Brooklyn Rediscovery Folklife Study Project collection
Scope and Content Note
Fieldwork for the Brooklyn Rediscovery Folklife Study Project undertaken and coordinated by Sheldon Posen and Maxine Miska, 1980-1983. The project surveyed and recorded traditions in Brooklyn, New York, on behalf of the Brooklyn Educational and Cultural Alliance (BECA) documenting ethnic foodways, neighborhood events, private celebrations, street life and play, store fronts, music, folk theater, religious events, urban sports and pastimes. Ethnic groups include African Americans, diasporic Jews (including Hassidic), Greek Americans, Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Puerto Ricans, West Indian Americans, Irish Americans, Chinese Americans, and Ukrainian Americans. The annual West Indian Carnival in Prospect Park/Eastern Parkway was documented in-depth. Joseph Sciorra and Sheldon Posen documented the Our Lady of Mount Carmel giglio tradition with photographs by Martha Cooper. Sheldon Posen also photographed the dancing of the giglio in New Jersey. The collection includes photographs of Greek Easter celebrations, Sukkot and Etrog Market, and documentation of exhibitions about Brooklyn folklife.
Dates
- Creation: 1980-1983
Language of Materials
Collection materials in English and possibly other languages.
Access and Restrictions
Collection is open for research; access to collection materials may be restricted. To request materials, please contact the Folklife Reading Room at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/folklife.contact
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Copyright Status
Duplication of collection materials may be governed by copyright and other restrictions.
Extent
5310 items received in ; 21 containers ; 7 linear feet.
15 linear in.
500 documents.
6 sound tape reels : analog ; 7 in.
3 sound cassettes : analog.
984 photographs : film, negatives, black and white.
61 photographs : film, negatives, color.
169 photographic prints : black and white ; various sizes.
23 photographic prints ; color ; various sizes.
3588 slides (approximately) : color ; 35 mm.
Abstract
Fieldwork for the Brooklyn Rediscovery Folklife Study Project undertaken and coordinated by Sheldon Posen and Maxine Miska, 1980-1983. The project surveyed and recorded traditions in Brooklyn, New York, on behalf of the Brooklyn Educational and Cultural Alliance (BECA) documenting ethnic foodways, neighborhood events, private celebrations, street life and play, store fronts, music, folk theater, religious events, urban sports and pastimes. Ethnic groups include African Americans, diasporic Jews (including Hassidic), Greek Americans, Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Puerto Ricans, West Indian Americans, Irish Americans, Chinese Americans, and Ukrainian Americans. The annual West Indian Carnival in Prospect Park/Eastern Parkway was documented in-depth. Joseph Sciorra and Sheldon Posen documented the Our Lady of Mount Carmel giglio tradition with photographs by Martha Cooper. Sheldon Posen also photographed the dancing of the giglio in New Jersey. The collection includes photographs of Greek Easter celebrations, Sukkot and Etrog Market, and documentation of exhibitions about Brooklyn folklife.
Arrangement
The Brooklyn Rediscovery Folklife Study Project collection is organized in 5 series:
Provenance
Ira Sheldon Posen; Donation; 2017, 2018.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
The collection was processed by Maya Lerman.
Source
- Posen, I. Sheldon (Collector, Person)
- Miska, Maxine (Collector, Person)
Subject
- Cooper, Martha (Person)
- Miska, Maxine (Person)
- Posen, I. Sheldon (Person)
- Sciorra, Joseph (Person)
- Brooklyn Educational & Cultural Alliance (Organization)
- Manteo Sicilian Marionette Theatre. (Organization)
- West Indian American Day Carnival Association. (Organization)
- West Indian American Day Carnival Parade (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (Organization)
Genre / Form
- Aerial photographs.
- Correspondence.
- Documentary photographs.
- Field notes.
- Interviews.
- Oral histories.
- Photographs--Color--1980-1990.
- Sound recordings.
Geographic
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)--Religious life and customs.
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)--Social life and customs.
Topical
- African American quiltmakers--New York (State)--New York.
- African Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Caribbean Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Chinese Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Christmas--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- Costumes--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- Easter eggs--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- Easter--New York (State)--New York.
- Epiphany--New York (State)--New York.
- Festivals--New York (State)--New York.
- Folk music--Puerto Rico.
- Folklore--New York (State)--New York.
- Greek Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Hasidim--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Irish Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Italian American Catholics--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Italian Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Jewish marriage customs and rites--New York (State)--New York--Photographs.
- Jews--New York (State)--New York--Religious life.
- Parades--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- Parades--New York (State)--New York.
- Polish Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Puerto Ricans--Music.
- Puerto Ricans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Puppets--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- Purim--New York (State)--New York.
- Religious festivals--New York (State)--New York.
- Sicilian Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Sukkot--New York (State)--New York.
- Ukrainian Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
- Weddings--1980-1990--New York (State)--New York.
- West Indian Americans--New York (State)--New York--Social life and customs.
Uniform Title
- Title
- Brooklyn Rediscovery Folklife Study Project collection
- Author
- Prepared by Maya Lerman
- Date
- October 2018
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Part of the American Folklife Center Repository
American Folklife Center Reading Room
101 Independence AV, SE
Thomas Jefferson Building, G31
Washington, DC 20540-4810
(202) 707-5510