Inventory of the Folkstreams.net Collection, 1969-2005

Collection Number 20384

Manuscripts Department, University Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Contact Information:

Manuscripts Department

CB#3926, Wilson Library

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890

Phone: 919/962-1345

Fax: 919/962-3594

Email: mss@email.unc.edu

URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/

Descriptive Summary

Repository

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.

Creator

Folkstreams.net

Title

Folkstreams.net Collection, 1969-2005

Call Number

20384

Language of Materials

Materials in English

Extent

Items: About 100

Linear Feet: 9.5

Administrative Information

Restrictions to Access

This collection has restrictions to access. Please see details below or contact the Manuscripts Department for more information.

Usage Restrictions

Use of films or videotapes may require production of viewing copies.

Alternate Form of Material

Acquisitions Information

Received from Tom Davenport of Delaplane, Va., in August 2003 (Acc. 99624), February 2004 (Acc. 99724), March 2004 (Acc. 99758), April 2004 (Acc. 99767 and Acc. 99771), June 2004 (Acc. 99822 and Acc. 99838), July 2004 (Acc. 99850), October 2004 (Acc. 99915), February 2005 (Acc. 100011), March 2005 (Acc. 100029), May 2005 (Acc. 100079), June 2005 (Acc. 100087), July 2005 (Acc. 100127), August 2005 (Acc. 100149, Acc. 100163, and Acc. 100174), October 2005 (Acc. 100231), November 2005 (Acc. 100258). Received from Barry Dornfeld of Philadelphia, Pa., in December 2004 (Acc. 99979) and January 2006 (Acc. 100314); Received from Randi Davenport in January 2005 (Acc. 99999), Received from Joyce Middlebrook in August 2005 (Acc. 100151).

Processing Information

Processed by: Susan Hester, December 2005

Encoded by: Emily Jack, February 2006

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Folkstreams.net Collection #20384, Southern Folklife Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Cowboys--Poetry.

Davenport, Mimi.

Davenport, Tom.

Documentary films.

Ferris, William R.

Folk art--United States.

Folk music--United States.

Folk songs--United States.

Folklorists--United States.

Folkstreams.net.

Gospel music.

Hunting--United States.

Independent filmmakers--United States.

Indian art--North America.

Klezmer music--United States.

Lawless, Elaine J.

Lomax, Alan, 1915-

Medicine shows--United States.

Patterson Daniel W. (Daniel Watkins)

Peterson, Betsy, 1953-

Rankin, Tom.

Tales--United States.

Titon, Jeff Todd, 1943-

United States--Religious life and customs.

United States--Social life and customs.

Winninger, John.

Zydeco music.

Historical Note

Folkstreams.net is an Internet website designed to disseminate documentary films about American folk culture. Produced by independent filmmakers, these films give voice to the arts and experience of diverse American groups. They are streamed on the website together with background materials that highlight the history and importance of the traditions and the films.

Click to access website.

The potential of the Internet to connect documentary filmmakers with their audiences became apparent to filmmaker Tom Davenport and his wife and co-producer Miriam Davenport when they constructed a website in 1999 for their feature-length fairy-tale film Willa: An American Snow White. In 1999, Davenport was approached by two independent feature filmmakers, who wanted to put his films on the site of a video streaming company they had founded, AlwaysIndependentFilms.com.

In March 2000, Davenport discussed his idea with staff members at the National Endowment for the Humanities, who encouraged him to assemble a group of filmmakers, scholars, and computer specialists to work on development. Working with folklorist Daniel Patterson and others on the Folkstreams committee, Davenport submitted a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities and received grant funds to build a prototype. The Folkstreams.net website allows users to stream films chosen by the Folkstreams committee about American folk culture, ranging in subjects from aging and agriculture to immigrant culture and music and covering all regions of the United States.

Expansion of Folkstreams.net is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, regional and state Arts and Humanities organizations, private foundations, and contributions from filmmakers, scholars, and collaborating institutions.

Collection Overview

The Folkstreams.net Collection consists of about 100 film prints, videotapes, and digital video discs of films that appear on the folkstreams.net website. The films, originally made between the mid-1960s and 2003, document American folk culture and represent all regions of the United States. The collection includes folklorist Bill Ferris's Gravel Springs Fife and Drum (1972) and Black Delta Region (1973); Alan Lomax's The Land Where the Blues Began (1979); Tom Rankin and Jeff Titon's Powerhouse for God (1986); and John Winninger, Elaine Lawless and Betsy Peterson's Joy Unspeakable (1981). Also included are films in the American Traditional Culture Series by Folkstreams founder Tom Davenport. These films were made with Daniel Patterson and the Curriculum in Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They include The Shakers, Being a Joines, Born for Hard Luck, A Singing Stream, The Ballard of Frankie Silver, and When My Work Is Over. Outtakes for these films are in the Southern Folklife Collection. Other films cover such subjects as folk art, medicine shows, hunting, folk song, cowboy poetry, Zydeco music, Gandy dancers, religion, gospel music, folk story, Native American folk art, and Klezmer music. The films are in various high-quality media formats: 16mm print film, Betacam SP, Digital Betacam, mini digital video, and DVDs.

Detailed Description of the Collection