Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1973 Festival of American Folklife
odd: label: Introduction
content: In 1973, the Smithsonian Institution began preparing its multi-year commemoration of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution in 1976. Beginning with this year's Festival, the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior became co-sponsor of the Festival with the Smithsonian, and it was moved to the western part of the National Mall alongside the Reflecting Pool, between 17th and 23rd Streets, and between Constitution Avenue N.W. and Independence Avenue S.W. (see site plan). As explained by Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, "Themes and presentations for this Festival are a trial run for the themes around which our own celebration of America's 200th birthday will be organized."

The 1973 Festival ran from June 30 to July 8 and included four programs that initiated the Bicentennial preparations: Regional America featured the Commonwealth of Kentucky; Native Americans featured Northern Plains tribes; Working Americans featured the building trades; and Old Ways in the New World was inaugurated with two programs: Tribute to the Tamburashi presented Yugoslavian and Yugoslavian American traditions, and British Isles Music, Song, and Dance Traditions included participants from England, Scotland, Ireland and the U.S. Of these programs, Native Americans and Working Americans extended throughout the nine-day Festival, with the British Isles program running the first four days, the Tamburashi program running the first five days, and Kentucky featured for the last five days. During the Festival, evening concerts were presented on a stage at the base of the Lincoln Memorial; documentation of those concerts is found within each of the relevant programs whose musicians were featured.

The 1973 Festival was co-organized by the Smithsonian Institution, Division of Performing Arts (James R. Morris, Director; Richard Lusher, Deputy Director) and the National Park Service (Ronald H. Walker, Director). Ralph Rinzler was Director of Folklife Programs, with Gerald L. Davis serving as Associate Director and Kenneth S. Goldstein as Special Assistant to the Secretary on Folklore and Folklife.

The 1973 Program Book provided information on all of the programs, including a schedule and participant lists.
label: Shared Stewardship of Collections
content: The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://doi.org/10.25573/data.21771155.
name: label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
label: Names
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
topic: label: Topic
content: Folk music
label: Topic
content: arts and crafts
label: Topic
content: Folklore
label: Topic
content: Folk art
label: Topic
content: Folk festivals
label: Topic
content: World music
label: Topic
content: Food habits
label: Topic
content: occupational folklore
creator: label: Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1973 Festival of American Folklife
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
bioghist: label: Historical note
content: The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. 

The 1973 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Division of Performing Arts and cosponsored by the National Park Service.

For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Cubic foot (approximate)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note
content: The Rinzler Archives is continually engaged in digitization of archival materials to facilitate preservation and ready access by users. However, given the diversity of legacy formats of the originals, some older materials may not be available. Notably, certain older audio recordings cannot be played because of deterioration of the tape stock, and the Archives has no playback equipment for EIAJ-1 videoreels (1/2 inch) or multi-track audio recordings. Where listening or viewing copies are available, this is generally indicated for each item. Users are encouraged to contact Archives staff to verify that the materials of interest to them are already accessible, or to determine if they can be digitized as needed.
unitdate: label: Date
content: June 30-July 8, 1973
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1973
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Notes
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Type
content: Contracts
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Plans (drawings)
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Business records
label: Type
content: Digital images
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Negatives
label: Type
content: Memorandums
arrangement: label: Arrangement note
content: Arranged in 5 series.

Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera

Series 2: Regional America: Kentucky

Series 3: Native Americans: Northern Plains Indians

Series 4: Old Ways in the New World

Series 5: Working Americans
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Notes
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Genre/Form
content: Contracts
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Plans (drawings)
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records
label: Genre/Form
content: Digital images
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Memorandums
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1973 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.
relatedmaterial: label: Forms Part Of
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1973 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers

1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]
label: Related Archival Materials note
content: Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.