Interesting objects from the AIS office, #1

In the lounge, there's a box of 48 old LP's from the "Folk Music of the United States" series from the Library of Congress Music Division's recording laboratory.

Sample record titles:

• "Songs of the Michigan Lumberjacks"
• "American Sea Songs and Shanties"
• "Animal Tales Told in the Gullah Dialect"
• "Seneca Songs from Coldspring Longhouse"
• "Songs from the Iroquois Longhouse"
• "Songs of the Papago"
• "Indian Songs of Today"

We also have a very cool USB turntable, so eventually, two years ago, I decided to put it to use and digitize some records. I managed to digitize "Sounds of the Sioux" before giving up--I hadn't realized how hard it would be to figure out when one song ended and another began. I'm curious about the "Songs of the Anthracite Miners," though, so maybe I'll take the USB turntable out again soon.

Until then, check out "Song of the Grass Dance" (link opens an mp3).