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When we think of historical documents, images of the U.S. Constitution or the papers of Franklin Delano Roosevelt may come to mind first—public documents or the private papers of the famous and powerful figures of the past. But social and cultural historians, folklorists, and other scholars, as well as people from underdocumented communities whose stories and accomplishments rarely make it into the historical record, want history to tell a broader, richer story. A student of history and culture a hundred years from now should be able to find out what life in the twentieth century was like for all kinds of people and organizations. Where will one find documentation of the history of the African-American or Finnish or Southeast Asian or Puerto Rican communities in the New York or other regions? What were the cultural traditions of the diverse communities of our nation in the late 1900s? Folklorists and other cultural specialists and dedicated members of communities and groups have been bringing to light an enormous range of cultural expressions that have been little known outside the communities—sometimes even the families—where they were created. By recording stories and songs, interviewing the bearers of family and community traditions, documenting festivals, family and community rituals, performances, objects of beauty and use and the like on tape or film, and writing about their observations, they have been creating a unique and priceless documentary heritage of people’s living traditions. This documentation can and should become an enduring resource for generations to come. But the documentary heritage is a delicate and fragile thing, far more so than the traditions it documents. If not properly cared for (preserved and appropriately stored), paper, film, tape, or computer disks can deteriorate and become useless or be destroyed altogether. And if not properly administered (labeled, filed, cataloged, described) precious documents and the information contained in them can be lost for good, because no one knows they exist or where they are. If you are collecting folklore, a small amount of thought and effort may be all that is required to ensure the survival of the documentary treasures that you have created or that are in your charge. And the measures you take can make your work of collecting and documenting easier and more productive. New York Folklore Society P.O. Box 764 Schenectady, NY 12301 518/346-7008 Fax 518/346-6617 nyfs@nyfolklore.org |
PROGRAMS & SERVICES | NY FIELD TRIPS | FORUMS | MENTORING | ARCHIVES | ADVOCACY | SEARCH ArchivesA Survey of Finnish and Hungarian Archival Resources In the Finger Lakes Region of New York State Project Overview Beginning in 1998, the New York Folklore Society initiated a project to train and support community scholars in their own documentation projects in the Finnish and Hungarian communities of central New York, including Tioga, Tompkins, Chemung, and Cayuga Counties. The objectives of the project were to:
Collections which were surveyed were predominantly found in private collections. Of the twenty-one Finnish collections surveyed, nineteen were private collections, one was owned by a municipal historian, and one was a local historical agency. Of the ten Hungarian collections surveyed, all were private collections. Surveyors and community scholars for the project were Eniko Farkas (Hungarian community), and Jean Alve, Hemmo Huttenen, and Richard Koski (Finnish community). Phil McCray served as project archivist. A total of 102 cubic feet of records were identified for the project. The most typical records found included the following:
Subjects well represented in the collections included immigration, citizenship, and naturalization, business and occupational life, military service, foodways and food preparation, genealogy, farming, family life, mining, music, organizational life including labor, political, and community organizations, church activities, sports and recreation, school activities, personal narratives, textiles, and folklore and festival traditions. In addition to archival documentation, a large quantity of objects and artifacts were identified, including textiles, handcrafts, tools and equipment, and musical instruments. Significant Archival Collections Identified The Finger Lakes region is an area which is dominated by agriculture and tourism. Its rolling hills have historically supported small scale farming, dairying and viniculture. The Finger Lakes themselves have supported a thriving recreation and tourism industry. Immigration to the region occurred throughout the twentieth century. Hungarian immigration began particularly in the first years of the 1900s, with significant growth occurring between the first two World Wars. Finnish immigration began in the hill country of Tompkins, Chemung, and Tioga counties in 1910. Nationally, Finns were seeking to leave the mines and factories of the Midwest to find agricultural properties and within the next four decades upwards of five hundred Finnish landowners arrived in the Finger Lakes with the most significant influx occurring between 1916-1920. With dairying on the decline, these immigrants revitalized the farming industry of the region. The Finns established chicken farming and founded strong community organizations. Besides farming, the Hungarians also worked in some of the heavy industry of the region. Some of the most unusual records identified included
The Development of the Project With the support from the Documentary Heritage Program in 1998, the New York Folklore Society initiated a community documentation project in August of that year, with training and mentoring initiated in the Finnish community first, followed by the Hungarian community in late 1998 and early 1999. Two New York City projects (the Latino community of East Harlem and the African American community of Brooklyn) was initiated in 1999. A mid-project meeting occurred in February 1999. Additional support was granted in April, 1999, by the Central New York Library Resources Council for continuation of the Finger Lakes portion of the project to specifically survey institutional records of the Finnish community such as the Finn Hall and the Spencer Cooperative, and to produce this guide. Surveying continued with final reports submitted in June, 1999. Community fieldworkers began to research existing archival records by using their community networks. Eniko Farkas of the Hungarian community began by contacting individuals who attended the 1998 Hungarian Old Timer summer picnic with a survey/questionnaire and generated a list of willing participants from those who responded. Site visits followed her initial contacts. Similarly, the Finnish part of the project was inaugurated at the Finnish Heritage Day which was sponsored by the Tompkins County Museum and the DeWitt Historical Society. Site visits followed this public presentation of the project. The importance of the community fieldworker cannot be overestimated. There are a few dozen folklorists working in New York State, and there are perhaps even fewer professional archivists who might be trained and available to work with communities to identify and systematically collect their cultural and historical records. By contrast, there are undoubtedly thousands of "community scholars" who could, with some initial training and subsequent support, raise the consciousness of people in their communities about the value of historical and cultural records and exercise leadership over time in identifying and caring for them at the local level. Community scholars are generally more expert in the specifics of local culture and are certainly more adept at moving and functioning gracefully and effectively within their cultures than are "expert" folklorists or archivists. Often, they also have well developed skills relevant to the project, such as expertise in traditional arts or in interviewing and collecting, that can be shared with other community scholars. It makes sense to develop a replicable approach to delivering documentation skills to individuals at the community level.
The Folk Archives Project is made possible by grants from the New York State Documentary Heritage Program and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Additional funding has been provided by a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts/New York Council for the Arts Technology Initiative. HOME | ABOUT NYFS | PROGRAMS & SERVICES | PUBLICATIONS | RESOURCES | CALENDAR | WHAT’S FOLKLORE? | MEMBERSHIP | GALLERY | SHOP | SEARCH | CONTACT US |
