Description:
2 boxes, 1948-1952. Bob Duncan was a librarian at the Oklahoma City Public Libraries who managed local history resources and the Oklahoma Folklore Project.
| Collection | 2024.01 |
| Repository | OKEA |
| Title | Bob Duncan Folklore Collection |
| Date | 1948 - 1952 |
| Extent | 2 boxes |
| Creator(s) | Duncan, Robert L. |
| Historical note | The Bob Duncan Folklore Collection was created by Bob Duncan, librarian at the Oklahoma City Public Libraries. Duncan served as curator of The Oklahoma City Libraries Local History and Folklore Collection 1949-1952. |
| Scope note | The Bob Duncan Folklore Collection includes correspondence of library staff about the creation of the materials in 1949-1952 and their physical organization and description completed in 1981. The original work was created, collected and curated by Bob Duncan. Some essays and interviews are copies from the United States Federal Writers Project, identified as WPA, dated 1935-1937. The folder numbering titles and item descriptions are from the 1981 inventory. |
| Access restrictions | None |
| Language | English |
| Related materials | Federal Writers' Project Collection, Oklahoma Historical Society Research Division |
| The WPA guide to 1930s Oklahoma (Book) 917.66 W926w 1986 | |
| Federal Writers' Project: Folklore Project, 1936-1940. Work Projects Administration records, 1524-1975. The Library of Congress, United States | |
Inventory List:
| Box | Folder | Description | Date |
| 1 | 1 | Administrative correspondence | 1981 |
| 1 | 2 | Bob Duncan general correspondence, A-E. Letters to and from B.A. Botkin, Mody Boatright, E.E. Dale, Angie Debo, and others. 69 items | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 3 | Bob Duncan general correspondence, F-J. Letters to and from Bob Duncan on various subjects, includes song lyrics sent by request. 27 items | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 4 | Bob Duncan general correspondence, K-P. Letters to and from Alice Marriott and Elizabeth Pilant, among others. 72 items. | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 5 | Bob Duncan general correspondence, Q-T. Letters to and from C.C. Rister and Lee Spencer, among others. 42 items | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 6 | Bob Duncan general correspondence, U-Z. 32 items | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence with Duncan Emrich; consists of invitations, responses and related material regarding a May 26, 1951 visit to Oklahoma City by Emrich who was chief of the folklore recording section, the Library of Congress; 23 items. | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 8 | Correspondence with Sarah Jane Knott; comprised largely of Knott's letters to Duncan on a variety of topics including National Folklore festivals which she directed and Sac and Fox participation in a festival; 50 items. | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence with Vance Randolph; Arkansas folklorist and author of "We Always Lie to Strangers" discussing regional collectors, songs and other topics of interest; 13 items. | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence with Julian Lee Rayford; entertainer and storyteller; 7 items. | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 11 | Unpublished interviews and stories, undated | . |
| 1 | 12 | Federal Writers Project; transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 1 | 13 | Bob Duncan working files; consists of correspondence, interview transcripts and other documents created by Duncan. Includes local history project information and library history. | 1950 - 1952 |
| 1 | 14 | Radio scripts for historical programs about work in the Oklahoma oil fields | 1950 - 1952 |
| 1 | 15 | Oklahoma Folklore Projects, publicity, press releases | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 16 | Reprints of articles published about folklore in and for schools, Indigeonous People, oil field work, music, and other topics | 1949 - 1952 |
| 1 | 17 | FOLDER 17 WHAT ARE YOU? | . |
| 1 | 18 | Correspondence about folk songs and music | 1950 - 1952 |
| 2 | 1 | Folk festival promotional materials for events in Oklahoma, Texas, and other states | 1950 - 1952 |
| 2 | 2 | Newspaper clippings and brochures about folk events | 1949 - 1952 |
| 2 | 3 | Bob Duncan working files, Folklore of the Oil fields project. Includes proposal, vocabularies, interview transcripts, stories and bibliographies | 1949 - 1952 |
| 2 | 4 | Article drafts written by Bob Duncan about oil field work and lore | 1949 - 1952 |
| 2 | 5 | Federal Writers Project; frontier live and cowboy lore. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 6 | Federal Writers Project; folkways and customs. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 7 | Federal Writers Project; folk songs, games and music. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 8 | Federal Writers Project; various topics. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 9 | Folk songs and music | 1949 - 1952 |
| 2 | 10 | Bob Duncan correspondence about folk songs and music | 1950 - 1952 |
| 2 | 11 | Folk song lyrics | 1950 - 1952 |
| 2 | 12 | Chickapoo Maiden song research | 1950 |
| 2 | 13 | Federal Writers Project; folklore superstitions and ghost stories. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 14 | Federal Writers Project; folklore treasure hunting and outlaw lore. Transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 15 | Folkways, includes dances, cowboys, tall tales, moonshine, superstition, etc. | 1935 - 1937 |
| 2 | 16 | Materials created for circulation at library, Oklahoma Folk Songs | 1952 |
| 2 | 17 | Day book of Wright Patrick, songs journal entries and financial ledger | 1876 - 1883 |