The Archives' holdings document the history of ethnographic sound recording, from wax cylinders made during museum expeditions in the 1890s to recent commercial releases on compact disc. The core of the collection consists of more than 3,000 field collections–unique and irreplaceable recordings collected by anthropologists, linguists, ethnomusicologists, folklorists, and others throughout the world. Extensive holdings of Native American, African, and Latin American music and spoken word, and several large collections of early jazz and blues 78s are just some of the strengths of our holdings. The rows below contain some samples and highlights. Browse the collection descriptions to learn more and hear or see sample recordings. Full IUCAT catalog records for these collections can be found by following the active links from the accession numbers on the highlight pages.
Hoagy Carmichael Collections. 1920s-1981. Holding over 3500 recordings, photographs, and personal effects from the life of popular songwriter, jazz musician, and actor Hoagy Carmichael, this is the largest collection of Hoagy Carmichael materials in the world.