New York Folklore: Volume 6, No. 1-2—A New Chapter in the History of Folklore in New York City

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NEW YORK FOLKLORE
Vol. 6, No. 1-2, Summer, 1980

A NEW CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF FOLKLORE IN NEW YORK CITY
by Gerald E. Warshaver

The newly organized New York City Chapter of the New York Folklore Society formally marked its establishment by an inaugural conference held May 18–21, 1979, devoted to “Folklore in New York City.” While celebrating New York as a context for folklore, this event indicated that the metropolitan region had once again become the site of a critical mass of folkloristic energy.

During the first three days of the conference a total of fifty-two individuals chaired sessions, presented papers, commented on presentations, or discussed aspects of folklore in the Big City. Dr. Henry Glassie of the University of Pennsylvania highlighted the significance of these proceedings in an eloquent keynote address. Eleven scholars read papers on “Urban Folkways: What is the Folklore of the City?”; six illuminated the subject of “The Great Crossover: Afro-American and Hispanic Cultural Forms”; six more dealt with “Ethnicity in an Urban Setting”; three researchers spoke on “The Writing on the Wall: Urban Iconography”; six panelists analyzed “The Place of Folklore in the University”; and nine others gave a bullish report on “The Place of Folklore in the Public Sector.”

The Chapter’s first large-scale undertaking exactly reflected the qualities which urbanologists consider to be the great appeal of New York: “variety, eventfulness, possibility of choice, and the stimulation of an intense atmosphere.” The more than five hundred who attended the conference had a broad choice of speakers and subjects. The organizers sought to offer a variety of ways of experiencing the folklorists’ urban enterprise. To this end papers and panels were supplemented by the screening of eight films. Urban, performers, artisans, examples of deep play, and urban rituals received two filmic expositions each. In addition, guided walking tours of ten New York districts and behind-the-scenes visits to area museums, archives, and research projects provided the interested public with a feeling for urban folklore research. In the districts and neighborhoods, rubbernecking with a folkloristic orientation gave participants a “sense of place.” ...

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NOTE: The New York Folklore Society Newsletter and New York Folklore Journal were replaced by Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore which debuted in December, 2000.

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