THE MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND FOLKLORE AND LANGUAGE ARCHIVE

By Patricia Fulton Archivist www.mun.ca/folklore/munfla.htm

The Memorial University of Newfoundland later in his career when he was invited to teach Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) at Memorial University: is Canada's leading repository for recorded and collected items of Newfoundland and ...the people of Newfoundland Labrador folklore, folklife, language, oral have been settled in a comparatively history and popular culture. Founded in 1968, isolated area for a long period of time the Archive, under the direction of Herbert and have developed a unique cultural Halpert (b. Manhattan, 1911-d. St. John's, response to their environment. We 2000), began building on the course have in this province one of the last assignments and materials from fieldwork areas in the English-speaking world expeditions collected during his previous six where customs and practises [sic] years as a university faculty member. The survived long after they died out Archive has since amassed 600fonds, 40,000 elsewhere. The folklorist can still audio recordings, 800 video recordings, learn ftom people who observed these 16,000 manuscripts, 20,000 photographs, customs, how they were performed 1,500 printed documents, 500 oversized and what they meant.' documents, 4,000 commercial discs, 50 course collections, and numerous cultural artifacts Halpert, who had already done and other media. groundbreaking folklore fieldwork and scholarship in the United States, embarked on Described as Herbert Halpert's "crowning a series of summer expeditions with his fellow achievement,"' MUNFLA stands as testimony faculty member, the linguist John D.A. to the distinguished folklorist's singular vision Widdowson, and others. They travelled to and profound influence on students, faculty various parts of the island collecting and and archivists through the years. A visit to recording songs, tales, sayings and other forms pre-Confederation Newfoundland while of folklore. As folklore classes were serving in the U.S. military during World introduced at Memorial, Halpert encouraged War I1 spurred Halpert's interest in the area. his students to examine closely the context In 1987, he explained to Memorial's and function of folklore in the field (often in graduating class what he discovered then and their home communities) and in analytical assignments. These materials, which form the foundation of MUNFLA, are of great interest 'Michael Taft, "Herbert Halpert: Folklorist- Fieldworker (August 23,19 11, to December 29, 2000)," Folklife Center News, 23, no. 2 (Spring 'Herbert Halpert, "Convocation Address, 2001): 20-21. Saturday afternoon, 3 p.m., May 30, 1987," Gazette 19, no. 17 (June 10, 1987): 15. and importance to scholars, educators, bluegrass, rock and roll, blues and heavy heritage groups, the media, members of the metal. arts community, and private citizens. Thanks to Halpert's foresight and effort, a culture was The course-collection songs include documented that was swiftly changing with ballads (of murder, marine disaster, love lost the implementationofNewfoundland Premier and betrayed), lullabies, parodies, Joseph R. Smallwood's resettlement program occupational songs (lumbering, mining, and the advance of global communications. trapping, military, and sea shanties), hymns, Halpert himself stressed the fact that culture is carols, macaronic, alphabet, bawdy, humorous constantly changing. That, along with the and locally composed songs, children's game evolving discipline of folklore, has certainly songs, and school cheers. Folk festivals, affected the nature of the ethnographic "times" and other parties, dances, Christmas, materials deposited since Halpert's early days St. Patrick's Day and community concerts, in Newfoundland and Labrador. It will political demonstrations, weddings, strikes continue to do so. MUNFLA's mandate and many other performance contexts are ensures that at least these changes, once analysed as are musical traditions of church documented, will be preserved for future camps, university residences and groups such generations. as Brownie packs and Kinsmen clubs. The Archive also has several graduate-level thesis collections comprising field notes, taped A substantial portion of the collection interviews, textual and musical transcriptions, relates to song and music. There are 1,100 printed documents and photographs. assignments from courses in folk song, Newfoundland folklore, folklore and popular Among the hundreds of funds, there are a culture, special topics in folklore, introduction significant number relating to music and song. to folklore, and the traditional culture of The MacEdward Leach Fonds, donated in French Newfoundlanders. The subject matter 1970 by the estate of American folklorist is wide ranging and the focus in-depth. MacEdward Leach, comprises more than 100 Hundreds of manuscripts examine individuals audio tapes of field recordings from from all parts of Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland, Labrador and Nova Scotia in who are recognized within their communities 1949-51 and 1960, textual and musical or families as musicians, composers, singers transcriptions, notes on singers and songs, or songwriters. Accompanying tape-recorded tape tables of contents, 89 photographic interviews often feature song and music negatives, printed documents, and photocopies performances and personal narratives. The of correspondence. studies usually present detailed biographical .information and community histories, and The Kenneth Peacock Fonds consists of many offer analyses of song and tune function, two series. The first is a set of copies of 150 composition, history and style, tapes of field recordings with accompanying performerlaudience roles, performance indexes made by musicologist Kenneth contexts, and repertoire. The assignments Peacock during trips to Newfoundland and explore musical genres such as traditional, Labrador in 1951-52 and 1958-61. His ethnic, religious, country and western, fieldwork was published in three volumes as Songs of the Newfoundland Outports. There Department of Folklore at the University. are 18 audio cassettes of French and Gaelic songs and instrumental music in the second Others fonds of interest are the the Lorne series. The materials were donated by the H. Russwurm Fonds, which includes Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies at photographs, 4,000 commercial long-play the Canadian Museum of Civilization. records of country, bluegrass and traditional music artists from Canada, the U.S., Great Field diaries, textual and musical Britain, Australia and New Zealand dating transcriptions, and correspondence by English from the 1920s-80s and textual materials folklorist Maude Karpeles during her folk including song folios and periodicals. The song collecting expeditions to Newfoundland Manual Prenner Fonds consists of a in 1929-30 comprise the Maude Karpeles scrapbook of newspaper clippings, articles, Fonds, donated by Ursula Vaughan Williams and photographs on the American folk song in 1978. Ninety of these songs were revival of the 1940s and 50s. published as Folk Songs From Newfoundland (London: Faber, 197 1). More than 12,500 audio recordings spanning a wide range of regional radio and The Elizabeth GreenleafFonds consists of television programs broadcast fiom the 1930s- field notes, textual and musical transcription, 90s comprise the Canadian Broadcasting - correspondence, book reviews, an unpublished Corporation Fonds. The musical series magazine article, and other materials from include Ryan 'S Fancy, All Around the Circle, Elizabeth Greenleaf's and Grace Yanow Wonderful Grand Band, A Few of the Best, Mansfield's folk song collecting trips to Going Solo, Weekend A. M., Red, Hot and Newfoundland in the 1920s. This song Blue, and Blues and Bluegrass. Videotapes, collection was published by Harvard film cores, notes, scripts and rundowns are University Press in 1933 as Ballads and Sea also on deposit. Songs of Newfoundland. Maritime historian Robert Madison of the Mystic Seaport The Halpert and Widdowsonfonds date Museum in Connecticut deposited the from the early 1960s, and are among materials in 1983. MUNFLA's earliest acquisitions. They include songs and music collected by The Kenneth S. Goldstein Fonds folklorists Herbert Halpert and John comprises over 300 audio recordings fiom Widdowson during field trips to collecting trips made throughout Newfoundland's Trinity Bay, Bonavista Bay Newfoundland and Labrador from 1978-90, and the Great Northern Peninsula. and assorted sound recordings used or created by Goldstein for teaching, research and public In 1990s, the holdings of the Centre lectures. It also contains photographic d'~tudeFranco-Terreneuviennes, collected by negatives, copies of pocket songsters, folklorist Gerald Thomas and others, were broadcast materials, a manuscript, and transferred to MUNFLA. Hundreds of audio correspondence. Publication of a finding aid tapes and manuscripts and a number of video to the 3,400 songs from the fonds is recordings and indexes comprise CEFT's rich forthcoming. Goldstein formerly headed the collection of cultural materials from the hcophone region of the province's west which are national and international in their coast. scope. Included are studies of Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton fiddlers, programmes Audio and visual materials related to the and recordings fiom Toronto's Mariposa Folk history of the performing arts in the Festival and the formerYugoslavia's Lake Newfoundland and Labrador fiom the Ohrid Folk Festival, field recordings fiom Newfoundland Performing Arts Archive New Zealand, and commercial recordings Project are also housed at MUNFLA. The from around the world. There are also many Archive collaborates with Memorial items related to folkloristics, fiom recordings University's Centre for Newfoundland Studies of a lecture and colloquium by visiting on this endeavour. In recent years, MUNFLA scholars D.J. Wilgus and Edward D. Ives to has acquired several sizeable donations of photographs of folklorists Peacock and commercial music including the Malcolm Karpeles. Lane collection of country music and the Public Resource Library Newfoundland Music Much of the research conducted reflects Collection. the Archive's integration with the Department of Folklore. Fieldwork is a strong component The Miscellaneous Folklore of the discipline, and the Archive loans tape Bibliographies File features 60 mostly recorders, microphones, cameras and other unpublished bibliographies on topics ranging equipment to support this endeavour. from folk song revival to childlore. The Customized tape cards, contracts for deposits, Miscellaneous Discography File brings release forms for interviews and biographical together 25 compilations of citations to data sheets are provided to those who wish to commercial recordings. Questionnaire donate their materials. A guide to interviewing Responses on such subjects as popular music, techniques, a style sheet for assignments, carolling traditions, bar music, church bells, demonstration tapes and other instructional and community concerts are also available. material are also available. The Archive also houses books, theses, periodicals and Individuals and groups outside the photocopied articles. Hundreds of university community have also deposited rare undergraduate students and a handful of and esoteric items in the Archive, including graduate students and faculty are received independent commercial recordings, home each semester for assignment research and recordings, 78-rpm discs, personal songbooks, equipment loans. In-house visits are also and letters to The Barrelman, a popular local made by scholars fiom other disciplines at radio series of the mid-1940s. Items fiom Memorial and elsewhere, workers in the special projects include a ballad onomasticon provincial cultural sector, and private based on Newfoundland materials by David researchers. In addition, the Archive handles Buchan and Cheryl Brauner, and the a steady stream of e-mail, conventional mail Newfoundland Popular Music Project by I. and telephone requests. Sheldon Posen and Michael Tafl. Memorial University has the only Ph-D. Although MUNFLA is known primarily as program in folklore in English-speaking a regional archive, it does house materials Canada. At present, there seems to be a turn away from the older, more traditional forms of Recent grants from the Canadian folklore research by graduate students. Like Broadcasting Corporation have enabled students in other disciplines, they are eager MUNFLA to reformat more than 1,500 instead to establish new fields of inquiry in broadcast tapes to CD and enter all of its urban and electronic culture. Current research holdings on the Corporation's Prolog undertaken by the faculty is described on the database. In addition, the Archive has MUN Faculty of Arts Web page: digitized 270 of its earliest field tapes to www.mun.caJartslresearch~folklore.shtml. preserve and make available these valuable Special projects at MUNFLA include resources. investigations of contemporary health crisis legends (Diane Goldstein), mummering Many of the fundamental cataloguing practices/comparative Irish-Newfoundland systems were established by MUNFLA's (Paul Smith and graduate student Caoimhe Ni former Director, Neil V. Rosenberg, who Shidleabhiiin), and a linguistic atlas (Philip came to Memorial from Indiana University in Hiscock and others). In the planning stages are 1968 to be the first archivist as well as a research into England-Newfoundland cultural teacher of folklore. Significant contributions transfer (Martin Lovelace), a Bonavista Bay were also made by Violetta Halpert, David J. song-maker (Philip Hiscock), and publication Hufford, Peter Narvkz, Paul Mercer, Laurel of a compact disc recording and revised Doucette and Philip Hiscock; the latter served songbook based on MUNFLA materials (Neil as Archivist for 20 years. At present the V. Rosenberg). An unpublished list of Archive is run by Director Martin Lovelace masters' and doctoral theses is available fiom and myself, with the assistance of a the department's main office. transcriber, secretaries, contractual employees, and student assistants. This past year, the Archive's holdings have been utilized for new courses in Over the years, MUNFLA staff members traditional fiddling and traditional singing and student assistants have compiled a number offered by the University's School of Music. of specialized card indexes for collections, Further intensive collaboration with the including 7,000 song titles, 3,300 commercial School's newly appointed Chair in Traditional songs, 2,800 commercial records, 1,200 songs Music of Newfoundland and Labrador will published in The Newfoundlander, and a range develop the Archive's extensive musical of instruments. Indexes to printed and resources through ethno-musicological study, oversized documents are organized by subject field research and dissemination of materials and offer detailed descriptions of songbooks in the form of a series of CDs of original field and posters, magazine and newspaper articles, recordings. In the meantime, a much pamphlets and programmes of music festivals, anricipated compact disc of songs and tunes concerts, performers, instrument makers and fiom MUNFLA's collection is scheduled for distribution companies. Hundreds of release by the Department of Folklore in the inventories and other finding aids have also near future. A number of graduate students been prepared. have worked on this project under the supervision of Peter Narvaez. Since 1968, MUNFLA's cataloguing system has been based on the one formerly used at the Archives of Traditional Music at Halpert, Herbert, and Neil V. Rosenberg. Indiana University. Individual deposits, "MUNFLA: The Development of a Folklore termed collections, were given two-part and Language Archive at Memorial accession numbers: the first for the year of University." In Folklore Studies at Memorial deposit, the second for the serial number of University: Two Reports. Memorial the deposit within the overall number for the University of Newfoundland Department of year. In addition, all media, excluding Folklore Reprint Series, no. 4. St. John's: manuscripts, were given individual shelf list Memorial University ofNewfoundland, 1978. numbers for the purposes of citation and practical storage. Cataloguing descriptionsfor Memorial University of Newfoundland one-quarter of the MUNFLA collection were Folklore and Language Archive. Special entered online in the early 1990s and are Collections in the Memorial University of currently accessible at the Web site of the Newfoundland Folklore and Language University's Queen Elizabeth 11 Library Archive (MUNFLA): A Selected List, 1989. (www.mun.ca~library/qehome.html). St. John's: MUNFLA, 1989.

In January 200 1, MUNFLA implemented Rosenberg, Neil V. "Herbert Halpert: A the Rules for Archival Description (RAD) Biographical Sketch." In Folklore Studies in system for its holdings to standardize their Honour of Herbert Halpert: A Festschrijl, ed. arrangement and description. This was made Kenneth S. Goldstein and Neil V. Rosenberg. possible through the joint efforts of the St. John's: Memorial University of Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland, 1980. Archives and the Canadian Council of Archives. Archivist and folklorist Anita Best Rosenberg, Neil V. "MUNFLA, A was hired to assess the RAD-compliancy of Newfoundland Resource For The Study of provincial oral history collections and their Folk Music." In Studies in Newfoundland readiness for mounting on the Canadian Folklore: Community and Process, ed. Gerald Archival InformationNetwork-Newfoundland Thomas and J.D.A. Widdowson. St. John's: database. Fifteen fonds descriptions were Breakwater, 1991 compiled and a plan was adopted for digitization. It is expected that researchers will have access to this database within the next Tafi, Michael. "Herbert Halpert: Folklorist- five years. Fieldworker (August 23,19 11, to December 29, 2000)." Folklife Center News 23, no. 2 (Spring 2001): 20-2 1. Bibliography

Halpert, Herbert. "Convocation Address, Thanks to Martin Lovelace for commentary Saturday afternoon, 3 p.m., May 30, 1987." and suggestions. Gazette 19, no. 17 (June 10, 1987): 15.