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Promotional radio program audio recordings, 1955-1965 (bulk: 1960-1964)
Amount:
104 audio tapes .50 cubic ft.
Medium Included:
Audio reel-to-reel recordings
Organization/Arrangement:
Numerical by program number within program category (15-minute programs and 30-minute programs).
Restrictions:
None
Terms Governing Use:
Biographical/Historical:
In 1935, the Florida Legislature designated "Old Folks at Home" (often referred to as "Way Down Upon the Suwannee River") as Florida's state song. Over the next two decades, several Floridians began to push for a memorial to the song's composer, Stephen Collins Foster, who considered by many to be the nation's first commercial songwriter. Finally, after years of lobbying by groups such as the Florida Federation of Music Clubs, the state opened the Stephen Foster Memorial as a 250-acre park in White Springs in 1950 on the banks of the Suwannee River. That same year, the state created the Stephen Foster Memorial Commission to administer the development and maintenance of the park. In 1969, the Department. of State's Division of Cultural Affairs assumed administration of the park. In 1979 the memorial became a part of the Florida Park Service and now carries the name of the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (79-322, SB 1208).
The park would eventually be comprised of a carillon tower, a Stephen Foster Museum, landscaped park grounds, and an annual Florida Folk Festival, along with other public programs. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Memorial sponsored several public programs, most of which celebrated the music of Stephen Foster as well as the genre of folk music. Such programs included chorus performances, concerts by national folk artists, educational programs, and holiday concerts.
Summary:
This series consists of 15- and 30-minute radio features prepared for Florida radio stations by the Stephen Foster Memorial Commission to promote the Memorial and its events, including the Florida Folk Festival. Created as public service announcements, many of the programs were also intended to educate the public about Foster and his music, folk music, and other related topics. For several of the recordings, there is both a master version and a final verison. The numbering refers to the purchase order number. Many programs had two versions (15- and 30-minute versions). The series also includes descriptions of some of the programs.
Finding Aids:
Item listing available. Searchable descriptions of sound recordings available online at http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/ 0 Partial paper index included in series.
Additional Physical Form:
Reproduction Note:
Location of Originals/Duplicates:
Associated Materials:
For Florida Folk Festival recordings from 1954 through 2001, as well as recordings of other Stephen Foster Memorial events, see series S1576, Bureau of Florida Folklife Programs, Florida Folklife Archive, Audio recordings of Florida Folk Festival Performances and Other Folk Events; for other Foster Memorial recordings created by the Stephen Foster Memorial Commission, see series S2043, Stephen Foster Memorial (White Springs, Fla.) Audio Recordings of Stephen Foster Memorial Events.
Language Notes:
Ownership/Custodial History:
Publication Note:
General Note:
Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Foster, Stephen Collins, 1826-1864. Boltin, Thelma Ann, 1904-1992
Stephen Foster Center. Stephen Foster Memorial (White Springs, Fla.) Stephen Foster State Folk Culture Center.
Folk festivals Florida Performing arts Florida Concerts Florida Radio broadcasting Florida. Attractions. Education Florida Folklife. Folk music Florida
Sound recordings. aat Audio recordings.
Hamilton County (Fla.)
Florida Folk Festival
for detailed listing.