Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2006560750
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2010
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection 1901-1992 (bulk 1936-1990)
Cowell, Sidney Robertson
Biographical History for: Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection 1901-1992 (bulk 1936-1990)
Biographical Note Date Event 1903 June 2 Born Sidney William Hawkins, San Francisco, California 1917 Met Henry Cowell for the first time 1922-1923 French government exchange student at the Lycée de jeunes filles, Tours, France 1924 B.A., Romance Languages, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. Married Kenneth Robertson (divorced 1933) 1925 Studied analytic psychology with Carl Jung, Zurich, Switzerland 1925-1926 Studied piano with Alfred Cortot, Ecole normale de musique, Paris, France 1926-circa 1932 Music teacher, head of music department, Peninsula School, Palo Alto, Calif. 1927-1930 Studied music theory with Ernest Bloch, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and with Charles Koechlin, Berkeley, Calif. 1932 Studied piano with Harold Bauer in California 1935-1936 Studied music with Henry Cowell, New York City Head of social music, Henry Street Settlement, N.Y. Notated songs of elderly Jews, New York City 1936 Music assistant to Charles Seeger, KL Division, Music Unit, Special Skills Division, Resettlement Administration (RA), Washington, D.C. Accompanied John Lomax and Frank C. Brown on recording trip to western North Carolina where she assisted in recording melismatic singing and African-American singing in chain gang road camps for the RA Collected and recorded traditional singers and music in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia for the RA 1937 Regional representative, Special Skills Division, Resettlement Administration Recorded in Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin (including Warde Ford and his extended family) Relief community manager, Special Services Section, Region 2 (Wis., Minn., Mich.), Farm Security Administration Recorded Finnish, Serbian and Gaelic communities in Great Lakes states Recorded Swedish, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Finnish musicians at the Fourth National Folk Festival in Chicago, Ill. Recorded lumberjacks in Michigan Began to develop folksong collecting projects through New Deal arts organizations and private grants organizations Began folk music research in her native California 1938 WPA approved California Folk Music Project co-sponsored by Library of Congress and the University of California, Berkeley California Folk Music Project officially opened (brought to a close in 1940) 1939 Founder of Archive of California Folk Music, University of California, Berkeley 1940 Published with Eleanora Black The Gold Rush Song Book. San Francisco: Colt Press 1941 Consultant in folk music, Music Division, Pan American Union, Washington, D.C. Married Henry Cowell (died 1965) Recorded Carrie Grover of Gorham, Maine in Teaneck, N.J. 1942 Published with Alan Lomax American Folk Song and Folk Lore: A Regional Bibliography. New York: Progressive Education Association Moved to Shady, New York 1942-circa 1950 Music instructor, Mills College of Education, N.Y. 1950 American correspondent, International Folk Music Council Presented folk performers at the Ditson Festival of American Music at Columbia University, N.Y. Accompanied by Maud Karpeles, re-recorded singers in Appalachians who had performed for Cecil Sharp 1950-1951 Visiting lecturer during the summers, University of Southern California 1952-1955 Recorded Ford-Walker family in Crandon, Wisconsin; California; Wyoming; and Germany 1953 Recorded American Folk Music Concert at the Sixth Annual Festival of Contemporary American Music, Columbia University, N.Y. Recorded bagpipe tunes and Scottish Gaelic singing on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia Recorded Spanish and Persian singing in Alameda and Berkeley, California 1954 Published with Henry Cowell Charles Ives and His Music. New York: Oxford University Press 1954-1960 Instructor, New School, New York, N.Y. 1955 Instructor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Published with John P. Hughes Songs from Cape Breton Island. New York: Folkways Records 1955-1956 Traveled with Henry Cowell to Europe and Asia on State Department assignments Recorded in the Aran Islands and Carna, Connemara, Ireland Recorded traditional music in Iran, Thailand, Pakistan, and Malaya 1956 Published Wolf River Songs. New York: Folkways Records 1956-1957 Travelled to several Asian countries with Henry Cowell on Rockefeller Foundation grant to report on status of traditional and classical music in Asia Recorded music in Asia and Iran 1957 Published Songs of Aran. New York: Folkways Records 1995 Feb. 23 Died, Shady, New York
Scope and Content Note The Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection, numbering more than 5,000 items, contains material from her work as a folk song collector and ethnographer; voluminous correspondence to her family, friends and colleagues--many of whom are prominent figures in 20th century American music--published and unpublished essays, reviews, and articles; biographical narratives; instructional materials from various stints as a music teacher, and an extensive subject file. The collection contains a great amount of information on Sidney Robertson Cowell’s husband, modernist composer Henry Cowell, including material pertaining to their marriage, writings by and about him, material dealing with his professional relationships with other notables in the music world, and documents concerning his musical legacy, which was carefully nurtured by Sidney Robertson Cowell. A large part of the collection deals with two major aspects of Cowell’s life: her innovative and groundbreaking work as an ethnographer and folksong and ethnic music collector and recordist; as well as her role as husband Henry Cowell’s personal and professional partner and proprietor of his musical legacy. The extensive fieldwork materials she collected exemplify Sidney Robertson Cowell’s keen insights into the people and music she encountered and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the history and process of her work. The collection is also rich in material that details Cowell’s complex life with Henry Cowell, whom she married in 1941. There is material dealing with their personal lives as well as extensive material related to their writing and travelling collaborations and business and publishing ventures. After Henry Cowell’s death in 1965, Sidney took charge of his personal and professional reputation, which is reflected in correspondence and other material from the 1970s through the 1990s. The collection consists of nine series: Correspondence, Materials Relating to Fieldwork, Materials Relating to Henry Cowell, Biographical Material, Writings and Publications, Subject Files, Photographs, Teaching Materials, and Songs and Song Books. The Correspondence series is divided into two subseries: Personal (non-family) and Professional Correspondence; and Family Correspondence. The first series covers a myriad of topics with a primary focus on professional matters. Correspondence with Suzanne Bloch, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Lukas Foss, Alfred Frankenstein, Lou Harrison, Colin McPhee, Ned Rorem, and Virgil Thomson concerns professional projects and interests, and offers personal news and viewpoints. Issues relating to Henry Cowell, such as music publishing, discographical entries, and biographical topics are the focus of extensive correspondence with H. Wiley Hitchcock, John Kirkpatrick, William Lichtenwanger, Bruce Saylor, and others. A large amount of the Lichtenwanger and Hitchcock correspondence deals with the catalog of Henry Cowell’s music, which was compiled by Lichtenwanger and published by Hitchcock’s Institute for the Study of American Music. Richard Franko Goldman, Nicolas Slonimsky, and Hugo Weisgall are also frequent correspondents. Sidney Robertson Cowell maintained relationships with many notables in the folk music field, including Bertrand Bronson, Sam Eskin, Charles, Peggy and Pete Seeger, and Margaret Valiant, all of whom are represented in this subseries. The second subseries, Family Correspondence, contains correspondence with several family members, including Cowell’s parents Charles Hawkins and Mabel “Muz” Morrison Hawkins; husbands Henry Cowell and Kenneth Robertson; siblings Charles Ernest Hawkins, John “Bud” Hawkins, Anne Cotton, and Jeane Mibach; and Henry Cowell’s stepmother, Olive Cowell. Letters to her family, particularly to her mother, shed light on Cowell’s early life during the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. Extensive correspondence with her sister Anne captures Cowell’s thoughts and feelings on a host of personal and professional topics. In addition, these letters contain a great deal of information about relatives and ancestors from both the Hawkins and Morrison sides of her family. The Materials Relating to Fieldwork series deals with Cowell’s major folksong and ethnographic music collecting and recording projects. Contained therein are not only finished reports, articles, and song lists derived from these activities, but also handwritten diaries, fieldnotes, letters and draft reports that reveal personal and procedural details about the projects. The series is divided into nine sections. The Resettlement Administration Field Trip to North Carolina with John Lomax section chronicles Cowell’s summer 1936 trip to Western North Carolina with John Lomax and Frank Brown. Cowell was hired in 1936 as Charles Seeger’s music assistant in the Special Skills Division of the Resettlement Administration (RA). Although she had already done some field collecting, Seeger wanted her to become better acquainted with the recording equipment and to benefit from Lomax and Brown’s field experience. The material includes her fieldnotes, correspondence that provides context and background information on the trip, and the final report for the RA. The Resettlement Administration (RA) section contains extensive fieldnotes, correspondence, memoranda and reports for the remaining field trips that Cowell made during her tenure at the RA, beginning around the autumn of 1936, through 1937, when the Resettlement Administration was reorganized under the Farm Security Administration (FSA). The RA was a New Deal program designed to provide economic aid to struggling rural, and to a lesser extent urban, families during the Great Depression. Cowell explained in a letter that the RA was using the native music of these rural communities as an agent of socialization and cooperation. She recorded extensively in the Ozarks, the Appalachians, and the Great Lakes Region during her time with the RA. Under the FSA, she served as regional representative and relief community manager in the Great Lakes Region for much of 1937. The material included in this subseries reveals Cowell’s sensitive and perceptive prose that offers insights into the communities in which she was living and working. The correspondence, memos, and reports to her RA colleagues, including Adrian Dornbush, Robert Van Hyning, and Grete Franke, illuminate behind-the-scenes problems, issues, and relationships within the RA on almost a weekly basis. The California Folk Music Project (CFMP) section contains materials relating to Cowell’s most innovative and ambitious project. The CFMP was a New Deal collecting project that Cowell conceived of and managed for the Northern California Work Projects Administration. It was one of the earliest major attempts at documenting traditional and ethnic music in a specific region. Material in the section includes the final report for the project, in addition to notes and an outline for a book on folksong in California that she never completed. Extensive lists of recordings she made of traditional English-language, Western European, and Hispanic ethnic music contain date and place of recording, performer name, and annotations by Cowell. The Carrie Grover from Gorham, Maine section contains a list of songs by Grover that Cowell recorded in 1941. The Appalachian Trip with Maud Karpeles section contains Cowell’s handwritten diary and notes from the 1950 trip to Appalachia during which she and Karpeles re-recorded performers originally recorded from 1916 to 1918 by English folksong collector Cecil Sharp. A list of the recordings also is included. The Wolf River Songs and Ford-Walker Family section documents Cowell’s ongoing work with the music-making Ford-Walker family of Wisconsin. The material contains notes and drafts for the Folkways publication Wolf River Songs as well as annotated song sheets and lists of the Anglo-Irish ballads and lumber camp songs that she collected from the family. The Songs from Cape Breton Island section contains handwritten drafts and annotated song sheets and transcriptions for her Folkways publication Songs from Cape Breton Island. Correspondence sheds light on preparations for the recording trip to Nova Scotia. The material also includes transcriptions of songs recorded by the North Shore Singers during that time and on other occasions. The Songs of Aran section contains annotated song sheets and transcriptions from Cowell’s 1955 recording trip to Inishmore, the largest of Ireland’s Aran Islands. Cowell used this material in producing Songs of Aran for Folkways. In the mid-1950s, Sidney Robertson Cowell and her husband Henry Cowell travelled extensively in Asia and the Middle East for both the State Department and the Rockefeller Foundation to lecture, assess grant requests, and report on the status of classical and traditional music in various countries. Sidney Robertson Cowell took the opportunity to record many of the traditional musicians she encountered during these trips. The Travels in Asia and Middle East section contains notes, drafts, and finished reports written by Cowell detailing their activities and describing an area’s music and culture. The Materials Relating to Henry Cowell series consists of a variety of materials, including correspondence, narratives, articles, and music holographs that are either by or about Henry Cowell. Henry Cowell permeates practically the entire Sidney Robertson Cowell Collection, but it was deemed necessary to create a separate series to accommodate the large amount of material related directly to him. It is divided into three sections. The Miscellaneous Material by and about Henry Cowell section contains narratives written by Sidney Robertson Cowell in later years about various aspects of Cowell’s life and work. In addition, there are essays and articles on music written by Henry Cowell, items relating to his discography, as well as commemorative articles on Cowell written for various occasions. This section also includes materials related to his two stepmothers. The “Henry by Sidney” section contains draft material for a biography of her husband that Sidney Robertson Cowell never completed. In her later years, she recorded onto tape personal and professional reminiscences about Henry Cowell and their life together which she planned to turn into a book. The transcriptions of those tapes are included here with Sidney Robertson Cowell’s notes and annotations. The Music by Henry Cowell section contains a small group of photocopies of musical holographs by Henry Cowell that are held in the Library of Congress. Of particular interest in the Biographical Material series are narratives and essays written by Sidney Robertson Cowell in the 1970s that offer a revealing look back on her career and life with Henry Cowell. The series also contains a travel diary, notes, anecdotes, and random thoughts about her work, travels, and life in general. This series also includes clippings and articles about Cowell and reviews of her work, in addition to detailed family histories and documents relating to her ancestors from the Morrison-Tonnelle (mother’s side) and Hawkins (father’s side) families. One can also find her diploma, passports, and drawings in this series. The Writings and Publications series offers a rich trove of Cowell’s writings, many in various stages of creation, from handwritten notes and annotated drafts to finished published products. Some items contain annotations that Robertson Cowell made long after the item was published. The series is divided into three sections. The Published Writings by Sidney Robertson Cowell section consists of her major publications as well as reviews, articles and obituaries of Percy Grainger and Charles Seeger. It also contains three items that were attributed to Henry Cowell, but were actually written by Sidney. Of particular interest in the Unpublished Writings by Sidney Robertson Cowell section is the part containing her Narratives on Collecting, which are revealing and lively accounts of past collecting and recording activities written in the 1980s and 1990s. The Drafts of Reviews, Papers, and Reports part contains drafts for many of the pieces found in the Published Writings section. Of particular interest are several drafts for an unfinished piece called “Three Generations of Folk Singers in the United States” and a draft for an article entitled “Music in Ghana” that was never published. The Miscellaneous part includes items such as project proposals, notes from courses, and fiction and poetry. The third section, Publications Written by Others, contains books, journals, and reports dealing primarily with folklore and traditional and world music. Explanatory narratives by Sidney Robertson Cowell accompany Midsummernight by Carl Wilhelmson and her Farsi primer. The Subject Files series contains an assortment of materials related to people, organizations, and topics that figured prominently in Cowell’s personal and professional life. There is a significant amount of material (correspondence, articles, narratives and clippings) related to Charles Ives, about whom Sidney and Henry Cowell wrote a highly-respected book entitled Charles Ives and his Music. In addition, there is correspondence, accompanied by related notes, drafts, and essays, with individuals such as Bruce Saylor, Stephen Spackman, and James Ross, asking for advice, discussing writing projects, or consulting on issues related to Henry Cowell. There is background material related to music festivals and conferences in which Sidney Robertson Cowell took a major role. This series also includes material dealing with Cowell’s teaching career and some items relating to the Pan American Union where she worked in the early 1940s, including copies of Recordings of Latin American Songs and Dances: An Annotated Selected List of Popular and Folk Music by Gustavo Duran and edited by Sidney Robertson Cowell. The Photographs series consists mostly of black and white photographs of Sidney Robertson Cowell; Henry Cowell; their families; and various friends, colleagues, and associates. Photography was Sidney Robertson Cowell’s avocation and she took many of the photographs found in this series. Folk and ethnic music performers that Cowell recorded throughout her career are the subjects of numerous photographs. Photographs of the offices and staff of the California Folk Music Project are included here as well as photographs of nature scenes, landscapes, abstracts, and animals taken by Sidney Robertson Cowell. The Teaching Materials series contains notes, outlines, song sheets, reports, and narratives related to Cowell’s music classes for children and for a course on rhythm that she taught at the New School. The Songs and Song Books series contains lists and books of songs that were collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell throughout her career. Of particular interest is a collection of folk songs with piano settings by Henry Cowell. This series also contains a collection of protest and propaganda songs from the 1930s and 1940s and a collection of songs sung by Cinderella Kinnaird, whom Cowell recorded.
series
Correspondence, 1908-1988, bulk 1920-1979
subseries
Personal (non-family) and Professional, 1913-1988
Correspondence to and from friends, acquaintances, colleagues, associates, businesses and organizations relating to personal and professional activities. May include material attached to letters. Correspondents who are identified by first name only, or are unidentified, are placed at the end of the subseries. Correspondence from a particular individual or organization to Cowell are filed together with items from Cowell to that person or organization.
file
Adams, Ansel, 1964-1965, 1978-1979
Adams, Ansel, 1979-1983
Ambron, Emilio, 1973-1976
Amirkhanian, Charles, 1981, 1986
Arma, Paul, 1980
Asch, Moe, 1975-1977
Avrich, Paul, 1979, 1986-1987
“A” miscellaneous, 1960-1981, undated
Bacon, Ernst, 1975
Bloch, Suzanne, 1967, 1983, undated
Bowen, Carroll “Curley,” 1968
Bronson, Bertrand, 1977-1980 see also Container 21, Harvard University see also Container 21, Ives, Charles
Broun, Heywood Hale, undated
Brown, Frank C. see Container 6, Correspondence, 1936
“B” miscellaneous, 1914-1981
Cage, John, 1968, 1982-1987, undated
Carter, Jimmy, 1977-1986
Castro, Gloria, 1977
C.G. Jung-Institut (Zürich, Switzerland) see Hannah, Barbara
Claflin, Avery, 1973-1978
Claflin, Jock, 1979
Clay, Carleton, 1987
Corry, Mary Jane, 1978-1979
Cowell, Henry see Container 4
Cronin, Patrick see Container 21, Harvard University
Cunningham, Merce, 1981-1982
Cuomo, Mario, 1986-1987 see also New York Times
Curtiss, Mina, 1978-1982
“C” miscellaneous, 1928-1988
Da Capo Press see Container 21, Ives, Charles
Daniel, Oliver, 1968, 1973
Davies, Dennis Russell, 1978
Duveneck, Frank see Duveneck, Josephine
Duveneck, Josephine, 1974-1978, undated
“D” miscellaneous, 1979-1988, undated
Echols, Paul C., 1976
Edinger, Dora, undated
Elise, Mother, 1979-1982
Elkus, Albert, 1942, 1973-1977
Elkus, Jonathan see Elkus, Albert
Eskin, Sam, 1974-1979, undated see also Goodhue, Cornelia “Connie” see also Greer, Lucia C. (Chia) see also Resnick, Nat
Eskin, Stanley see Eskin, Sam
Etchepareborde, Felix (SRC’s mother’s houseman), 1939
Fassett, Stephen see Container 21, Hayes, Roland
Feder, Stuart, 1977
Findley, Jannelle Warren- see Warren-Findley, Jannelle
Fitzgibbon, Liam see Container 21, Harvard University
Fleming, Shirley see Container 21, Ives, Charles
Ford, Warde, 1954
Forgostein, Harold E. see Temple of the People
Foss, Lukas, 1983-1984, undated
Fowler, William H. Begbie
Frankel, Max see New York Times
Frankenstein, Alfred, 1974-1979, undated
Friedland, Bea see Container 21, Ives, Charles
Garland, Peter, 1973-1977
Gbeho, Philip see Container 21, Africa
Goldman, Daniel Franko, 1984
Goldman, Richard Franko, 1975-1977
Goodhue, Cornelia “Connie,” 1974 see also Eskin, Sam
Grainger, Ella, 1968
Grainger, Percy, 1950-1955 see also Manville, Stewart
Greer, Lucia C. (Chia), 1976 see also Eskin, Sam
“G” miscellaneous, 1983-1984, undated
Hannah, Barbara, 1977
Harlem School of the Arts, 1969-1979, 1985 see also Rooks, Shelby
Harootunian, Hollis see Container 21, Ives, Charles
Harris, Leonard R. see New York Times
Harrison, Lou, 1947-1979
Harrison, Lou, 1983-1988
Harrison, Lou, undated
Harvard University see Container 21, Harvard University
Hawkins, Erick, 1984
Hayes, Afrika see Container 21, Hayes, Roland
Henahan, Donald see New York Times
Herron, Eileen Curran see Container 21, Harvard University
Higgins, Dick see Container 21, Cage, John
Hitchcock, H. Wiley, 1974-1977
Hitchcock, H. Wiley, 1978-1980
Hitchcock, H. Wiley, 1981-1987, undated see also Container 21, Ives, Charles
Hood, Mantle, 1978
Hulme, Kathryn see Container 21, Hulme, Kathryn
Humphrey, Hubert, 1977
“H” miscellaneous, 1958, 1968, 1976-1977, undated
Institute for the Study of American Music see Hitchcock, H. Wiley
International Folk Music Council, undated
Ives, Harmony, 1964
Jackson, Richard, 1981
Jellinek, George, 1977-1979
“J” miscellaneous, 1943, 1952, 1986, undated
Karas, Josef “Joza” M., 1985
Karpeles, Maud, 1961
Kershaw, Maureen, 1978-1988, undated
Kikuzawa, James (family cook), 1940-1941, 1959-1964
King, Terry, 1982
Kirkpatrick, John, 1974-1976, undated see also Container 21, Ives, Charles
“K” miscellaneous, 1957, 1977-1979
Leavitt, Donald, 1985
Libove, Charles, 1972, undated
Lichtenwanger, William, 1981-1982
Lichtenwanger, William, 1983-1984
Lichtenwanger, William, 1985-1986, undated see also Container 22, Saylor, Bruce
Linsley, Ralph, 1979-1980, undated
Lomax, John, 1936 see also Container 6, Correspondence, 1936
Luening, Otto, 1936, 1958, 1975
Lugovoy, Nina see Libove, Charles
“L” miscellaneous, 1957-1961, 1975-1978
MacLeod, Malcolm Angus see Container 21, Harvard University
Maizner, Helen see WBAI Radio
Mandel, Nancy Siegmeister and Alan, 1973
Manion, Martha, 1979-1980
Manville, Stewart, 1975, 1978 see also Grainger, Percy
Maynor, Dorothy see Harlem School of the Arts
Mazzeo, Rosario see Adams, Ansel
McCann, Gordon, 1988
McKinney, Eleanor see WBAI Radio
McPhee, Colin, 1962-1964, undated
McPhee, Colin, 1946-1950
McPhee, Colin, 1951-1963
McPhee, Colin, undated
Mead, Rita, 1976, 1978, 1983
Mennin, Peter, 1975
Mikhashoff, Yvar, 1983
Miller, Philip Lieson, 1981
M.I.T. Press see Bowen, Carroll “Curley”
Moore, Douglas see Container 21, Columbia University
Mother Elise see Elise, Mother
Musical America see Container 21, Ives, Charles
“M” miscellaneous, 1945, 1964, 1975, 1983-1988, undated
New York Public Library see Jackson, Richard
New York Times, 1979-1985, undated see also Container 1, Cuomo, Mario
“N” miscellaneous, 1951, 1971, 1978
Oppens, Ursula, 1984-1986, undated
O’Reilly, F. Warren, 1973
Oxford University Press see Container 21, Ives, Charles
“O” miscellaneous, 1965, 1975-1977
Packard, Emmy Lou, 1956, 1965
Parsons, William, 1981
Payne, C. Robert and Jane, 1975-1979, undated
Pazmor, Radiana, 1978-1979
Perlis, Vivian, 1974-1979
Podesta, Evelyn Wells see Wells, Evelyn
Powell, Laurence, 1974
Prabha, Chun, 1958
“P” miscellaneous, 1943, 1959, 1968, 1975-1978
Rasiej, Maria see Container 21, Hulme, Kathryn
Ray, Nicholas see Container 6, Correspondence, fieldnotes, 1937 May-June
Resnick, Nat, 1975 see also Container 1, Eskin, Sam
Reston, James see New York Times
Ritchie, Jean see Container 21, Columbia University
Rooks, Shelby, 1960-1964, 1977 see also Harlem School of the Arts see also Container 21, Hayes, Roland
Roosevelt, James, 1978
Rorem, Ned, 1979
Rosenfield, Lib and Milton, 1972
Ross, James see Container 22, Ross, James
Rossiter, Frank R., 1974
“R” miscellaneous, 1974-1977, 1985, undated
Sadie, Stanley, 1976 see also Saylor, Bruce
Saylor, Bruce, 1974-1979 see also Sadie, Stanley see also Container 22, Saylor, Bruce
Schickele, Peter, 1986
Schuman, William, 1977
Seeger, Charles, 1940, 1959-1973 see also Container 6, Correspondence, 1936 see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, notes, 1936 Jan.-Oct. see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, field reports, 1936 Nov. see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, fieldnotes, 1936, Nov. 21-23 see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, reports, 1936, Nov. 27-Dec. 30 see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, 1937 Jan.-Feb. see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, reports, 1937 July-Sept. see also Container 6, Correspondence, memoranda, 1938 Jan., undated see also Container 22, Pan American Union
Seeger, Peggy, 1976, 1985, undated
Seeger, Pete, 1978-1984
Shumway, Eleanor M. see Temple of the People
Sicade, Sally, 1940
Silver, Brian, 1976-1977
Slattery, Thomas C., 1968
Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1985
Spackman, Stephen see Container 22, Spackman, Stephen
Stevens, Denis, 1980
Stone, Kurt, 1974
“S” miscellaneous, 1969, 1973-1985
Temple of the People, 1985
Thomson, Virgil, 1953-1954, 1976-1979, 1985-1987, undated see also Container 21, East-West Music Encounter Union
Tuckwell, Barry, 1976
Tureck, Rosalyn, 1981
Turnbull, Pete, 1958, 1979, undated
“T” miscellaneous, 1954, 1974-1984, undated
Valiant, Margaret, 1946, 1979, undated
“V” miscellaneous, 1965, 1975-1980
Walton, Marion, 1964-1968, undated
Warren-Findley, Jannelle, 1976-1980
WBAI Radio, 1966, 1973
Weisgall, Hugo, 1966, 1975-1976
Weschler, Lawrence see Container 21, Ives, Charles
White, Lynn, 1955
Whitney, Elizabeth G., 1940
Williams, Brent see Container 21, Hayes, Roland
Wilson, Dwight, undated
Wolff, Leona, 1975
Wood, Robert C. see Container 21, Harvard University
Wyner, Yehudi, 1978, 1986, undated
Wyss, Niklaus, 1975
“W” miscellaneous, 1953, 1961-1969, 1972-1976, 1986
Yates, Peter, 1966, 1978
Yuize, Shin’ichi, 1978-1980 see also Container 21, East-West Music Encounter
Zulueta, Jorge, 1973
Letters identified by first name, A-G
Letters identified by first name, J-L
Letters identified by first name, M-T
Unidentified, 1913, [1924?], 1954
Fragments of letters
Family, 1908-1988
Correspondence to and from husbands, parents, siblings, in-laws and other family members relating to personal and professional activities. May include material attached to letters. Family members identified by first name only and correspondence addressed to “family” are placed at the end of the subseries. Correspondence both to and from Cowell and a particular individual are usually filed together within each folder. It will be noted when correspondence is separated.
Cotton, Anne Wendela Morrison (SRC's sister), 1965-1977, undated
Cotton, Anne Wendela Morrison, 1960-1964
Cotton, Anne Wendela Morrison, 1964-1965
Cotton, Anne Wendela Morrison, 1966-1977
Cowell, Henry, 1938
Cowell, Olive (SRC's mother-in-law), 1941-1948
Cowell, Olive, 1948-1976
Cowell, Olive, 1976-1980, undated
Cowell, Olive, 1976-1977
Cowell, Olive, 1977-1981
Hawkins, Charles Albert (SRC's father), 1921, undated
Hawkins, Charles Albert, 1921-1922, 1937-1952
Hawkins, Charles Ernest (SRC's half-brother), 1962, 1966
Hawkins, Helen, 1968, 1986-1988
Hawkins, John “Bud” (SRC's brother), 1912, 1964, undated
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison (SRC's mother), 1911-1919
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1920-1921 May
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1921 Oct.-1921 Dec.
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1922-1925
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1934 Oct.-1935 Sept.
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1935-1936 May
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1936 June-1937 May
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1930s
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1940s
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, undated
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1908, 1916, 1940-1943
Hawkins, Mabel “Muz” Morrison, 1912, 1916, 1934-1935, 1943
Hawkins, Odelia Comba (SRC's step-mother), 1941-1953
Insley, Ida E., 1955-1960
Mibach, H. J., 1956, 1962
Mibach, Jeane Mary Morrison (SRC's sister), 1957
Mibach, Lisa (SRC's niece), 1954-1963, 1987
Robertson, Kenneth (SRC's ex-husband), 1937, undated
Betsy (niece), 1983
Nancy (niece), 1985
Sally (sister-in-law), 1968, 1981-1983, undated
To family from SRC, 1912-1921
To family from SRC, 1922-[1928?]
To family from SRC, 1941, undated
Materials Relating to Fieldwork, 1936-1962
Materials related to Cowell’s field recording trips, from various phases of her career, including reports, fieldnotes, correspondence, memoranda, training documents, lists of songs and recordings, song pamphlets, song transcriptions, articles, drafts of reports and handwritten notes.
Resettlement Administration Field Trip to North Carolina with John Lomax, 1936
Final report, fieldnotes, annotated song list, correspondence.
“Report on Two Weeks’ Trip to North Carolina,” 1936
Fieldnotes, 1936
“Titles and Notes on Tunes that Turned Up in One Form or Another at the Mountain Music and Dance Contests at Asheville, North Carolina, July 23-25, 1936”
Correspondence, 1936 see also Container 2, Lomax, John see also Container 3, Seeger, Charles
Resettlement Administration, 1936-1938
Correspondence, memoranda, field reports, fieldnotes, training documents, song lists, song pamphlets, articles.
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, 1936 Jan.-Oct.
Correspondence, memoranda, field reports, 1936 Nov.
Correspondence, memoranda, fieldnotes, 1936 Nov. 21-23
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, 1936 Nov. 27-Dec. 30
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, 1937 Jan.-Feb.
Correspondence, memoranda, notes, 1937 Mar.-Apr. 4
Correspondence, fieldnotes, 1937 May-June
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, 1937 July-Sept.
Correspondence, reports, 1937 Oct.-Dec.
Correspondence, memoranda, 1938 Jan., undated
“Collection of American Traditional Music,” undated
Drafts of music program memorandum, 1936
Training documents, undated
“Harmonica Playing Bibliography,” undated
“Mrs. Dusenbury,” undated
“Proposed List of Songs for Publication in Song Sheet Form,” 1936 Aug. 22
“Reservations and Limitations on Records, SR Series, nos. 1-156,” undated
Lists of recordings from National Folk Festival and from Minn. and Wis., 1937
Lists of songs
Information on playing recordings and other topics
Song pamphlets
“Accession List of Records” from the Special Skills Division, undated
Articles on the Resettlement Administration
Miscellaneous
California Folk Music Project, 1937-1954
Final report, notes, lists of songs, correspondence.
“A Study of California Folk Music,” 1940 Jan.
“Outline for a Book Tentatively Called Folksong in California,” 1954 July
Handwritten notes for “Folksong in California”
Checklist of recordings made for the California Folk Music Project, 1937 July-1939, July 18
Lists of California folk music, 1938-1939, 1954, undated
Correspondence, 1938
Black, Eleanora and Sidney Robertson, comp. The Gold Rush Song Book. San Francisco: Colt Press, 1940.
Carrie Grover from Gorham, Maine, 1941
List of recordings.
“Records of the Singing and Fiddle Playing of Mrs. Carrie Grover, from Gorham, Maine”
Appalachian Trip with Maud Karpeles, 1950
Handwritten diary, notes, list of recordings.
Handwritten diary and notes
Typewritten notes, 1950 Sept. 8- Oct. 18
“Tape Recordings Made in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Sept.-Oct. 1950,” by Maud Karpeles and Sidney Robertson Cowell
Wolf River Songs and Ford-Walker Family, 1952-1957
Drafts of article, notes, song sheets, lists of songs.
Cowell, Sidney Robertson. Wolf River Songs. New York: Folkways Records, 1956.
Typewritten drafts for Wolf River Songs, [1952-1954?]
Handwritten notes for Wolf River Songs, [1952-1954?]
Song sheets with accompanying notes and annotations
“Sidney Robertson Cowell Duplication Project,” 1957 Dec. 10
Songs from Cape Breton Island, 1950-1962
Drafts of article, song sheets, song transcriptions, list of recordings, correspondence, article, program sheets.
Cowell, Sidney Robertson and John P. Hughes. Songs from Cape Breton Island. New York: Folkways Records, 1955.
Drafts for sections of Songs from Cape Breton Island, undated
Song sheets with notes and annotations, undated
Transcriptions of songs recorded of North Shore Singers in Nova Scotia, Newton, Mass. and at Harvard, 1950-1953 or 1954
Lists of recordings from the project, including from a Library of Congress Sidney Robertson Cowell duplication project
Correspondence, 1953-1955
Abstract of “The Connection between the Precenting of Psalms on Cape Breton Island and in Colonial New England Churches,” 1962
Program sheets, 1953
Travel materials
Songs of Aran, 1955-1957
Song sheets and transcriptions with annotations.
Cowell, Sidney Robertson. Songs of Aran. New York: Folkways Records, 1957
Song sheets and transcriptions with notes and annotations, [1955-1956?].
Travels in Asia and the Middle East, 1955-1957
Final reports, drafts, anecdotes, notes.
“A Note on Music in Colombo (Ceylon),” undated
“Report on Music in Hong Kong,” undated
“A Note on Music in Macao (Macau),” undated
“Report on Music in Madras and Bombay,” undated
“A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation on Music in Iran,” undated
“Persian Tales: SRC to S.E. Iran,” undated
“Persian Tales: Iranian WPA,” undated
“Persian Tales and Travelogue, cont’d.,” undated
“From SRC’s Notebook: Recording Session at Nomad Encampment outside Abadan,” undated
Random anecdotes, notes and comments about Iran, undated
“A Note on Korean Performances (Orchestra, Ballet) Heard in Hong Kong,” March 1957
“A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation on Music in Lebanon,” undated
“A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation on Music in Pakistan,” undated
“A Report on Music in Singapore,” undated
“Report on Music in Thailand,” undated
“A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation on Music in Turkey,” undated
Materials Relating to Henry Cowell, 1915-1992
Personal narratives by Sidney Robertson Cowell on Henry Cowell's life and work; articles and essays by and about Henry Cowell; discographical material; and photocopies of a selection of Henry Cowell holographs with annotations by Sidney Robertson Cowell.
Miscellaneous Material by and about Henry Cowell, 1920-1992
Personal narratives by Sidney Robertson Cowell, discographical material, information about family, articles and essays by Henry Cowell, articles about Henry Cowell, clippings.
Narratives about Henry Cowell and Sidney Robertson Cowell written by SRC, 1971, undated
Biographical essay on Henry Cowell (possibly written by SRC), undated
Narrative on honors bestowed upon Henry Cowell, written by SRC, 1990
“HC and Foreign State Department Assignments,” written by SRC, 1990
Material on Henry Cowell and Iran, 1957, 1975-1977, 1988, undated
“HC and the National Institute of Arts and Letters,” written by SRC, 1990
Narrative on Henry Cowell’s wristwatch, written by SRC, 1990
Materials relating to Henry Cowell’s discography
“Anniversary Pieces: Music by Henry Cowell for His Wife, 1941-1965,” list compiled in 1979
“Music photocopied for me in 1985, from a closed private collection, which I may not identify, in Northern California,” 1985 see also Container 29
Materials relating to Olive Cowell (Henry Cowell’s stepmother), 1976, 1990
“Henrietta,” by Sidney Robertson Cowell, undated
Miscellaneous documents by SRC on Henry Cowell, undated
“The Composer’s World,” by Henry Cowell, 1961
“International Music?” by Henry Cowell, 1961
“Oriental Influence on Western Music,” by Henry Cowell, 1961
“Piano Instruction Course,” by Henry Cowell, 1920
“Music is My Weapon” essay by Henry Cowell, [194?]
“Tonal Therapy,” by Henry Cowell, 1922
“The Music of Henry Cowell,” by Hugo Weisgall
Henry Cowell: March 10, 1912, 50th Anniversary/March 11, 1897, 65th Birthday. S.l.: Broadcast Music, Inc., 1962
“Piano Music” by Henry Cowell. New York: Folkways Records, 1963
“How May a Composer Live in the Whole World of Music?” by David Hall, 1964
“Henry Cowell BMI.” S.l.: Broadcast Music, Inc., 1965
Newspaper clipping annotated by SRC, 1987
“Henry by Sidney” Material, circa 1980-circa 1990
Draft material for a biography that Sidney Robertson Cowell was planning to write about Henry Cowell called “Henry by Sidney.”
Draft material for biography
Music by Henry Cowell, 1915-circa 1950
Photocopies of a selection of Henry Cowell holographs that are held in the Library of Congress Music Division. Many contain annotations by Sidney Robertson Cowell.
“The Changes Change” Continuation, 1917
Chrysanthemums, 1936
Clusteriana no. 1: Analysis of tone cluster examples in the form of movement of one cluster, 1916-1917?
Consecration, 1917
For Violin, [1924-1926?]
For Xmas ’20, 1920
Japanese children’s song
Letter [to J.O. Varian], [1915-1916?]
Polyphonica no. 1, 1916
Polyphonica no. 2, 1916
System, 1918-1919
The Word Eternal, 1917?
Biographical Material, 1901-1985, bulk 1929-1985
Autobiographical narratives and essays; anecdotes, personal thoughts and musings on various subjects; articles, clippings and reviews; family histories and documents; drawings; diary; passport; diploma from Stanford University.
Autobiographical narratives (drafts), 1970, undated
Autobiographical narratives (drafts), 1971, undated
Biographical essays and curriculum vita, 1978, undated
Anecdotes from travels in the 1930s, circa 1947
Diary--Ireland, London, Amsterdam, Lugano, Greece, 1956
Personal health history, 1984
Anecdotes from various dates
Personal thoughts
“What It Is to Grow Old,” handwritten by SRC, undated
Notices of activities, 1951, 1959, undated
Miscellaneous notes, musings
Articles about Sidney Robertson Cowell, 1957, 1980, 1982
Clippings about Sidney Robertson Cowell and reviews of her work, 1929-1985, undated
Identity documents, 1921, 1969
Leland Stanford Junior University diploma of graduation, 1924
Miscellaneous biographical material
Drawings by Sidney Robertson Cowell
Hawkins and Morrison-Tonnelle family histories, undated
Miscellaneous Hawkins family documents
Documents relating to Odelia Comba Hawkins relatives, 1901
Letter to John regarding the Binkley family relations, 1982
Writings and Publications, 1911-1990
Published articles, essays, program notes, and reviews by Sidney Robertson Cowell; unpublished writings by Sidney Robertson Cowell, including drafts, anecdotes, personal narratives, project proposals, class notes, fiction and poetry; also includes books, journals, and reports written by others.
Published Writings by Sidney Robertson Cowell, 1938-1988
Articles, essays, program notes, reviews, and obituaries.
“The Songs of a Nation Collect a Forgotten Claim,” 1938
“The Recording of Folk Music in California,” 1942
American Folk Song and Folk Lore: A Regional Bibliography, 1942
“White Spirituals,” 1943
Program notes written for Boston Symphony Orchestra performance of Henry Cowell’s Short symphony no. 4, 1947
“Old Harp Singing,” 1951
Review of Dances of Early California Days, by Lucile K. Czarnowski, [1950?]
Review of American Folk Songs of Protest, by John Greenway, [1953?]
“Songs from Cape Breton Island,” 1955
“Wolf River Songs,” 1956
“Songs of Aran,” 1957
Review of The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, vol. I, by Bertrand Harris Bronson, [1959?]
Review of Shanties from the Seven Seas, compiled by Stan Hugill, 1961
“The Connection between the Precenting of Psalms on Cape Breton Island and in Colonial New England Churches,” 1962
Obituary of Percy Grainger, 1962
Review of The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, vol. II, by Bertrand Harris Bronson, 1963
“Early American Spirituals,” 1967
Obituary of Charles Seeger, 1979
Introduction in Jaime de Angulo: The Music of the Indians of Northern California, 1988
Two reviews attributed to Henry Cowell but were actually written by SRC, 1945, 1959
Miscellaneous items, 1956, 1987, undated
Unpublished Writings by Sidney Robertson Cowell, 1911-1990
Narratives on Collecting, 1986-1990
Narratives, drafts of talks, notes, anecdotes, letters.
Narrative on California field collecting, undated
“Cinderella Kinnaird,” undated
Narrative on Mrs. Dusenberry, undated
Narrative on California field collecting, 1990
Narrative on field recordings, undated
“Fieldwork in Three Great Lake States,” undated
“First Solo Field Recordings, Nov. 10, 1936,” undated
Narrative on Leon Henderson, 1986
“Lady on Wheels,” undated
“Missing Uncle Charlie,” 1990
“My collection of folk music is unusual in these respects ...” undated
“Random notes on SRC’s folksong collecting in late 1930s,” undated
“The Walker-Ford Family of Singers,” 1990
Wayfaring Stranger—song sheet #9, undated
1936 remembrance, 1990
Resettlement Administration story, 1990
Collecting anecdote, 1990
Edson’s tune book, undated
Narrative about traveling in Japan, undated
Letters on folk singing, to Sam Eskin, undated
Handwritten narrative on folk song collecting, undated
Drafts of Reviews, Papers, and Reports, 1949-circa 1967
Draft of review for American Folk Songs of Protest, [1953?]
Draft of “The Connection between the Melismatic Psalm Singing of Cape Breton and of Colonial New England Churches,” 1961
Draft of “Early American Carols,” [1967?]
Draft of “Early American Spirituals,” 1966
Draft of review for England’s Dances by Douglas Kennedy, [1949?]
Draft of review for The English and Scottish Popular Ballads and Great British Ballads Not Found in Child, undated
Draft of paper on improvisation, rhythm in education and children’s music, undated
Draft of “Lessons with the Boston Symphony,” 1954
Drafts for “Music in Ghana,” [196-]
Draft of review for Negro Folk Music of Alabama, undated
Draft of review for Vance Randolph’s publications on the Ozarks, undated
Draft of an obituary for Ruth Crawford Seeger, 1954
Draft of review for Shanties from the Seven Seas, [1961?]
Draft of review for Songs of the Irish, [1960?]
Drafts of “Three Generations of Folk Singers in the United States,” [195-?]
Draft of review for The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, vol. I, [1959?]
Draft of review for The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads, vol. II, [1963?]
Draft of a review for Wayfaring Stranger, undated
Draft and notes for “White Spirituals,” undated
Miscellaneous, 1911-1967
Project proposals, class notes, fiction and poetry.
Materials related to project proposals, 1950-1951, undated
Draft project proposals, 1937, 1951, undated
“Asia by Ear” notes, 1959
Notes from Japanese language course, 1967, undated
Notes from Lycée de jeunes Filles class, 1922-1923
“Anecdotes in the Chronicles of Matthew Paris,” [192-]
Fiction by SRC, 1923
Poems by SRC, 1911, [194-?]
Miscellaneous notes, undated
Publications Written by Others
Books, journals, and reports. Two items are accompanied by explanatory narratives written by SRC.
Subject Files, 1942-1990, bulk 1950-1988
Correspondence, narratives, planning documents, programs, articles, clippings, and notes relating to individuals, organizations, and personal and professional interests and activities.
The Boardman School Inc., 1949
Cage, John, 1986
Columbia University, Sixth Annual Festival of Contemporary American Music, 1950
East-West Music Encounter, 1960-1961
Friends of SRC, A-E
Friends of SRC, H-S
Gifts to libraries, 1971-1977, 1990
Harvard University, Conference on Folk Music and Ballads, 1955
Hayes, Roland, 1976 see also Container 3, Rooks, Shelby
Hulme, Kathryn, 1984
International Folk Music Council, 1955-1979
Iran see East-West Music Encounter
Ives, Charles, 1967-1988 see also Container 1, Bronson, Bertrand see also Containers 1-2, Hitchcock, H. Wiley see also Container 2, Kirkpatrick, John
Japan see East-West Music Encounter
Letters of introduction, 1953-1956
Mills College, 1944, 1950, 1955-1956
Pan American Union, 1942-1943
Photography of SRC, 1962-1965 see also Photographs Series
Ross, James, [195-?]
Saylor, Bruce, 1975-1976 see also Container 3, Saylor, Bruce
Spackman, Stephen, 1978-1983, undated
University of Southern California, 1950-1951
Miscellaneous clippings
Photographs
Chiefly black and white photographs of Sidney Robertson Cowell; Henry Cowell; their families; friends and colleagues in the music world; and musicians and performers that Sidney Robertson Cowell recorded throughout her career. Many of the photographs in this series were taken by Sidney Robertson Cowell. Includes artistic photographs taken by Cowell as well as photographs of the California Folk Music Project staff and offices.
Sidney Robertson Cowell alone, as a child and young girl
Sidney Robertson Cowell, alone, as an adult
Sidney Robertson Cowell with others
Sidney Robertson Cowell with Henry Cowell
Four black and white photographs (some with other people)
Henry Cowell alone
Twenty-three black and white photographs
Henry Cowell with others
Sidney Robertson Cowell’s family
One color photograph of Cowell house in Shady, N.Y.
Individuals and groups
California Folk Music Project (some with Sidney Robertson Cowell)
Street scenes, photo from plane, Ernest Bloch death mask, African people and musicians
Three negative strips (two photos from the negatives are in this file)
Natural scenes, landscapes
Street scenes, landscapes, nature shots
SRC’s cats
SRC’s cats, animal shots, abstract shots
Miscellaneous oversize photographs
Teaching Materials, 1948-1959
Notes, outlines, song sheets, reports and narratives relating to courses Cowell taught.
Teaching materials for Hamilton School, 1948
Music for Young Children, 1951, undated
Teaching materials for course on rhythm at the New School, 1953-1959
Songs and Song Books
Some songs set to music, others include lyrics only. Includes single song sheets, sheets with multiple songs, and the following groupings: songs with piano settings by Henry Cowell, protest and propaganda songs of the 1930s-1940s, and songs collected from Cinderella Kinnaird.
Folk songs, some with piano settings by Henry Cowell
Miscellaneous songs, A-B
Miscellaneous songs, C-D
Miscellaneous songs, E-G
Miscellaneous songs, H-I
Miscellaneous songs, J-K
Miscellaneous songs, L-M
Miscellaneous songs, N-O
Miscellaneous songs, P-R
Miscellaneous songs, S
Miscellaneous songs, T-U
Miscellaneous songs, V-W
Miscellaneous songs, X-Z
Miscellaneous songs, multiple songs per sheet
Unidentified songs
Miscellaneous song material
Mrs. Kinnaird’s songs, 1937
Protest /Propaganda songs of the 1930s-1940s
Potamkin, Harry Alan. Pioneer Song Book: Songs for Workers’ and Farmers’ Children. New York: New Pioneer, 1933
“Song Book: New York City School for Workers,” 1934
International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union song sheets, undated