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DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
November 27, 1939.
Mr. Harold Spivacke,
The Music Division,
Library of Congress,
Dear Mr. Spivacke:
I am contemplating a trip to southern Colorado and northern New Mexico next summer for the purpose of gathering the music to popular ballads, wedding and miscellaneous songs, at least twenty of which occur in the various folk plays of the region. As I understand it, the Music Division of the Library of Congress has a recording machine that it lends out on condition that it be given recordings of the material collected. If this is so, I should appreciate it very much if you would write letting me know whether I may borrow the machine and the exact conditions under which I may borrow it.
Yours sincerely,
Dec. 2, 1939
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dept. of Romanic Languages
Stanford University
Dear Mr. Rael:
The Library of Congress does lend its recording machines on occasion for the purpose of collecting folk-songs for its Archive. It also supplies the collectors with disks and necessary materials for the making of these records. These records, however, then remain the property of the Library and are incorporated into the Archive. We do everything we can, however, to cooperate with the collectors by accepting any reasonable restrictions on them so that collectors may be assured of first publication.
The region you contemplate exploring interests us very much. If you will please give us more information about your proposed trip and tell us approximately when you will be needing the machine, we shall give very serious consideration the matter.
Sincerely yours,
Harold Spivacke
HS
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
April 11, 1940.
Mr. Harold Spivacke,
Chief, Division of Music,
Library of Congress,
Dear Mr. Spivacke:
In view of the fact that you were uncertain as to whether of not you could lend me a recording machine for the summer and since I could not wait till the last moment for a definite answer, I have secured the loan of a machine elsewhere, which means that it will be unnecessary for you to lend me one of your recorders.
Will you be kind enough to return the sheet of music which I sent you as a sample of what I have gathered? If you wish to do so, you may make a copy of it for your files before returning if to me.
Thanking you for any inconvenience that I may have caused you, I remain,
Very sincerely yours,
April 23, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Stanford University
Dear Mr. Rael:
First of all, I want to tell you that I am delighted to hear that you have obtained a recording machine for your work this summer. When I wrote you last, I could not tell whether we should have any machines at our disposal but since then, we have received a grant from the Carnegie Corporation which should eliminate such uncertainties in the future. I am enclosing a copy of a press release which will explain this. Please do not hesitate to call on us for any aid which you think we can render.
I am returning the manuscript. Thank you for permission to copy it.
Sincerely yours,
Harold Spivacke
HS
w
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
May 7, 1940.
Mr. Harold Spivacke,
Dear Mr. Spivacke:
I am glad to hear that you received a very substantial grant from the Carnegie Corporation and that you will be well provided with recording machines in the future.
If you would like to give me your cooperation, I think that we could be of great mutual assistance to each other. As I wrote to you a while back, I am going to have a machine available next summer, but there are several drawbacks in the use of this machine. First, it is not a portable machine; second, it will be available to me only one week at the beginning of the summer, and after that I would be able to use it only during week-ends. The machine belongs to one of the southern Colorado colleges and they would have to use it during school days. If at all possible, I much rather have a portable machine that I could carry with me on all my field trips, so as to secure material that otherwise it would be difficult to record.
The material in the region where I am going to work is so abundant that I do not believe I shall have any trouble in gathering three hundred melodies of more. If you care to derive the full benefit of the work that I am going to do, I shall be very glad to let you have duplicates of all the Old Spanish folk tunes that I may collect, provided I may secure the loan of one of your machines.
In one of your letters, you seemed to express concern over the possibility that Mr. Campa and I might duplicate each other's work. I shall try to eliminate that by not recording from people who have contributed to him, and, if possible, by not working in the field of his investigation. However, there is bound to be expected a certain amount of duplication in the sense that in some cases we shall record the same melodies, but you must remember that there are many variants of the same melody, and, as a result, our collections will be all the more rich for those “duplications.” Of the “valse” I sent you, for example, I expect to gather this summer one or more variants, perhaps even better than the one we recorded last summer. I think that we would be making a sad mistake by failing to record the different variants of the same melody for fear of duplicating the work done by someone else. After all, the expense of recording, once you have the necessary equipment and you are out on the field, is negligible. However, if you decide to give me the necessary assistance, I shall be very glad to get recordings of just the material you want, in case you do not want duplicate recordings of every thing I collect.
I plan to reach the field of my investigation on June 9th and expect to get to work at once. I intend to spend a month in southern Colorado and then move to northern New Mexico, where I plan to spend a month more.
Whether you decide to lend me a machine of not, I should feel very grateful to you if you would recomend what you consider the most satisfactory disks for my purpose, and the best way to get them. If possible, I should like to get the blank disks from a dealer near the region where I am going to work rather than buy them out here on the coast. If you have any other suggestions, I shall appreciate them also.
Hoping to hear from you at your earliest, convenience, I am,
Sincerely yours,
9—1696
W
To the
Librarian of congress
From the
Division of Music
Referring to
so far as LC is concerned
May 22, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dept. of Romance Languages
Stanford University
Dear Mr. Rael:
I have delayed answering your letter of May 7 because we are just beginning to organize our new activities in the field of recording which were made possible by the Carnegie grant. With the approval of the Librarian, I can now tell you we shall be glad to lend you a recording machine this summer for a period of one to two months. We should expect you in return to send us the records you make so that we may duplicate them for our collection.
Actually we do not have a machine in the Library at the moment and shall have to purchase one for you. Since our chief engineer who has just been appointed takes office on June 3, I hesitate to make this purchase without having the benefit of his advice. For the same reason, I hesitate to recommend any special make of disc. Once he is here, however, it should not take us long to get organized. In the meantime, you can organize your trip so that your recording work will be facilitated when you actually begin.
Sincerely yours,
Harold Spivacke
HS
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
May 24, 1940.
Dear Mr. Spivacke:
I am very glad to hear it will be possible for you to lend me a recording machine. However, for several reasons, I should prefer that you provide the discs, as you gave me to understand you might do in your letter of December 2nd. In the first place, I am mainly interested in the music related to certain folk songs and folk dances connected with two or three pieces of research I cam carrying on. The number of melodies that I shall be recording for myself will probably not exceed one hundred, at the most. On the other hand, there are from two to three times that number that I do not need in my collection but which you would want in yours. Again, I should like to be well equipped with discs (not less than one hundred, and still better two hundred). If I buy them, I would have no use for any blank discs that I might have left, but if you furnish them, I could return them without any loss to you, since you would be able to use them later on. I shall pay for any discs that I use for making duplicates for myself.
I want to assure you that I appreciate very deeply what you are doing for me and I shall do my best to follow your wishes in recording the melodies you want.
Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain,
Very Cordial
? P O 16—5079
To the
From the
Division of Music
Referring to
CHIEF CLERK
JUN 10, 1940
I should like to have your approval of the loan of a recording machine to the following collectors:
Chief, Division of Music
LIBRARIAN
Class of Service
This is a full-rate
Telegram or Cablegram
unless its deferred character is indicated
by a suitable symbol above or preceding
SYMBOLS
DL=Day Letter
NL=Night Letter
LC=Deferred Cable
NLT=Cable Night Letter
R. B. WHITE
PRESIDENT
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination.
WB555 10 XC=ANTONIO COLO 11 140P
HAROLD SPIVACKE=
CHIEF DIVISION OF MUSIC LIBRARY OF CONGRESS=
PLEASE SEND RECORDING MACHINE AND ACCESSORIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE=
JUAN B RAEL.
SPIVACKE RAEL.
THE COMPANY WILL APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE
CHARGE TO THE ACCOUNT OF
CHECK SERVICE DESIRED OTHERWISE
FULL RATE
DAY LETTER
NIGHT LETTER
SERIAL
RESERVATION
TOUR-RATE
FULL RATE
CDE RATE
URGENT
DEFERRED
NIGHT LETTER
SHIP RADIO
Mackay Radio
Commercial Cables
All America Cables
Canadian Pacific Telegraphs
CHARGE
ACCOUNT
CASH NO.
CHECK
TIME FILED
Form 2-C
June 14, 1940.
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Material will be purchased and available in week or two.
Harold Spivacke
Charge to:
June 26, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dear Mr. Rael:
I am sorry that there has been such a long delay in getting you a recording machine but, as I explained to you in a previous letter, we received the grant just a little while ago and engaged our engineer on June 1. At last, however, everything is settled — the Librarian has approved the project and we can now offer you a recording machine.
Instead of your purchasing the discs, we should prefer to furnish you with the discs for the original recordings and then have you purchase the duplicates from us. This will not be any more expensive for you, in fact it might even be slightly cheaper and will enable all of us to take better care of the discs. I shall write you again when the material has been shipped.
Sincerely yours,
Harold Spivacke
HS
? P O 16—5079
MEMORANDUM
From
Jerome Wiesner
DIVISION
To the Chief of the
Music
Division
Music
Attached is a photostat of the Librarian's approval for the purchase of material for recorded trips to be undertaken by Mr. Charles L. Todd and Mr. Juan B. Rael. Please purchase from the U. S. Recording Company, 712 — 11th st. N.W. for immediate delivery to the Music Division
The cost, $193.20, is to be charged to Increase for the fiscal year 1940–41.
Chief, Division of Music
Class of Service
This is a full-rate
Telegram or Cablegram
unless its deferred character is indicated
by a suitable symbol above or preceding
DL=Day Letter
NL=Night Letter
LC=Deferred Cable
NLT=Cable Night Letter
R. B. WHITE
PRESIDENT
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination.
KA315 10/13 NT XC=ANTONITO COLO 18
HAROLD SPIVACKE=
DIVISION OF MUSIC LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHDC=
HAS RECORDING EQUIPMENT BEEN SENT? IF SO WHEN AND HOW?
WIRE VIA WESTERNUNION=
JUAN B RAEL.
ONLY WESTERN UNION can carry your message there by TELEGRAPH..Quickly, accurately 4162
APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE
Class of Service
This is a full-rate
Telegram or Cablegram
unless its deferred character is indicated
by a suitable symbol above or preceding
DL=Day Letter
NL=Night Letter
LC=Deferred Cable
NLT=Cable Night Letter
R. B. WHITE
PRESIDENT
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
The filing time shown in the date line on telegrams and day letters is STANDARD TIME at point of origin. Time of receipt is STANDARD TIME at point of destination.
KA375 8 NT XC=ANTONITO COLO 11
HAROLD SPIVACKE=
MUSIC DIVISION LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHDC=
PLEASE SEND EQUIPMENT VIA EXPRESS TO ANTONITO COLORADO=
JUAN B RAEL.
THE COMPANY WILL APPRECIATE SUGGESTIONS FROM ITS PATRONS CONCERNING ITS SERVICE
w
xxxxxxxx
Music
Mr. Bond
Acting Chief, Division of Music
CLASS OF SERVICE DESIRED
TELEGRAM
DAY
SERIAL
NIGHT
SPECIAL
ORDINARY
URGENT
DEFERRED
NIGHT
SHIP
Patrons should check class of service
desired; otherwise the message will be
transmitted as a telegram or
July 19, 1940
Juan B. Rael
EQUIPMENT SENT YESTERDAY TO ANTONITO COLORADO. COMING VIA EXPRESS.
Harold Spivacke
Charge to
July 19, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dear Mr. Rael,
1. Give your trip a name, vis, “John Doe's Expedition to Kalamazoo”, or something of the sort.
2. Number the records in the order they are recorded, writing or stamping the title of your trip and the number of your particular recording on the top of each record envelope.
3. Scratch or write in the center of each side the letter
A
or
B
, thus identifying the record side.
A1— Barbara Allen, sung by John Doe with guitar and with fiddle by?is Henry, Pasedena, N. Y. Dec. 1844.
A2— etc.
A3— etc.
A4— etc.
B1, B2, B3, etc.
5. Naturally, we hope that you will be able to furnish us with a great deal of additional material surrounding the recordings, both, in terms of careful field notes and interesting interview
6. It is very important to record the tunings of all instruments which play a part in the music, to photograph the instruments and get the informant to explain how he plays it. In the case of unusual instruments, it would be worthwhile to make accurate drawings or send the instruments where they could be drawn to scale. If part singing is recorded, it would be a real contribution to record the parts in the harmony separately. This can be done by shifting the singers in front of the microphone.
7. As you know, valuable material is to be had from comparison of different versions of the same song from different regions. So also, are different performances of the same songs in the same community by different singers, or the same song by different members of the family or the same song by the same performers at different times. Therefore, it is not so important to us that material be always rehearsed without a mistake or hesitation. The great beauty of field recordings is that performers take their own time and do things their own way, feeling that if they make a mistake, they can try again. The results are such that any commercial recording company can ever hope to achieve.
With best wishes for a successful trip, I am,
Alan Lomax
Assistant in Charge
Archive of American Folk Song
July 19, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dear Mr. Rael:
Enclosed you will find your letter of introduction and operating instru?ctions for the recording machine which should reach you in two or three days.
I am very sorry for the delays, which I know have caused you a great amount of inconvenience, and I hope that in the future we can serve you with greater dispatch. The delay which we did not expect was due to circumstances arising from the fact that the equipment was the first to be purchased with the Carnegie grant money and new proceeding has to be established at a time when the entire library was undergoing a reorganization.
Further, it seems that our correspondence to you was being addressed to a non-existent town, Antonio.
You will receive fifty blank 12″ records with the machine, and you may have fifty more when you want them. There are five sapphire needles in the machine. As they become dull return them to me via air mail and I will send you sharp ones. I would suggest that you withdraw them from service at the first sings of noise due to dulling.
I am writing a set of instructions concerning the use of the batteries and convertor which I will include in this letter. There are also included two copies of a list of equipment, I wish that you would check the materials as they arrive, sign one copy and return it to Dr. Spivacke.
I hope that the remainder of your summer will be much more pleasant than that period through which you have been waiting.
Your truly,
Jerome B. Wiesner
w
CC: MUSIC DIV.
To Whom It May Concern:
The bearer of this letter, Mr. Juan B. Rael, is at present engaged in making phonograph records in the field, which will be added to the collections of the Archive of American Folk Song in the Library of Congress. The accumulation and preservation of the material he records are most important for the cultural documentation of the United States. Any assistance offered to Mr. Rael, or any courtesies extended to him, will therefore be very much appreciated.
Very truly yours,
Acting Librarian
July the seventeenth
W
Division of Music
July 19, 1940
Recording equipment loaned Mr. Juan B. Rael, Antonito, Colorado, and shipped via railway express from Washington, D. C.
1 Presto 6K serial 279 recorder
1 Eicor B1180 convertor
1 Turner type 99 serial 2893 microphone
2 Firestone type 2H storage batteries
5 Sapphire needles
60′ Microphone extension
60′ A. C. power cord extension
1 Collapsible microphone stand
1 Pair trimm head phones
Received by
Juan B Rael
Please sign one copy and return to Dr. Harold Spivacke, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
Antonito, Colorado,
Dr. Harold Spivacke,
Library of Congress,
Dear Dr. Spivacke:
The recording equipment arrived here about Wednesday of last week, but due to the fact that I was in New Mexico I did not get it until yesterday.
The directions for unpacking the material and for operating the machine have been followed closely, but we have been unable to do any recording because the “cutting needle runs in a single groove through coating of the disc”, and this is not because of forgetting “to push the lever (B4) back before lowering the cutting needle onto the disc”, as suggested under the heading COMMON FAULTS IN OPERATION AND HOW TO CORRECT THEM. Dean Kittle of the Adams State Teachers College, who has had experience in recording, and I have read the instructions over and over and have made several attempts at making a recording, but have failed each time. As far as playing back records is concerned, the recorder operates satisfactorily. Please advise me what to do as soon as possible, as I plan to leave the field of my investigation on about August 13th.
Let me know, also, if the machine may be used on a 115 A.C. I notice in the mimeographed set of instructions that when there is no 110 A.C. the use of the batteries is recommended. I believe all the currents in this region are 115 A. C.
Not wishing to run the risk of failing to get your recorder, Dean Kittle and I made recordings of about ninety different melodies using a recording machine belonging to his institution. The records made are quite satisfactory, and I shall be very glad to lend them to you in order that you may make recordings from them for your files. As far as making more new recordings, however, I feel that I am going to be greatly handicapped. My funds reserved for that purpose are all used up. When I first came here I had planned to spend a month in southern Colorado and a month in northern New Mexico collecting material. However, due to the fact that the machine did not arrive when expected, I had to abandon that plan completely and found it necessary to make periodic trips to Antonito, Colorado, my headquarters, hoping to find the machine there each time. Not only this, but I have had to modify my plans all along, making it necessary for me to cancel engagements with contributors very often. It meant that each time I changed my plans I had to get in touch with five or six persons, and that, in turn, meant loss of time and money. In view of the fact that my financial resources are quite depleted, it looks as though I may have to Abandon this region leaving behind much material that in a year from now may not be available. I have in mind, in particular, the melodies to the songs in one of the old religious folk plays which has ceased to be presented. As far as I have been able to find out, the only person who seems to know these melodies is an old man from New Mexico. Incidentally, I shall have to cancel my engagement with him for tomorrow as well as other engagements in New Mexico.
I do not know whether your Division ever helps to defray the expenses of people gathering material on field trips. If it does and it could
I want you to feel, Dr. Spivacke, that I am deeply indebted for what you have done for me personally. I realize that the delays in sending the machine to me were due to circumstances over which you had no control. And, even though your division may not be able to give me any financial assistance to enable me to carry my work to completion and regardless of whether I use your machine or not, I hope to be able to show my sincere appreciation by sending you at least one hundred and fifty melodies.
In fairness to the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, who made my research trip possible, I should like to have you give them credit on your records for making the recordings of the melodies I may send you possible. The American Philosophical Society was very generous to me, but I do not feel that I should call on them for more financial assistance. Furthermore, it would be too late to get any help from them.
Enclosed I am sending a receipt signed by me.
Please thank Mr. Wiesner and Mr. Lomax for their letters. I shall do my best to cooperate with them.
Very sincerely yours,
Mackay Radio
Commercial Cables
All American Cables
Canadian Pacific Telegraph
STANDARD TIME INDICATED
RECEIVED AT
TELEPHONE YOUR TELEGRAMS
THIS IS A FULL RATE TELEGRAM, CABLEGRAM OR RADIOGRAM UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED BY SYMBOL IN THE PREAMBLE OR IN THE ADDRESS OF THE MESSAGE.
Form 16A C868 23 NL 2 EXTRA
ALAMOSA COLO 29
DR HAROLD SPIVACKE
MUSIC DIVISION LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHN DC
RECORDER WORKING SATISFACTORY. AN ADJUSTMENT UNDER TURNTABLE HAD TO BE MADE. PLEASE ANSWER OTHER QUESTIONS IN LETTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
JUAN B RAEL ANTONITO COLORADO.
JAUN RAEL.
August 1, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dear Mr. Rael:
I am terribly sorry but it will be impossible for me to raise any money for you on such short notice. We have no funds readily available for such purposes and you know how long it takes to get special money anywyere.
I am sorry that you had any difficulty with the machine and should appreciate a detailed report of the adjustments you found necessary. This information will enable us to avoid such difficulties in the future. I appreciate your sympathetic understanding and know that you will realize that yours was the first loan made under the new grant and we really had insufficient time for field tests which might have eliminated such accidents.
Mr. Wiesner informs me that the machine can be run on currents varying between 100 and 125 volts, 60 cycle A.C. You probably have found this out by now.
We appreciate your kindness in allowing us to copy the recordings which you have already made. Will you please send them to us by express
collect
immediately, before you play them at all so that our copies may be made while the records are in perfect condition. We shall of course put the name of the American Philosophical Society on our labels.
In spite of the fact that we cannot aid you financially at present, I hope that you will still be able to use our machine for future recordings. Hereafter, as you know, we shall be able to plan our trips away in advance and we therefore look forward to many opportunities for cooperation in the future.
With kindest regards,
Sincerely yours,
Harold Spivacke
HS/mr
P.S. When you are through with the machine, please do not send it to us before receiving specific instructions. There is a possibility that we may want it sent to Texas.
Dear Dr.
?
Please let me know as soon as possible or before August 14th at the latest, where to ship the recording equipment.
Very cordially yours,
Music
Mail
Please arrange for shipment by express prepaid of recording equipment now in the possession of Mr. Juan B. Rael, Antonito, Colorado, to Mr. John A. Lomax, 7456 San Benito Way, Dallas, Texas. We do not know exactly how many separate packages will be involved in this shipment and suggest that this be left blank.
Chief, Division of Music
August 10, 1940
Mr. Juan B. Rael
Dear Mr. Rael:
I am delighted to hear that your trip has been so successful, but regret that we were not of greater help to you. I look forward to an opportunity to hear the recordings which you have made. In this connection, I should like to ask you more about what you meant about making two sets of our records. It had been our hope that you would send the records to us immediately for duplication, but apparently you had some duplications to finish first or are these duplicates intended for our collection. When you write, will you please tell us also whether you have used any of our records.
We should like to have you send the machine to Mr. John A. Lomax, 7456 San Benito Way, Dallas, Texas. For this purpose we are enclosing prepared bills of lading which will enable you to ship the equipment to Mr. Lomax with no expense to yourself. Please note that we have left the number and kind of packages and description of articles blank for you to fill out with the help of the express man in your locality. After this is done, please send immediately the
white
bill of lading to Mr. Lomax and the yellow bill of lading to us. The Express Company will retain the pink one. We should appreciate also your sending Mr. Lomax the set of instructions for operating the machine which we sent you.
With regard to the discs and needles, please send them back here whether used or unused. For this purpose, we are enclosing franked labels which will enable you to send them by parcel post in packages whose weight does not exceed 25 pounds. If these franks are insufficient for the shipping, please let us know and I shall send you an additional supply.
Finally, will you please give us any comments that you might have concerning the operation of the machine. As you know, we did not have sufficient time to subject it to field tests, and should like to know, therefore, what must be done to improve it and if possible to make it foolproof.
Sincerely yours,
October 21, 1941
Dr. Juan B. Rael
Department of Romanic Languages
Dear Dr. Rael:
In attempting to answer requests for copies of our recordings, I often wish to know what your wishes were about the use of the recordings you made for the Library of Congress. These records of course, are especially useful in that we are exchanging material with Latin America, and I would greatly appreciate a word from you about your desires in this matter. Naturally, we want to make the material freely available to anyone who wants it, but if you plan to publish your work within some resonable time we would be glad to abide by the conditions you impose.
Sincerely yours,
Alan Lomax
Assistant in Charge
ALjs
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
October 27, 1941.
Mr. Alan Lomax,
Assistant in Charge
Archive of American Folk-song,
Library of Congress,
Dear Mr. Lomax:
I have no objection to your exchanging any of the material I collected with Latin America, but I should appreciate if very much if you would make it clear that I am preparing for publication the song melodies I gathered. At present, Dean Kittle of the Adams State Teachers College and I are working on the
alabados
and their melodies. We also plan to prepare for publication the melodies of the songs in the different New Mexican-Spanish folk-plays. It will probably take us five years to complete all this work. Incidentally I do not have all the
alabado
melodies and I may have to make another trip to Colorado and New Mexico to complete my collection. When the time comes, I shall be very glad to let you know.
As to Gallegos, I know him fairly well. He is primarily interested in New Mexican folk music for the money he might get out of it. He has a number of New Mexican melodies in written form, but I do not believe he has anything that we do not have.
Very sincerely yours,
TO
publication
restriction. Please ask him to make a formal request which we can then try to clear through Mr.
November 29, 1941
Dr. Juan B. Rael
Department of Romanic Languages
Dear Dr. Rael:
Thanks for your kind letter about your records. I find it necessary for reasons of Library policy to request you to set some definite (in terms of years) limit on publication restrictions in relation to your recordings. This is necessary due to the fact that our collection has grown so large and that material in such a Library
It is possible that you might be interested in working on, or using as comparative material, the records of Spanish folk plays in Texas which we have in our collection. Among these I can mention two versions of
Los
Pastores
, one of
The
Good
Thief
, and another which concerns the immaculate Virgin. These records are unrestricted and available for your use if you care to have them duplicated. You will be glad to know there has been a great deal of interest in your work on the part of the now active music division of the Pan American Union.
Do you have any suggestions to make upon the subject of a bibliography on Latin American Christmas customs which might have escaped me?
The engineer of the Sound Laboratory has just reminded me that
Alan Lomax
Assistant in Charge
P.S. A request has just come in from Mr. M.A. Wilder, curator of the Taylor Museum in Colorado Springs, who wants a few records of various sorts, for demonstration only, in the Museum. I had thought of duplicating a couple of your Colorado records for this purpose, but wish your express permission.
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Stanford University, California
December 1, 1941.
Dear Mr. Lomax:
I should like to have a maximum period of five years as limit on publication restrictions on all the materials I collected, if that is satisfactory to you.
Thanks for your offer to make recordings for me of Spanish folk plays in Texas. Later on I may need such recordings.
In connection with your question regarding a bibliography on Latin American Christmas customs, I cannot think of anything that might have escaped your attention. However, I shall keep this in mind so in case anything comes up that you should know.
You have my permission to make re-recordings of any of the material I sent you for persons who need such material for demonstration purposes.
Very sincerely yours,
The book is 645 pages long, has many illustrations, and contains the music of several
of the plays. It has a paper cover and sells at five dollars per copy.
Orders should be sent to
Librería la Joyita
Apartado Postal 10 bis
Galeana 110