Frank and Anne Warner papers, 1888-2000, bulk 1933-1985
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Summary
- Creator:
- Warner, Frank, 1903-1978 and Warner, Anne
- Abstract:
- Anne and Frank Warner were folklorists and folk song musicians. The Frank and Anne Warner collection documents the Warners' collecting, recording, and producing music and publications associated with traditional American folk music culture, primarily from along the eastern seaboard areas, in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, and as far as New Hampshire to the north. Also includes items relating to the Warners' work for the YMCA. Materials include correspondence, subject files, folk music materials, sound and moving image recordings, articles and other writings, posters. Includes several hundred photographs and some negatives with images of the Warners and folk musicians, particularly the Hicks and Profitt families at their homes in N.C. Significant correspondents comes from the American Folklore Society, the Library of Congress, YMCA, and individuals William Rose Benet, Carl Carmer, Wayland Hand, Alan Lomax, Carl Sandburg, Pete Seeger, and folk musicians.
- Extent:
- 12 Linear Feet (32 boxes)
- Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.01345
Background
- Scope and content:
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The Anne and Frank Warner papers, with materials chiefly dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, documents the Warners' collecting, recording, and producing music and publications associated with traditional American folk song culture and African American music traditions, primarily from along the eastern seaboard areas, in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, and as far as New Hampshire to the north. Through correspondence with a wide variety of folk singers and musicians, subject files, printed materials, film, video, photographs, and the Warners' own studio albums of folk songs, the materials document early methods for recording and collecting songs, and the 20th century development of American ethnomusicology. The collection also includes field audio recordings and photographs of folk singers, songwriters, and musicians at home with their families, singing and playing their instruments, with Frank and Anne Warner often joining in.
Notable individuals referred to in the Warner Collection include: William Rose Benet, Carl Carmer, Bill Doerflinger, Lena Bourne Fish, "Yankee" John Galusha, David Grimes (of the Philco Corporation), Wayland Hand, Rena and Nathan Hicks, Buna Vista and Roby Monroe Hicks, Ray Hicks, Peter and Beryl Kennedy, Alan Lomax, Bessie and Frank Proffitt, Carolyn Rabson, Carl Sandburg, Pete Seeger, Charles K. ("Tink") Tillett and family, and Charles L. Todd.
The Warners were involved with a number of organizations, among them: the American Folklore Society, the Country Dance and Song Society of America, Duke University, the Library of Congress, the Newport Folk Foundation, the New York State Historical Association, and the YMCA. The Warners published a number of essays concerning traditional American folk culture and music in Think Weekly, the Appalachian Journal, Country Dance and Song, the Long Island Forum, A Celebration of American Family Folklore, and Come for to Sing. In addition to these, Ann Warner's book, Traditional American Folk Songs in the Frank and Anne Warner Collection, 1984, remains the authoritative compendium of the Warners' research in and collection of traditional American folk music.
- Biographical / historical:
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Chronology Date Event 1903 Frank Warner born in Selma, Alabama, to George Francis (G. Frank) and Mabel Preston Warner1917 Warner family moved to Durham, N.C., when Frank Warner's father became General Secretary of Durham YMCA1921-1925 Frank Warner attended Duke University, and worked with professor and folk song collector Frank C. Brown1931 Frank Warner moved to New York City to direct programs for the Grand Central YMCA1933 Frank Warner met Sue Thomas in Nag's Head, N.C.: the two traded songs informally, a precursor to the Warners' later song collecting1935 Frank Warner and Anne Locher married1938 Song collecting trip to Boone, N.C. and to Beech Mountain, N.C.; here the Warners met the Hicks family and Frank Proffitt, who taught them the song, "Tom Dooley"1939 The Warners met "Yankee" John Galusha in Minerva, N.Y., and Rebecca King Jones, Crab Tree Creek, N.C.1940 The Warners acquired a Wilcox Gay Recordio (a pre-tape recording device), which they used when they returned to Beech Mountain, N.C., to record songs at a "porch gathering" at Rena and Nathan Hicks's house. In July, the Warners met Lena Bourne Fish in Jaffrey, N.H. Other acquaintances the Warners made this year include: John and Alwilda Culpeper, Outer Banks, N.C.; C.K. ("Tink") Tillett and his family, Wanchese, N.C.; Steve Meekins, Kitty Hawk, N.C.; and Joseph Henry ("Uncle Joe") Johnson, Suffolk, Va.1941, Summer The Warners traveled to see Frank Proffitt and family. Also met Curt Mann at Mann's Harbor, N.C. Struck up a friendship with Alan Lomax, head of Folk Archives in the Library of Congress.1945 Death of Nathan Hicks1946 Joint meeting of the New York State Historical Association and the New York Folklore Society: Frank Warner presented ballads along with Alan Lomax and Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly). Frank Warner's first album, Hudson Valley Songs, also issued this year on the Disc label. Pete Seeger played banjo on the album. The Warners visited "Yankee" John Galusha again in Minerva, N.Y.1948 Dr. Louis C. Jones, Director of the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown, N.Y., established the Seminars on American Culture: Frank Warner appointed as faculty and performed songs at the seminars1949 Death of Leadbelly. Warners met "Colonel" Tom P. Smith in Greenwich Village, New York City1950 The Warners again visited "Yankee" John Galusha in Minerva, N.Y.; later, Galusha died at 91. Carl Sandburg made the first of many visits with the Warners1951 Warners met Captain Billy Payne in Nebraska, N.C. The Warners again visited the Hicks on Beech Mountain, N.C.1952 Frank Warner Sings Folk Songs and Ballads, issued on Elektra Records1954 Frank Warner's album, Songs of America's Wars, issued on Elektra Records1956 The Warners began an association with the Pinewoods Camp, near Cape Cod, devoted to traditional American folk music. Also, Sam Fuller directed the Radio Keith Orpheum (RKO) Radio Pictures film, Run of the Arrow; Frank Warner had a small part in the movie1958 Frank Warner's album, America's Singing Heritage, issued on Elektra1961 Frank Proffitt joined the Warners at the Pinewoods Camp and again the following year. Proffitt and Frank Warner performed at the first University of Chicago Folk Festival1963 Frank Proffitt performed at the Newport Folk Festival. Warners again visited the Proffitts at their home in Pick Britches Valley, N.C.1965 The Warners visited the Proffitts at their home in Pick Britches Valley, N.C. Later that year, Frank Proffitt died in his sleep1978 Feb. 27 Death of Frank Warner1984 Publication of Anne Warner's book, Traditional American Folk Songs1991 April Death of Anne Warner - Acquisition information:
- The Frank and Anne Warner Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from 1985-2018.
- Processing information:
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Accessions described in this collection guide: November 22 1985, November 22 1985, June 10 1985, 90-046, 2000-0168, and 2018-0056, and 2010-0137.
Processed by Karen Glynn and Schuy Weishaar, March 2004. Encoded by Chris Black and Paula Jeannet, June 2004.
Updated to include accession 2018-0056 by Alice Poffinberger, June 2018.
Digitization and description of field recording access cassettes completed by Craig Breaden and Emily Shao in 2021-2022.
Collection guide encoding standardized and photographs series updated by Paula Jeannet, October 2023.
- Arrangement:
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Materials are organized into six series: Correspondence; Subject Files; Folk Materials; Writings; Audiovisual Materials; and Prints and Negatives.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subjects:
- African Americans -- United States -- Music
Ethnomusicology
Folk music -- North Carolina
Folk musicians -- Photographs
Folk songs -- North Carolina
Folk music -- Southern States
Folk music -- United States - Format:
- Audiocassettes
Audiotapes
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Compact discs
Negatives (photographs)
Sound recordings
Videotapes - Names:
- YMCA
Newport Folk Foundation
New York State Historical Association
Library of Congress
Duke University
American Folklore Society
Country Dance and Song Society of America
Warner, Anne
Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014
Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967
Rabson, Carolyn
Proffitt, Frank
Lomax, Alan, 1915-2002
Kennedy, Peter, 1922-2006
Hicks, Ray, 1922-2003
Doerflinger, William Main
Fish, Lena Bourne, -1945
Hand, Wayland D. (Wayland Debs), 1907-1986
Benet, William Rose, 1886-1950
Carmer, Carl, 1893-1976
Galusha, "Yankee" John, 1859-1950
Etheridge, Martha, 1877-1962
Hamilton, Richard O.
Hicks, Buna, 1888-1984
Hicks, Linzy, 1917-1990
Hicks, Nathan
Hicks, Ray, 1922-2003
Hicks, Roby Monroe, 1882-1957
Hicks, Rosa, 1931-
Jones, Rebecca King, 1865-1951
Presnell, Lee Monroe
Tillett, Charles K. "Tink", 1878-1941
Tillett, Eleazor, 1874-1968
Adams, Samuel Hopkins, 1871-1958
Proffitt, Frank, Jr., 1946-2005
Drepperd, Carl William, 1898-1956 - Places:
- Appalachia -- Music
New England -- Music
North Carolina -- History
North Carolina -- Music
Southern States -- Music
Contents
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- Restrictions:
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Access note. Collection contains electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.
Access note. Collection contains fragile audiovisual formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.
Access restricted. Nitrate negatives have been removed for digitization and deaccessioning as of October 2025 and are closed to use. Digital access copies will be available after digitization.
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- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Frank and Anne Warner Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
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- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1wx45