for the American Bicentennial, these eggs were favors for attendees; the Highlander group will be at an International Fair at a nearby church the next day selling things.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20791A - AFS 20793A Interview with Konstanty and Collette Siemaczko in their home, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-5, June 03, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0789-0791
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20791a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20791b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20792a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20792b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20793a
5 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 5-part interview with Collette and Konstanty (Konstanti) Siemaczko in their home; Konstanty Siemaczko is a well-known choreographer for several Polish American youth dance groups; mention of Henryk Oskar Kolberg's multi-volume documentation of Polish folklore; Konstanty has most of the set and uses it often; Konstanty Siemaczko's biography, born December 1918, in Warsaw, lived in Poland until 1940, in the naval academy and when WWII broke out, he was in his senior year, was in the last unit to surrender to the Germans, Oct. 6, 1939; he was a prisoner of war and escaped and returned to Warsaw where he joined the underground, in 1940 he was assigned to arrange a route from Warsaw to Hungary, but en route he was caught with a sick friend whom he refused to leave alone in a snow storm; the Germans gave him a field court and he was sentenced to die as a guerilla fighter, execution set for the same day that Paris fell to the Germans and they gave clemency to his group in honor of this, and he was sent to a concentration camp near Berlin and spent 5 years and 6 days there; Konstanty Siemaczko describes the jobs he did in the camp; at the end of March the whole camp was evacuated and they were marched from Berlin to another location where 75,000 were evacuated and 15,000 arrived at the new destination, many died of exhaustion and many were shot; the U.S. 6th Army was just across the boundary; he crossed and was free; Konstanty Siemaczko then went to Paris and England, followed by a return to Poland where he rejoined the Navy; subsequently he lived in England for a while but wanted to go to the U.S.; his father was in prison for about 10 years and he lost a lot of family during the war; biographical account is continued in part 2. Part 2 of a 5-part interview with Collette and Konstanty (Konstanti) Siemaczko in their home; Konstanty Siemaczko is a well-known choreographer for several Polish American youth dance groups; continuation of biographical account from part 1; Konstanty Siemaczko wanted to come to America because the philosophy of the American government is very similar to that of the Polish government that existed between the wars, the Polish constitution was based on the American model and was very similar; Konstanty Siemaczko always felt like a foreigner in England no matter what and, although he liked England, he had had enough of this attitude; he asks rhetorically, "Who is American?" and says that Americans are everybody who are in America, "I want to be there where I am not foreigner"; Konstanty Siemaczko spent 10 years in London and met his wife Colette (Collette Elsie McAllister, born in UK) there, about the time they were married a lost cousin was found to be in Chicago, this cousin met a friend of Siemaczko at a ball and found out that he was in London, they wrote and the Siemaczkos came to the U.S. in 1959 under the British quota which meant they had no problems getting in; there is additional content in this part of the recording, not summarized here. Part 3 of a 5-part interview with Collette and Konstanty (Konstanti) Siemaczko in their home; Konstanty Siemaczko is a well-known choreographer for several Polish American youth dance groups; discussion of teaching dance as part of Polish ethnic Saturday school activities, to Polish Scouts, and to prepare any group that asks for their help; the couple also teach a class in a school; segment of the recording made as the Siemaczkos show the fieldworker photographs and costumes; Silesian costume described, Collette Siemaczko is interested in the costumes and also in the music, how costuming has changed since they arrived in Chicago, they used to copy from costumes on display in a museum but this is not a good model because those examples had been prepared for stage plays; three vests they acquired; dance tradition is strong in Chicago, they could see at a parade this year how costumes had improved, more variety and representation of all areas of Poland, whereas earlier Chicago Polish Americans did not know much about regional differences because so many were from the Krakow area, as well as having lived in U.S. a long time and forgotten, a grandmother would remember what she had seen her grandmother wear in Poland and the costume would be reconstructed from this; beginning in about 1959, Polish dance troupes came to Chicago and people understood Konstanty Siemaczko had been telling them and they began to work on costuming, for the first time, Collette is working on a costume from the Krakow region because there are so many from that region in Chicago; most people like the sequins better than beading on the vests but the beading is older and more authentic; Collette shows a vest she acquired at a sale held by Polish veterans that she got cheaply because it was beaded; in the dance groups, the kids wear different costumes, most parents don't care about the regionality of the costumes so long as the children look good; the Siemaczkos take dance students from 3 years of age up, Collette hand makes parts of costumes; discusses costume making and beading, about Polish motifs, i.e. the rose, the poppy, oats; it was once very difficult to get the correct types of fabric but now easier; Collette Siemaczko shows a bolt of fabric that she calls "the genuine thing"; one of the couple's daughters now teaches dancing too; the family works on the "Christmas Around the World Show" at the Museum of Science and Industry that many ethnic groups participate in; working on costumes is a continuous job as kids change size or drop out or are added, and new programs must be prepared for; story told about Konstanty's costume being worn by a member of the Royal Ballet in 1957; Collette also sings and she was in the Polish mass for the Millenium Celebration (celebrating the Christianization of Poland, said to have occurred in 966); mention of the Polish Constitution Day Parade in Chicago (celebrates the 1791 ratification of the Polish Constitution); the Siemaczkos have a closet full of costumes, Collette shows another, handmade, from Poland, 50 years old, "the genuine article;" the Siemaczkos have a friend who looks for fabrics and other materials in Poland and found this costume, their older daughter wears it; one trick is to remove beading or embroidery from a worn costume and put it on new example; Collette shows and discusses appliqued beaded parts on a vest; Collette is going to college this fall and will work with folk materials. she has a National College of Education scholarship; the Siemaczkos show some photos of their Christmas production from last year; Collette uses the expression "reproduction" to refer to copies of costumes, not made in Poland; Konstanty describes Christmas traditions and the play done by the Polish Scouts (under the Polish Youth Association), King Herod's speech is adlibbed each year and usually gets a big laugh; the wigilia (traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper) is also part of the production, they do two performances in one day, each one and half hours long, Konstanty directs the dancing; their youngest daughter goes to Walt Disney Magnet School, a multi-ethnic school, and the Siemaczkos volunteered to teach Polish dances there, where Collette is a volunteer; the family practices the Easter basket blessing and have it done at St. Wenceslaus church, which is "supposed to be a Polish parish;" their 7-year-old daughter Nina is experienced enough to teach the dances; Konstanty has a large repertoire of dances but never gets to teach them all because each group goes at its own pace. He aims to have students learn at least 6 or 7 and be able to perform 3, his teaching routine starts with exercises adapted from ballet. Part 4 of a 5-part interview with Collette and Konstanty (Konstanti) Siemaczko in their home; Konstanty Siemaczko is a well-known choreographer for several Polish American youth dance groups; about how Christmas and the end of the year are their busy times, they were especially busy during the Bicenntennial year and were always asked for dance demonstrations; fieldworker notes an interruption in the tape at this point; about how recent immigration from Poland has helped bring in new interest in Polish dancing, Chicago Polish Americans do want to teach their children; Collette notes how and what is taught affects the children's interest, she wanted her children to know two languages as she did not, she reads Polish but is not confident of her speaking ability, while her children are bilingual; Collette was made member of the Legion of Young Polish Women recently, this is an unusual honor as they only take women of Polish descent (Collette is Irish and Czech); the women in the group take political positions, they once protested the television series on six American families that featured a Polish American stereotype; Collette says she was in a Polish intellectual community in England and also is familiar with the folk arts of Poles, whe cannot understand the stereotype of the dumb Pole; the Legion runs a big debutantes ball where the Polanaise and Mazur dances are performed; a man showed Collette the basics of beading but she is mainly self-taught, she has books with patterns for costumes and designs for the motifs; the Siemaczkos. have a extensive library on folk arts with the emphasis on Polish arts, and friends are always looking for additional books; the woman who lives next door does Polish crocheting and lace, she is from an area of Poland where lace is work, Konstanty describes Polish lace as "baroque;" Collette also makes Easter eggs; she is interested in all folk arts, and she shows the fieldworker some eggs into which she has painted, scratched, or etched designs; Collette took up eggs when she couldn't sleep at night, she gets designs from Easter cards and books; it is customary to trade eggs with friends; the Siemaczko children are all in Polish Scouts and carry on traditions; Collette shows the fieldworker an egg made from yarn, evolved from the making of egg shapes from rushes; about Polish shops along Milwaukee Ave.; Konstanty likes to teach dance to piano music as one can slow down, repeat, etc., he uses a book with 300 steps and positions; Collette shows the fieldworker her amber collection; Konstanty has been back to Poland once in 1968 on a visit, it used to be a problem to travel there but not anymore, while there, he saw some dancing and describes one program, also describes helping a man who wanted to learn dances and then went on to form his own group; Konstanty happy to teach, his purpose is to promote traditions not to hold on to them, he has trained many others who became teachers in turn, his younger son and older daughter teach dancing; the Siemaczkos describe their own Christmas traditions, Collette cooks Polish food, saying that it is like French in many ways; in 1931, when Collette was born, Konstanty was at a Polish Scout jamboree in Prague, he was 12 years old and marching at the end of the line, on the route, he saw many Czech scouts and thought the women were very beautiful so decided that when he wanted to marry, he would return and marry a Czech girl, he did finally marry a Czech girl although "it took a war to do it;" he knew two Czech presidents, one he met in the concentration camp; the couple discuss some of the organizations they belong to and the Polish newspapers they get; they show the fieldworker some embroidery and the axes used in the Polish Highlander dances, a cabinet maker who lives on their street made the handles while Konstanty and friends made the metal parts; about a man at the corner store who makes his own sausage at holiday time; the Siemaczkos show the fieldworker daughter me Nina's Polish school work; Nina arrives and recites the piece she is to perform the next morning at Saturday school. Part 5 of a 5-part interview with Collette and Konstanty (Konstanti) Siemaczko in their home; Konstanty Siemaczko is a well-known choreographer for several Polish American youth dance groups; Konstanty demonstrates a tape of poetry recitations he is preparing for a man who used to direct the school and is now retired; Collette says, "We have a talented bunch in Polonia," meaning artists and writers, about how parents all love to talk about their children's accomplishments; children begin the Polish ethnic Saturday school when can read and write in English; more about schoolwork from daughter Nina; about how the Polish American Youth Association got a grant from the Illinois Arts Council this year and used the funding for costumes and other materials.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20794A - AFS 20795A Polish Saturday School graduation program at St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-3, June 04, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0792-0793
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      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20794a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20794b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20795a
3 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 3-part recording of the Polish Saturday School Graduation program at the Hall for St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, 5345 West Roscoe, Chicago, Ill. 60641; significant portions in Polish; this summary is based on post-fieldwork notes by radio producer Deborah George: sound of a teacher and children, anthem or hymn with piano accompaniment; remarks, some in Polish, including by a man, other remarks; teacher introduces people; girls reciting texts, voices of young children reciting poetry; boy makes funny remarks; children's recitation (distant from the microphone); girl recites a rhyme to rhythmic accompaniment; more recitations by girls; children sing to piano accompaniment; additional remarks; child plays violin. Part 2 of a 3-part recording of the Polish Saturday School Graduation program at the Hall for St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, 5345 West Roscoe, Chicago, Ill. 60641; significant portions in Polish; this summary is based on post-fieldwork notes by radio producer Deborah George: sound of children reciting texts; notes state "Polskie Szkoly" (Polish school); teacher introduces the second part of the program; remarks by adults, girl; piano playing (low sound level at start); dancing, sound of feet on wooden floor; children shout in unison; "Come to me"; children sing two songs and seem to leave the stage. Part 3 of a 3-part recording of the Polish Saturday School Graduation program at the Hall for St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church, 5345 West Roscoe, Chicago, Ill. 60641; significant portions in Polish; this summary is based on post-fieldwork notes by radio producer Deborah George: sound of a teacher reading the names of the students; then remarks in English on behalf of the Cook County superintendent of schools.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20796A - AFS 20797A Polish National Alliance Building Dedication, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-3, June 04, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0794-0795
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20796a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20796b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20797a
3 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 3-part dedication ceremony for the new building for the Polish National Alliance, 6100 North Cicero Ave.; remarks in a mix of English and Polish; no fieldworker summary was prepared for this recording; the newspaper Southend Reporter for May 26, 1977, offered a preview of the event that listed a blessing by the Most Rev. Alfred L. Abramowicz, auxiliary bishop, with remarks by Atty. Gen. William J. Scott and Mayor Michael Bilandic; master of ceremonies is PNA president Aloysius A. Mazewski, and the festivities will end with a mass celebrated by Bishop Abramowicz and the Catholic Choral society singing under the direction of the Rev. Msgr. Joseph L. Mroczkowski, pastor of St. Turibius parish; on this part of the recording the announcement and introductions are made by a woman; two persons identified as bishops offer invocations in Polish, followed by prayers in English; followed by remarks, in English and later in Polish, by a male speaker (probably Aloysius A. Mazewski), then a representative of PNA from Philadelphia, remarks in English; then Illinois Attorney General William J. Scott (remarks may continue in part 2). Part 2 of a 3-part dedication ceremony for the new building for the Polish National Alliance, 6100 North Cicero Ave.; remarks in a mix of English and Polish; no fieldworker summary was prepared for this recording; the newspaper Southend Reporter for May 26, 1977, offered a preview of the event that listed a blessing by the Most Rev. Alfred L. Abramowicz, auxiliary bishop, with remarks by Atty. Gen. William J. Scott and Mayor Michael Bilandic; master of ceremonies is PNA president Aloysius A. Mazewski, and the festivities will end with a mass celebrated by Bishop Abramowicz and the Catholic Choral society singing under the direction of the Rev. Msgr. Joseph L. Mroczkowski, pastor of St. Turibius parish; on this part of the recording the first speaker heard may be continuation of remarks by Illinois Attorney General William J. Scott; master of ceremonies Aloysius A. Mazewski reads a congratulatory message from President Jimmy Carter; remarks by Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic; Mazewski reads a congratulatory message from John Cardinal Cody; remarks by the president of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America; Mazewski reads a congratulatory message from U.S. Senator Charles Percy; remarks by Julia [Strowd? Straub ?] from the Polish Womens Alliance; Mazewski reads a congratulatory message from U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III; remarks by the president of the Polish Falcons organization [Jalowski?]; remarks by an Illinois state senator. Part 3 of a 3-part dedication ceremony for the new building for the Polish National Alliance, 6100 North Cicero Ave.; remarks in a mix of English and Polish; no fieldworker summary was prepared for this recording; the newspaper Southend Reporter for May 26, 1977, offered a preview of the event that listed a blessing by the Most Rev. Alfred L. Abramowicz, auxiliary bishop, with remarks by Atty. Gen. William J. Scott and Mayor Michael Bilandic; master of ceremonies is PNA president Aloysius A. Mazewski, and the festivities will end with a mass celebrated by Bishop Abramowicz and the Catholic Choral society singing under the direction of the Rev. Msgr. Joseph L. Mroczkowski, pastor of St. Turibius parish; on this part of the recording master of ceremonies Aloysius A. Mazewski cites the support of various friends of the PNA; Lottie Kubiak of PNA makes additional introductions and offers of thanks; Mazewski reads other congratulatory telegrams; additional remarks; brief interlude of song in Polish; organ music; duration of this part 14 minutes.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20798A Polka Music at the Omen bar, Chicago, Illinois, June 04, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0796
Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20798a
audiocassette, C-60
Polkas and other dance music at the Omen Bar, 4134 South Archer Ave.; band in the recordings features drums, accordion, and possible a brass instrument for a slow number.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20798B - AFS 20799A Wanderpol rock group at the Europejska Lounge, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, June 04, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0796-0797
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20798b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20799a
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 2-part recording of the Wanderpol rock group at the Europejska Lounge, 2524 West 51 St.; the fieldworker's project report states that the band's vocals were in Polish and that the bar is frequented by people who are "young and mostly Polish-born," i.e., recent immigrants. Part 2 of a 2-part recording of the Wanderpol rock group at the Europejska Lounge, 2524 West 51 St.; the fieldworker's project report states that the band's vocals were in Polish and that the bar is frequented by people who are "young and mostly Polish-born," i.e., recent immigrants.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20800A Polka music at Polonia Grove, Chicago, Illinois, June 05, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0798
Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20800a
audiocassette, C-60
Recording of performances at the Polonia Grove and Ballroom, 4604 South Archer Ave.; the fieldworker's project report states that the park is run by Casey (Casimir) Homel, also a polka bandleader, and that the park caters to families and older couples; this recording was made at one of the regular Sunday afternoon concert performances; the bands include accordions, concertinas, drums, and electric bass; some announcements by a woman (seems to be a live radio broadcast from the park, includes sausage and meat advertisement); mention of the Concertina All-Stars (may have played); one selection was the "Jig Saw Polka"; also a male announcer is heard, and presents a more or less political plug for city authorities.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20801A - AFS 20802B Interview with Fr. Donald Bilinski, Polish Museum of America, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-4, June 06, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0799-0800
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20801a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20801b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20802a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20802b
4 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 4-part interview with Franciscan Father Donald Bilinski, curator of the library at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N Milwaukee Ave.; Bilinski describes the immigration of Poles to Chicago between 1870 and 1910s; those coming from Poland at that time had little education, no study habits, wanted to group together, and wanted to go on speaking Polish; the spot where Ashland, Milwaukee, and Division Streets meet formed a triangle (there is a Polish expression for this) that was at the heart of Polonia (the name for Chicago's Polish community and their place in the city); there are about five Polish churches in the immediate area; in recent years, the neighborhood has clanged and has been changed by urban renewal and expressways; in the old days the Poles wanted to keep their ways and there was discrimination against them if they went out of the area; Polish Roman Catholic Union and other fraternal organizations were formed to help Polish Americans meet their needs, originally for things like money to bury family members; other organizations like the Polish National Alliance followed; their activities now are quite different; these organizations had cultural activities too, which is how this museum-library-archives complex grew, the library was founded in 1912 to give the neighborhood a recreation center and a chance for people to educate themselves, and it featured books in Polish on literature for enjoyment se well as self-help manuals to teach Poles skills; at that time, Polish immigrants hesitated to go to public libraries and most didn't speak English well; this service was the main function of the library for years, but its purpose has changed now, the immigrants who came after WWII are different, they want to learn English and become Americanized; Polish was taught in local schools until about 10 years ago; the Polonia neighborhood grew on a pattern like what was left behind in Poland; the church was the center, built first and then a school started, and social life revolved around these; the first schools taught in Polish; the second generation learned Polish in the schools as a second language, "the whole purpose behind these parochial schools was to retain the spirit and the customs . . . ."; interruption in the recording; the library has a large selection of children's books in Polish and is very proud of it, although they are not used much now; they are in very fragile condition and Bilinski discourages handling them; today, the library is mainly a research facility; they seek to acquire works on Poland in English; the holdings are about 80 percent in Polish and few people today can use them: "The third generation doesn't speak Polish"; many non-Poles who don't speak the language also do research in the library; they have 20, 000 volumes; Polish American students do use the library, high school and college age, if they get an assignment about ethnicity or whatever, then they favor their own background, there were many such projects during the Bicentennial; scholars from Poland use the library; here they get the true story unlike in communist Poland where things are slanted; the main, really the only, way that Polish is taught today is in the Saturday schools; there are 700 classes (or schools ?) in Chicago but since only meet once a week, they can't teach much language; for the most part, they introduce students to the culture and customs of Poland; the library doesn't work with the Saturday schools; Polish American young people in public schools may start a Polish club, there are several in colleges in area, e.g, one at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle campus and one at Lane Tech; the Museum will cooperate with these if they ask for a display; the library is non-circulating except for fiction and literature, on for these categories, they lose many volumes; one goal is to acquire more music books, partly to put in the Paderewski room of the museum; the library collection had been cataloged up to 1950; then for about 20 years nothing was done to catalog acquisitions; recently they have been working on cataloging new acquisitions, now using Dewey Decimal system (the library had its own system through 1950), all books need to be re-cataloged. Part 2 of a 4-part interview with Franciscan Father Donald Bilinski, curator of the library at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N Milwaukee Ave.; no detailed summary of this part of the recording exists. Part 3 of a 4-part interview with Franciscan Father Donald Bilinski, curator of the library at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N Milwaukee Ave.; how lack of space is a big problem for the library; discusses periodicals, with a focus on American titles, they have 22 but none are complete runs; they are working to organize their prints, there is much demand for these from the press, artwork and photos, this serves the non-Polish community; many Chicago Polish Americans are not aware of the museum; there is not enough publicity; they were given a big batch of stuff from a world's fair held in New York before WWII, and they were swamped, able only to concentrate on housing and preserving it, not putting it in order; this happened in about 1941; now some of the materials that were in that fair are being claimed by people who lent them, they want money for them, this has resulted in many court cases for the museum; the library does have control of their clippings files, this is work done by volunteers; the museum hours are form 1-4, and they have a good guide (docent) Monday through Friday but the guide for the weekends does not have good command of English; the museum includes an art gallery with 400 original pieces, done by Poles and Polish Americans; they acquire works on Polish subjects or by Polish artists, if they get something else, they trade it for if they can; the museum's gallery is not for Polish American artists since there is a Polish Arts Club in Chicago that concentrates on this category; the museum and library has a [fund-raising] affair once a year, in different places, the event used to be at the gallery but many in their public do not like to come to this neighborhood in the evening anymore; the library is only open on one evening a week, Monday; since the museum does not sell paintings, Polish American artists are not so interested in showing there; they have 30 pieces from the Warsaw museum that came with the World's Fair lot, all classical; Father Bilinski prefers this to modern art; he was trained as an archivist but didn't use the training for a long time; he grew up in Chicago, though was not born here; he came to the museum 5-6 years ago, at that time, no one was doing much, the original director, Mr. Heiman, died in 1949 and things were left in the hands of a man who preferred other activities; he arranged for cultural events like concerts and the Polish dance troupes, in order to raise money, and tended to let the museum and archives go; they are currently publishing letters written by Kosciusko during the American Revolution; the museum is now supported by members; there is a four year old ladies auxiliary that runs the gift shop and an annual fund-raising affair, a dinner and theater party; the auxiliary also helps out when there is a temporary show in the gallery; they have had one man shows by various artists, e.g., the exhibit "Poles in Detroit," a display of Polish medals and medallions from Krakow, an exhibition of work by an artist named Zabrowski (Leszek Zebrowski ?) who did sketches of Polish scenes in America; one miniature painter, a woman who worked in flaming wax; each artist must leave a piece behind in exchange for the opportunity to show works in the gallery, this gives them a chance to be seen as most are unknown; in addition, the museum hosted a Smithsonian traveling exhibit on folk art, and invited artists to display and demonstrate reverse glass painting and wicynanki (paper cutting), these weren't from the Chicago area, the museum does not feature local artists but do feature work from Poland or other parts of the U.S.; the woman who did the wicynanki is from Connecticut, keeping up the tradition by publishing books on this, her books are sold in the gift shop; interruption in the recording; Bilinski shows books on crafts which are very popular, people use them or buy from gift shop, the shop is a convenience for people, a place where they can find such books, more of a service than a money maker; the museum had 7,000 visitors last year, tour groups come, especially consisting of senior citizens; there are five areas in the museum complex, the main hall is what was once a social hall, with an auditorium and stage, the choir loft is now used as the art gallery; there are two biographical rooms, the Kosciusko and the Paderewski, which are museum rooms; Mr. Heiman had been a friend of Paderewski so they have much memorabilia connected to him; interruption in the recording; discussion of books that sell. Part 4 of a 4-part interview with Franciscan Father Donald Bili?ski, curator of the library at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N Milwaukee Ave.; this part contains a fragment of sentence, duration less than one minute.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20803 - AFS 20803_02 Identification of photographs in Sajewski collection, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, June 08, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0801
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20803
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20803_02
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 2-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeannette Sajewski Terley or Jeanette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave, made as the fieldworker photographed a number of historical photographs, record labels, and other materials in the store, as shown on rolls of film with the call numbers AFC 1981/004: b48692, b48693, and b48701; the log sheet for those rolls provide summary descriptions of the images, while these two interview recordings include elaborated descriptions. Part 2 of a 2-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeannette Sajewski Terley or Jeanette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave, made as the fieldworker photographed a number of historical photographs, record labels, and other materials in the store, as shown on rolls of film with the call numbers AFC 1981/004: b48692, b48693, and b48701; the log sheet for those rolls provide summary descriptions of the images, while these two interview recordings include elaborated descriptions.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20804A - AFS 20804B Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-2, June 03, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0802
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20804a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20804b
2 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1 of a 3-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; topics include earlier version's of the family's store in Chicago, the current iteration is the sixth; the basement has special features to control dampness; their family includes 3 girls and 5 boys, father died in 1948; about the demolition of one store because of urban renewal; in youth, Alvin Sajewski spent the most time in the store with his father, learned the business; Polish was spoken at home, there was pride in being Polish; Jeannette explains that her husband's name Terlikowski was shortened to Terley for ease in spelling; Poles and Polish Americans always stopped at Sajewski store, "if we didn't stay here no one could find us"; musical trends, earlier favored accordions and concertinas, today guitars; Alvin grew up with the record business; we give credit to buyers; about how proud ethnic Americans were to own a phonograph; in 1914, Columbia started recording polkas and waltzes, how the Sajewskis suggested to the big companies that they start recording what people wanted, which the Sajewskis knew about; Alvin's first chore in the store had been to wind up the photographs and play records for customers, his older brother taught him to tantalize customers by only playing part of the record, this task made Alvin very aware of customers' tastes, psychology of selling, play a few good ones, a few bad ones; joke about Halley's comet, at about the time of the passing in 1910. Part 2 of a 3-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; the recorded level (volume) on this part is too low to hear.
Subseries 15: Lithuanian
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20806A - AFS 20809A Interview with Antanas Poskocimas, Lithuanian American woodcarver, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-7, April 20, 1977
MBRS shelflist: RYA 0804-0807
Links
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20806a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20806b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20807a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20807b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20808a
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20808b
      Digital content available: afc1981004_afs20809a
7 audiocassette, C-60
Part 1-7 of a 7-part interview in Lithuanian with woodworker Antanas Poskocimas at his home, 6354 South Rockwell, Chicago 60629; topics include Poskocimas's comments about America, reminiscences of Lithuania, and remarks about the place of folk art in the lives of Lithuanian refugees.
Tape ID: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20809B - AFS 20810B Interview with Lithuanian American woodcarver Antanas Poskocimas, and his apprentice Tony Markus, Chicago, Illinois, part 1-3, April 23, 1977
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