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Archives

The archives at the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore manages more than ten distinct collections that include documents, photographs, sound and video recordings, and material objects, mainly pertaining to the folklore, folklife, and history of Pennsylvania. Some of these collections can be accessed on-site, while others are housed in different locations.

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Closures

The archives are closed on any days of campus closure. Before visiting the archives, please consult our Archive Use Policy and Agreement. For more information, contact the archivist.

The Pennsylvania Folk Arts Collection

A significant collection of written materials, audio/video media, slides, prints, computer files, and material objects that document traditional arts surveys, folk arts apprenticeships, and folklore exhibitions managed by the Pennsylvania Heritage Affairs Commission (1983-1995), the Institute for Cultural Partnerships (1995-2010), and Jump Street Harrisburg.

The Mac E. Barrick Collection of Folklore and Regional History

Manuscripts, documents, recordings, and photographs on central Pennsylvania folklore, local history, folk art, and architecture compiled by Dr. Mac Barrick (1933-1991), professor at Shippensburg University and other colleges, and author of German-American Folklore. Includes indexes for folk proverbs, beliefs, narratives, and speech.

A photograph of folklorist Mac E. Barrick posing with an open book among collections of texts.

Edna Silberman Holocaust Oral History Project of the Greater Harrisburg Jewish Community

This collection consists of audio and video recordings of interviews with Holocaust survivors in the Harrisburg Jewish community. While copies of many of the video recordings are available in the Penn State Harrisburg Archives’ Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies Collection or online through the United States Holocaust Museum (with additional materials here and a collection description here), the PACF maintains DVD copies of the video interviews as well as original audio tapes, transcripts, and other materials related to this project.

A group photograph of women who worked at the Capital Shirt Company on the 100 block of North Front Street in Steelton, Pennsylvania.

John Yetter Collection of Steelton Historical Material

Over 2,000 photographs and hundreds of publications on Steelton, Pennsylvania, an ethnic-industrial community in Dauphin County known for the first mill in the United States built expressly for the manufacture of steel. Compiled by John Yetter, Steelton resident, and author of Steelton, Pennsylvania: Stop, Look, Listen.

Sue Samuelson Papers

Research and field notes of Dr. Sue Samuelson (1956-1991) relating to Pennsylvania foodways and festivals. Samuelson was a professor at Penn State Harrisburg, University of California-Berkeley, and Rutgers University.

The Archive of Pennsylvania Folklore and Ethnography

Several thousand manuscripts, recordings, and photographs documenting field-collected folk traditions and cultural behavior; arranged by project and genre and cross-referenced for location, ethnicity, religion, tradition-bearer, and occupation.

Folklore Book and Journal Collection

The PACF also maintains a collection of more than 800 books and journals useful to students and scholars interested in folklore and American Studies. These titles are available for use in the Center, but are not available for loan. Search the collection through our online catalog.

Records of the Penn State Folklore Studies Program (1972-1986)

These records are not controlled by the PACF, but are held by the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at University Park. Access these records through the Penn State University  Libraries Archival Collections.