Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York - All Aboard Or On the Road: Woody Guthrie Archives Tour

All Aboard Or On the Road: Woody Guthrie Archives Tour

Monday, June 25, 2012 8:02 PM | Anonymous

On the morning of June 13th, a small band of ART members hopped aboard the 9:48AM Harlem Line train at Grand Central Terminal. They were joined by a few others who drove directly to Mount Kisco for an exclusive tour of the Woody Guthrie Archives. The tour was led by Tiffany Colannino, Archivist.

Since 1996, the Woody Guthrie Foundation & Archives has helped properly preserve and creatively promote the life, music, and work of Woody Guthrie. First amassed in Manhattan, now housed in Mount Kisco, and soon headed for Tulsa, Oklahoma, the collection comprises Guthrie’s original song lyrics, diaries, photographs, correspondence, personal papers, scrapbooks, artwork, films, and audio recordings. Seeing the breadth of the collection, all in one place, quickly expands one’s understanding of Guthrie not only as a musician, but also as a political activist and social commentator, vivid writer, and gifted visual artist.

Tiffany Colannino, Archivist, leads a group tour of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives in Mount Kisco, NY. The group, comprised of members of the Archivists Round Table, examined some of Woody Guthrie's notebooks. Photograph courtesy Ryan Anthony Donaldson, 13 June 2012. Image via archivistsrt Flickr

The group consensus of the tour’s highlight was holding Guthrie’s original notebooks, filled with his lyrics, aphorisms, illustrations, opinions, and observations. After admiring Tiffany’s custom enclosure cases (with velcro!) for the notebooks, we relished the privilege of witnessing Guthrie’s dazzling mind at work on paper. What heightened the experience of poring over the notebooks was the thrilling opportunity to meet Nora Guthrie, Director, and Anna Canoni, Publicity Director for Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. Nora Guthrie spoke eloquently of her father; she has made remarkable efforts to personally work with musicians, writers, filmmakers and those inspired by Woody Guthrie to license and share his music and art, thereby expanding his legacy.

All in attendance cherished this tour experience, and we were amazed to hear how much the mighty archives staff, totaling two, has accomplished. In addition to managing the archives, licensing rights, offering educational programming and traveling exhibits, and assisting researchers, the archives staff is celebrating Woody Guthrie’s centennial. Please visit http://www.woody100.com/ to learn more.

ART gratefully acknowledges and thanks the Woody Guthrie Foundation & Archives for this exclusive opportunity for ART membership.

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Submitted by Ryan Anthony Donaldson, ART Communications Director