Folk Song recordings

Virginia Folklore Society records (1913-1967; 22.7 cubic feet) consist chiefly of songs collected by the society's fieldworkers in the 1930s under the direction of society archivist Arthur Kyle Davis. Sheet music, folklore, newsletters and photographs are also included, as are recordings of many of the songs.

Regarding boxes 6-10 and 21-24: These boxes contain the correspondence of C.A. Smith and Arthur K. Davis dealing primarily with folksong and ballad collecting. Some of this correspondence is with members of the Virginia Folklore Society and some to miscellaneous individuals who sent in material or had information and/or questions regarding folksongs.

The recordings in this collection include a large collection of the recordings made by A. K. Davis, with the assistance of Fred Knobloch and other Virginia Folklore Society members/collectors on Fairchild aluminum transcription disks. Davis divided the recordings into four groups: A (12 inch disks), B: (10 inch disks), C: (8 inch disks), D: 6 inch disks).

Please note, there are some song titles and lyrics that contain racially insensitive and/or culturally offensive language. In an effort to represent the resource as accurately as possible, library staff have transcribed the title exactly as it appears on the archival material or object.