Collection Title: Kentucky Folklore Society Papers
Series Number: MS69-05
Processed and Cataloged by: Dieter C. Ullrich
Date Listed: January 14, 2010
Date Span: 1925-1963
Size of Collection: 3.0 linear ft.
Number of Boxes: 3 legal sized document cases and 3 oversized boxes.
Type of Material: Correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks and ephemera.
Condition of Material: Fair with foxing and fading of older documents.
Arrangement: Chronological arrangement
Biographical / Historical Information: The Kentucky Folklore Society was founded in 1912 as a local branch of the American Folklore Society. From 1916 to 1950, its annual meeting was held in conjunction with the Kentucky Education Association in Louisville. Consisting largely of academics and school teachers, the Society emphasized research and teaching, both in public schools and at the college level. During the 1920s and '30s, the Society had two irregular publications, the Bulletin of the Kentucky Folk-Lore Society and the Kentucky Folk-Lore and Poetry Magazine. The Kentucky Folklore Record was first published in 1955 and gradually evolved into a more professional or academic journal with a scope that was not limited to Kentucky. Both the Kentucky Folklore Record and the Kentucky Folklore Society ceased to exist in approximately 1986.
Scope and Content: Collection consists of correspondence, scrapbooks, newspapers clippings and ephemera associated with the Kentucky Folklore Society from 1925 to 1963. The bulk of the collection covers the organization’s formative years from 1951 to 1963 when D. K. Wilgus served as editor to the Kentucky Folklore Record. The correspondence centers upon the organization and planning of the organization’s annual meetings and letters to and from scholars and authors. The collection includes a few drafts of presentations and articles, constitution, a brief history of the organization, financial records and subject oriented scrapbooks.
Subject Headings / Descriptors:
Kentucky Folklore Society
Folklore – Kentucky
Kentucky – Social life and customs
Wilgus, D. K.
Additional Sources:
Kentucky Folklore Society Records, ca. 1912-1957. Kentucky State Archives. Collection contains minutes, financial reports, and some correspondence from the Kentucky Folklore Society.
D. K. Wilgus Folklore Collection, 1918-1989. Borea College. Special Collections and Archives. Collection contains collected works of regional folklorists and personal papers.
Kentucky Folklore Record. Series ran from 1955 to 1987
Kentucky Folklore Series. Series ran from 1955 to 1986
Bulletin of the Kentucky Folk-lore Society. Series ran from 1931 to 1938
Kentucky Folk-lore and Poetry Magazine. Series ran from 1926 to 1931
Research Notes: Open to the public for educational research. Restrictions may apply due to deteriorating conditions of the originals. Check for copyright restrictions.
