Catalog Record:
Woody Guthrie was a prolific artist known for his achievements as a singer-songwriter and as an author. Guthrie toured and performed for a period of approximately twenty-five years, exhibiting a life-long dedication to social activism by playing his politically charged music for audiences around the nation. His output included nearly three thousand songs, several novels, and other writings in the form of articles, essays, poems, and letters. In addition, Guthrie also painted, drew cartoons, and often illustrated his writings.
From 1940 to 1950, Guthrie corresponded with staff at the Library of Congress. The most significant and frequent correspondence occurred between 1940 and 1942, when Guthrie wrote regularly to the Assistant in Charge of the Archive of American Folk Song, Alan Lomax. Their correspondence explores political issues, current events, career and recording issues, and includes personal exchanges. In addition, Guthrie sent Lomax prose pieces and other creative writings, some of which are reminiscent of journal or diary entries in their stream-of-consciousness nature. Some pieces are written on paper bags and tissue paper, some include doodles or sketches. In addition, Guthrie sent lyrics of his songs in several formats, including one large hand-bound set, smaller unbound sets, and single pages enclosed in letters. Most of these songs are ballads that used familiar melodies but addressed contemporary situations. Some of the manuscripts were written prior to 1940 and were subsequently sent to Lomax during their correspondence. In some cases Guthrie reworked or annotated old manuscripts before sending them.
Woody Guthrie, born in Okemah, Oklahoma in 1912 and raised in Texas, moved to California during the Depression, where he met actor and activist Will Geer and toured migrant labor camps documenting conditions and injustices in the camps for
Alan Lomax arranged for Guthrie to travel to Washington, D.C. to
record an oral life history that included traditional and original songs, and
encouraged him to write his autobiography. Guthrie performed on several "Folk
Music of America" radio shows hosted by Alan Lomax on CBS's American School of
the Air. In New York, Woody Guthrie joined Lomax's sister, Bess Lomax Hawes,
Pete Seeger, and others in a singing group, the Almanac Singers, for which
Guthrie wrote protest ballads and songs. More information on Woody Guthrie's
life and career can be found through the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives
at
The Archive of American Folk Song was founded in 1928 at the Library of Congress to collect and preserve American folksongs. During the years when the earliest Guthrie collections were acquired, from 1940 to 1950, the Archive was directed by: John A. Lomax (1932-1942), Alan Lomax (assistant in charge, 1937-1942), Benjamin Botkin (1942-1945), and Duncan Emrich (1946-1954). It was through Alan Lomax's recording projects and his personal friendship with Woody Guthrie that these early materials were added to the Archive. When Alan Lomax's entire collection of papers and recordings was acquired by the American Folklife Center in 2004, additional Woody Guthrie manuscripts were included, which add to the Archive's Guthrie holdings. To reflect its broader mission and collections the Archive was re-named the Archive of Folk Culture in 1981 and is now a part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
In 1987, archivist Marsha Maguire and Archive head Joseph C. Hickerson processed and summarized the materials, based in part on an earlier list compiled by researcher Richard A. Reuss. The manuscripts are organized in the following order: administrative, song lyrics, writings, correspondence, and oversize material.
Materials are located in the Archive of Folk Culture. Viewing access
to the materials is unrestricted, though restrictions apply concerning the use,
duplication, or publication of items. Consult a reference librarian in the
Folklife Reading Room for specific information. Selected letters and manuscript
materials are available online through the American Memory web presentation
"Woody Guthrie and the Archive of American Folk Song: Correspondence,
1940-1950" at
The materials were acquired through Woody Guthrie's correspondence and personal aquaintance with Alan Lomax, who was assistant in charge of the Archive of American Folk Song from 1937-1942. The majority of the materials, mostly Guthrie's writings dating from 1935 to 1950, were accessioned between 1940 and 1951.
Woody Guthrie Manuscript Collection (AFC 1940/004), Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Ken Lindsay Collection of Woody Guthrie Correspondence
AFC
2005/006. Ken Lindsay (1923-2001) was a founding partner of the Challenge Jazz
Club in London, England, and worked for the International Bookshop, London, at
the time of this correspondence, 1952 to 1953, in which he encouraged Guthrie's
writing projects and invited him to consider touring in Europe; 29 items.
Alan Lomax Collection
AFC 2004/004. Woody Guthrie correspondence
within the Alan Lomax Collection dates from 1940 to 1953, most written by Woody
Guthrie to Alan Lomax, whose friendship with Guthrie continued after Lomax left
the Library of Congress in 1942. Also included are collections of songs,
essays, clippings, a birth announcement for Arlo Guthrie, and issues of the
Alan Lomax Collection of Woody Guthrie Recordings
AFC 1940/007.
Recorded March 21, 22 and 27, 1940, at Radio Broadcasting Division of the
Department of Interior, Washington, D.C. Seventeen 12-inch discs: 4 hours, 27
minutes duration. Conversation, songs, stories, and life story or autobiography
as told by Woody Guthrie to Alan and Elizabeth Lomax. Recorded by Nev.
Rumble.
Alan Lomax CBS Radio Series Collection
AFC 1939/002, AFS 4507.
American School of the Air radio broadcast aired April 2, 1940, from New York,
Columbia Broadcasting System. One 16-inch disc: 14 minutes duration (5 minutes
feature Guthrie). Part I of the 22nd American School of the Air "Folk Music of
America" series segment, "Poor Farmer Songs." Features Alan Lomax, the Golden
Gate Quartet, and Woody Guthrie.
Alan Lomax CBS Radio Series Collection
AFC 1939/002, AFS 4508.
American School of the Air radio broadcast aired April 2, 1940, from New York,
Columbia Broadcasting System. One 16-inch disc: 15 minutes duration (13 minutes
feature Guthrie). Part II of the 22nd American School of the Air "Folk Music of
America" series segment, "Poor Farmer Songs." Features Alan Lomax, the Golden
Gate Quartet, and Woody Guthrie.
Alan Lomax CBS Radio Series Collection
AFC 1939/002, AFS
13498-99. American School of the Air radio broadcast aired April 23, 1940, from
New York, Columbia Broadcasting System. One 16-inch disc: 27 minutes duration
(3 minutes feature Guthrie). The final broadcast of "Folk Music in America" for
the 1939-1940 season, featuring Alan Lomax with the Golden Gate Quartet, Woody
Guthrie, and Leadbelly.
Leadbelly Radio Audition
AFC 1991/018. One 16-inch disc: 15
minutes duration. Leadbelly performs for NBC radio on June 9, 1940, with
narration by Woody Guthrie.
Alan Lomax CBS Radio Series Collection
AFC 1939/002, AFS 4510.
Aired August 19, 1940, from New York, Columbia Broadcasting System. One 16-inch
disc: 30 minutes duration (12 minutes feature Guthrie). The pilot broadcast of
"Back Where I Come From," on the topic of "Weather," featuring Clifton (Kip)
Fadiman, host; Len Doyle, "The Expert"; the Golden Gate Quartet, Woody Guthrie,
Burl Ives, Willie Johnson, and Josh White.
Mike Seeger Collection
AFC 1995/004 and dub numbers 14A5-14A9;
recorded circa 1940 in New York. One 7-inch reel copied from a disc recording:
10 minutes duration. Woody Guthrie performs with Pete Seeger.
Songs by Woody Guthrie
AFC 1941/031 recorded January 4, 1941, in
the Recording Laboratory at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. One
16-inch disc: 28 minutes duration. Seven songs performed by Woody Guthrie; each
song includes spoken introduction. Recorded by Alan Lomax and John
Langenegger.
Almanac Singers Recording
AFC 1942/013. Recorded January 1942 in
New York. Two 10-inch, four 12-inch discs: 18 minutes duration. The Almanac
Singers and Alan Lomax, John A. Lomax, and Earl Robinson.
Woody Guthrie Concert and Conversation, April 14, 1951
AFC
1991/003; recorded April 14, 1951, at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland.
Cassette copy of a wire spool recording: 24 minutes duration. Guthrie performs
in concert at St. John's College. There are very few recordings of Guthrie
concerts; this recording is the last known recorded concert performance.
Other divisions of the Library of Congress have additional archival materials pertaining to Woody Guthrie. The Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division holds 12 hours of sound recordings and one 20-minute film; the Music Division holds microfilmed manuscript material; and the Prints and Photographs Division holds 33 items in the form of photographic prints and printed materials.
For further details on the materials in these divisions, visit:
Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at
Music Division at
Prints and Photographs Division at
Carbon copy. For original, see Box 2 of 3.
Reference photocopy of oversize materials. For originals, see Box 3 of 3.
Original