Penne Laingen yellow ribbon collection
By: collected by Penne Laingen, L. Bruce Laingen, and the American Folklife Center
Contributors: Parsons, Gerald E., 1940-1995, interviewer; Archive of Folk Culture (Library of Congress); American Folklife Center
Published: 1979
Language: eng
Number of pages: 70
Subjects: Folklore; Anecdotes; Ribbons; Persian Gulf War, 1991; Symbolic aspects; Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981; Personal narratives
Other titles: Yellow ribbon collection,
Description: Collection comprises Penne Laingen's yellow ribbon marking the years her husband Bruce Laingen was held hostage in Tehran, Iran, during the Iran hostage crisis from 1979 to 1981; plus related documentation. Penne Laingen tied a large yellow ribbon around a tree in her yard in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1979 when her husband, L. Bruce Laingen, was taken hostage at the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and the ribbon remained there until his release in 1981. She donated this yellow ribbon to the Library of Congress in 1991. Additional documentation includes an interview with the Laingens conducted by Gerald E. Parsons of the Archive of Folk Culture in 1991; a videocassette of news coverage of the donation; photographs of the Laingens; photographs of yellow ribbons displayed in the United States during the 1991 Gulf War; copies of sound recordings of popular and folk songs about yellow ribbons; and related manuscripts, artifacts, and posters collected by the American Folklife Center.
Notes: The collection is open for research.

Penne Laingen Yellow Ribbon Collection (AFC 1991/017), Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Duplication of the collection materials may be governed by copyright and other restrictions.

Penne Laingen, L. Bruce Laingen; Donation; 1991.

Finding aid is available in the Folklife Reading Room and online via the American Folklife Center web pages.