Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection
type: FindingAid
type: Document
description: Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2002522665
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
encoded as: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection
topic: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
subject: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
has part: Biographical History for: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
topic: Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.
subject: Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.
topic: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
subject: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
topic: Collection Finding Aid
subject: Collection Finding Aid
topic: Inventories and Case File
subject: Inventories and Case File
topic: Correspondence: Letters (mostly to Alan Lomax, Duncan Emrich), 1940-50 and undated
subject: Correspondence: Letters (mostly to Alan Lomax, Duncan Emrich), 1940-50 and undated
topic: Correspondence: Letters of Permission, 1942-48
subject: Correspondence: Letters of Permission, 1942-48
topic: Correspondence: Post Cards, 1941
subject: Correspondence: Post Cards, 1941
topic: Correspondence: Letters to Record Companies, 1940, and circa June 1942
subject: Correspondence: Letters to Record Companies, 1940, and circa June 1942
topic: Correspondence: Library of Congress to Guthrie, 1940-50 and undated
subject: Correspondence: Library of Congress to Guthrie, 1940-50 and undated
topic: Correspondence: Library of Congress concerning Guthrie, 1940-42 and undated
subject: Correspondence: Library of Congress concerning Guthrie, 1940-42 and undated
topic: Lyrics: "Alonzo M. Zilch's Own Collection of Original Songs and Ballads," 1935
subject: Lyrics: "Alonzo M. Zilch's Own Collection of Original Songs and Ballads," 1935
topic: Lyrics: "Farther Along," March 1941
subject: Lyrics: "Farther Along," March 1941
topic: Lyrics: "The Final Call," April 1941
subject: Lyrics: "The Final Call," April 1941
topic: Lyrics: Old Time Hill Country Songs, undated
subject: Lyrics: Old Time Hill Country Songs, undated
topic: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, songbook, undated
subject: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, songbook, undated
topic: Lyrics: "Ten of Woody Guthrie's Songs: Book One," April 1945
subject: Lyrics: "Ten of Woody Guthrie's Songs: Book One," April 1945
topic: Lyrics: Wartime Songs, 1940-42 and undated
subject: Lyrics: Wartime Songs, 1940-42 and undated
topic: Writings: "No Title," undated
subject: Writings: "No Title," undated
topic: Writings: "The Railroad Cricket," 1941
subject: Writings: "The Railroad Cricket," 1941
topic: Writings: Undated essay on 8" x 12" envelope, circa Fall 1940
subject: Writings: Undated essay on 8" x 12" envelope, circa Fall 1940
topic: Writings: Three essays written between September and November 1940
subject: Writings: Three essays written between September and November 1940
topic: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
subject: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
topic: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, original songbook, undated
subject: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, original songbook, undated
topic: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3
subject: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: US-DLC
is publisher of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection
administers: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
provides access to: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
provides access to: Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.
provides access to: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
provides access to: Collection Finding Aid
provides access to: Inventories and Case File
provides access to: Correspondence: Letters (mostly to Alan Lomax, Duncan Emrich), 1940-50 and undated
provides access to: Correspondence: Letters of Permission, 1942-48
provides access to: Correspondence: Post Cards, 1941
provides access to: Correspondence: Letters to Record Companies, 1940, and circa June 1942
provides access to: Correspondence: Library of Congress to Guthrie, 1940-50 and undated
provides access to: Correspondence: Library of Congress concerning Guthrie, 1940-42 and undated
provides access to: Lyrics: "Alonzo M. Zilch's Own Collection of Original Songs and Ballads," 1935
provides access to: Lyrics: "Farther Along," March 1941
provides access to: Lyrics: "The Final Call," April 1941
provides access to: Lyrics: Old Time Hill Country Songs, undated
provides access to: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, songbook, undated
provides access to: Lyrics: "Ten of Woody Guthrie's Songs: Book One," April 1945
provides access to: Lyrics: Wartime Songs, 1940-42 and undated
provides access to: Writings: "No Title," undated
provides access to: Writings: "The Railroad Cricket," 1941
provides access to: Writings: Undated essay on 8" x 12" envelope, circa Fall 1940
provides access to: Writings: Three essays written between September and November 1940
provides access to: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
provides access to: Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, original songbook, undated
provides access to: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3

Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.

Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Encoded by Judy Ng, February 2006 ; Revised by Nora Yeh
created: February 2006 ; Revised by Nora Yeh
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: collection
identifier: AFC 1940/004
extent: 3 boxes
language: eng
origination: Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967
origination: Archive of Folk Song (U.S.)
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
scopecontent: Scope and Content Note Woody Guthrie was a prolific artist known for his achievements as a singer-songwriter and as an author. Guthrie toured and performed for a period of approximately twenty-five years, exhibiting a life-long dedication to social activism by playing his politically charged music for audiences around the nation. His output included nearly three thousand songs, several novels, and other writings in the form of articles, essays, poems, and letters. In addition, Guthrie also painted, drew cartoons, and often illustrated his writings. From 1940 to 1950, Guthrie corresponded with staff at the Library of Congress. The most significant and frequent correspondence occurred between 1940 and 1942, when Guthrie wrote regularly to the Assistant in Charge of the Archive of American Folk Song, Alan Lomax. Their correspondence explores political issues, current events, career and recording issues, and includes personal exchanges. In addition, Guthrie sent Lomax prose pieces and other creative writings, some of which are reminiscent of journal or diary entries in their stream-of-consciousness nature. Some pieces are written on paper bags and tissue paper, some include doodles or sketches. In addition, Guthrie sent lyrics of his songs in several formats, including one large hand-bound set, smaller unbound sets, and single pages enclosed in letters. Most of these songs are ballads that used familiar melodies but addressed contemporary situations. Some of the manuscripts were written prior to 1940 and were subsequently sent to Lomax during their correspondence. In some cases Guthrie reworked or annotated old manuscripts before sending them.
other finding aids: http://lccn.loc.gov/2002522665
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.
aggregates: Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.

collection
type: Level
type: Concept

3 boxes
type: Extent
archbox: 3

Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967
type: Agent
is origination of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950

Archive of Folk Song (U.S.)
type: Agent
is origination of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950

Biographical History for: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: Biographical History and Administrative History Woody Guthrie, born in Okemah, Oklahoma in 1912 and raised in Texas, moved to California during the Depression, where he met actor and activist Will Geer and toured migrant labor camps documenting conditions and injustices in the camps for The Light newspaper. He also performed on Los Angeles radio KFVD-LA, singing old-time ballads, some of which he updated with lyrics about contemporary issues. Alan Lomax, assistant in charge of the Archive of American Folk Song at the Library of Congress, first heard Woody Guthrie at a concert in New York City in March of 1940, shortly after Guthrie had relocated there. Alan Lomax arranged for Guthrie to travel to Washington, D.C. to record an oral life history that included traditional and original songs, and encouraged him to write his autobiography. Guthrie performed on several "Folk Music of America" radio shows hosted by Alan Lomax on CBS's American School of the Air. In New York, Woody Guthrie joined Lomax's sister, Bess Lomax Hawes, Pete Seeger, and others in a singing group, the Almanac Singers, for which Guthrie wrote protest ballads and songs. More information on Woody Guthrie's life and career can be found through the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives at http://www.woodyguthrie.org/. The Archive of American Folk Song was founded in 1928 at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve American folksongs. During the years when the earliest Guthrie collections were acquired, from 1940 to 1950, the Archive was directed by: John A. Lomax (1932-1942), Alan Lomax (assistant in charge, 1937-1942), Benjamin Botkin (1942-1945), and Duncan Emrich (1946-1954). It was through Alan Lomax's recording projects and his personal friendship with Woody Guthrie that these early materials were added to the Archive. When Alan Lomax's entire collection of papers and recordings was acquired by the American Folklife Center in 2004, additional Woody Guthrie manuscripts were included, which ad…
topic: Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967
subject: Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967
topic: Archive of Folk Song (U.S.)
subject: Archive of Folk Song (U.S.)
is biographical history for: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
is part of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection

Correspondence, essays, prose, doodles, and song lyrics written by Woody Guthrie between 1935 and 1950.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
is aggregated by: Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection 1935-1950
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
aggregates: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
has part: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
aggregates: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
has part: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3
aggregates: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3

series
type: Level
type: Concept

item
type: Level
type: Concept

Collection Finding Aid
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Inventories and Case File
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Letters (mostly to Alan Lomax, Duncan Emrich), 1940-50 and undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Letters of Permission, 1942-48
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Post Cards, 1941
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Letters to Record Companies, 1940, and circa June 1942
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Library of Congress to Guthrie, 1940-50 and undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Correspondence: Library of Congress concerning Guthrie, 1940-42 and undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: "Alonzo M. Zilch's Own Collection of Original Songs and Ballads," 1935
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: "Farther Along," March 1941
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: "The Final Call," April 1941
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: Old Time Hill Country Songs, undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, songbook, undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file
scopecontent: Carbon copy. For original, see Box 2 of 3.

Lyrics: "Ten of Woody Guthrie's Songs: Book One," April 1945
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Lyrics: Wartime Songs, 1940-42 and undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Writings: "No Title," undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Writings: "The Railroad Cricket," 1941
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Writings: Undated essay on 8" x 12" envelope, circa Fall 1940
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Writings: Three essays written between September and November 1940
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-1
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file
scopecontent: Reference photocopy of oversize materials. For originals, see Box 3 of 3.

file
type: Level
type: Concept

Lyrics: Songs of Woody Guthrie, original songbook, undated
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-2
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file

Writings: Three essays written between September and November 1940
type: ArchivalResource
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is aggregated by: httphdllocgovlocafceadafcaf001001-1-3
access provided by: Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
level: file
scopecontent: Original