Mabel H. Singing Telegram Company

The Southwest Ohio Folklore Collection in the Archives & Rare Books Library’s Urban Studies Collection, is made up of several hundred small research projects of written and illustrated folklore that have been collected since the early 1970s by the students of professor emeritus Edgar Slotkin. In my efforts to make sense of such a wide variety of topics as I begin this year-long internship, I began sorting the papers into categories. In all, fifteen separate genres were discovered, among them proverbs, stories, jokes, children’s games, local festivals, the uncanny, bathroom stall graffiti, and food lore.

Within the collection there are a number of humorous cartoons, or paperwork folklore, on topics ranging from the celebration of national holidays to marriage and gender equality. The collection also includes writings on folk ballads, drinking songs, and even singing telegrams, all examined through the lens of folkloric study.

While the dynamic range of information makes the collection valuable, what is even more compelling about the project is the rich abundance of local culture it conveys.

“Ghost” by Kristin F. Fairview Elementary, Third Grade

One paper from the collection analyzes local children’s conceptualization of ghosts, and this topic was explored by collecting students’ drawings from Fairview Elementary School.

The collection also includes several papers on tradition and collective ritual in local church festivals, school dances and flea markets.

The study of folklore is built upon analyzing a common tradition that pervades the everyday lives of a group of people. So whether it be fairies and gnomes or quaint proverbs, I hope to bring to light through this blog, small aspects of our everyday lives that are infused with otherwise overlooked folkloric tradition.

Before signing off, I want to remind everyone in the upcoming week of two very

Harrison High School Homecoming Parade, October 4, 1985

important pieces of superstitious and proverbial advice. First, be sure in the upcoming week to, “Turn money over in the new moon if you wish to make it double,” and always remember to, “Never kiss at the garden gate, ‘cause love is blind, but the neighbors ain’t.”

Molly Gullett is a fourth year History major at the University of Cincinnati and is the Archives & Rare Books Library intern for the 2012-2013 academic year.   Each year, ARB selects an intern to work on one specific project from its collections.  The intern must be an undergraduate of junior or senior standing or a graduate student, and must have taken courses relevant to the project.  Other qualifications include the earning of academic credit within the intern’s major field of study.  The project includes complete processing of a collection, the preparing of an Encoded Archival Description finding aid, and the design and preparation of a web exhibit that highlights the collection.  The project will be completed by the end of spring semester of 2013.

This year’s project is the Southwest Ohio Folklore Archive, donated to our Urban Studies Collection by Edgar Slotkin, professor emeritus of English here at the University of Cincinnati.  For over four decades, Dr. Slotkin guided UC students in the collection and analysis of folklore from Cincinnati and the surrounding region, everything from proverbs and tall tales to childbirth folklore and humor.  These rich materials are a major contribution to understanding the diverse culture of Greater Cincinnati and will be an outstanding source for research and teaching.

Molly’s interest in rare and archival materials began in high school when she worked in the Klau Library at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. Her interest was furthered through her employment in Langsam Library’s Preservation Department, where she has repaired books and documents since coming to the UC in the autumn of 2009. During the spring of 2010, Molly co-founded the University of Cincinnati’s Preservation Action Network (PAN), which aims to involve UC students and the community in local architectural preservation projects throughout historic neighborhoods in the city. Upon graduation in 2013, Molly plans to travel and explore graduate programs in special collections and preservation.

From time to time, we will publish blogs by Molly and the ARB staff on what promises to be a fascinating and vibrant body of cultural material.