Bob Duncan Folklore Collection 2024.01

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. 

Collection2024.01
RepositoryOKEA
TitleBob Duncan Folklore Collection
Date1948 - 1952
Extent2 boxes
Creator(s)Duncan, Robert L. 
Historical noteThe 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 noteThe 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 restrictionsNone
LanguageEnglish
Related materialsFederal 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
CitationBob Duncan Folklore Collection, 2024.01, Special Collections and Research, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City, OK

Inventory List: 

BoxFolderDescription  Date
11Administrative correspondence1981
12Bob Duncan general correspondence, A-E. Letters to and from B.A. Botkin, Mody Boatright, E.E. Dale, Angie Debo, and others. 69 items1949 - 1952
13Bob Duncan general correspondence, F-J. Letters to and from Bob Duncan on various subjects, includes song lyrics sent by request. 25 items1949 - 1952
14Bob Duncan general correspondence, K-P. Letters to and from Alice Marriott and Elizabeth Pilant, among others. 72 items.1949 - 1952
15Bob Duncan general correspondence, Q-T. Letters to and from C.C. Rister and Lee Spencer, among others. 41 items1949 - 1952
16Bob Duncan general correspondence, U-Z. 31 items1949 - 1952
17Correspondence 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
18Correspondence with Sarah Gertrude 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; 51 items.1949 - 1952
19Correspondence 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
110Correspondence with Julian Lee Rayford; entertainer and storyteller; 7 items.1949 - 1952
111Unpublished interviews and stories, undated; 6 items..
112Federal Writers Project; transcriptions of interviews and stories collected by The U.S. Work Projects Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey in Oklahoma; 18 items.1935 - 1937
113Bob Duncan working files; consists of correspondence, interview transcripts and other documents created by Duncan. Includes local history project information and library history.; 15 items.1950 - 1952
114Radio scripts for historical programs about work in the Oklahoma oil fields; 6 items.1950 - 1952
115Oklahoma Folklore Projects, publicity, press releases; 19 items.1949 - 1952
116Reprints of articles published about folklore in and for schools, Indigenous People, oil field work, music, and other topics; 6 items.1949 - 1952
117Bibliographies of resources for folklore, Native American, oil industry, folk music resources; 7 items.1948 - 1950
118Correspondence about folk songs and music; 25 items.1950 - 1952
21Folk festival promotional materials for events in Oklahoma, Texas, and other states; 21 items.1950 - 1952
22Newspaper clippings and brochures about folk events; 8 items.1949 - 1952
23Bob Duncan working files, Folklore of the Oil fields project. Includes proposal, vocabularies, interview transcripts, stories and bibliographies; 29 items.1949 - 1952
24Article drafts written by Bob Duncan about oil field work and lore; 12 items.1949 - 1952
25Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
26Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
27Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
28Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
29Folk songs and music1949 - 1952
210Bob Duncan correspondence about folk songs and music1950 - 1952
211Folk song lyrics1950 - 1952
212Chickapoo Maiden song research1950
213Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
214Federal 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 Oklahoma1935 - 1937
215Folkways, includes dances, cowboys, tall tales, moonshine, superstition, etc.1935 - 1937
216Materials created for circulation at library, Oklahoma Folk Songs1952
217Day book of Wright Patrick, songs journal entries and financial ledger1876 - 1883

The materials in this collection are for study and research purposes only. To use these digital files in any form, please use the credit "Courtesy of Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County" to accompany the image.