Square Dance History Project
The rich story of North American square dance finally has a home in the digital age.

Browse Items (184 total)

  • Temporal Coverage is exactly "1940s"
Document

Revival of American Square and Country Dancing - 1949

This article documents the change on American dance floors in Michigan state in the late 1940s, where, in the author's words, "croonersare replaced bycallers." She cites the work of Grace Ryan in… View item
Document

American Square Dancing in Three Sections of Maryland and the District of Columbia - 1943

This is a Master's thesis based upon observation at three locations in Maryland:1. Salisbury and vicinity, particularly Public Landing, on the Eastern Shore2. Oakland and vicinity, particularly… View item
Document

Square Dances and Fiddle Tunes of New England

This is an unpublished manuscript by Eloise Hubbard Linscott, author ofFolksongs of New England. In it, she aims to present a representative picture of the dances and tunes that she found at New… View item
Still Image

Pioneer Promenaders - Denver University

These newspaper clippings and photographs document the Denver University Pioneer Promenaders Square Dance Club as they travel to Washington, DC, for the 1940 National Folk Festival and a separate trip… View item
Document

Square Dance Week - Austin, 1949

The photo shows Marlys Swenson giving a square dance lesson to Austin's "Mayor Tom," who has proclaimed the week of March 20-26, 1949, as "Square-Dance Week." The Additional File is the accompanying… View item
Sound

Texas Square Dance Music - Henry Hudson

This is the 1946 album, 78 rpm, issues by Texas musician Henry Hudson and his Fiddle Band. Hudson recorded on the Henlee label, sometimes with his band being called the Pioneer Fiddle Band. He worked… View item
Still Image

Henry Hudson - Texas fiddler

This photo shows Texas fiddler Henry Hudson standing with dance leader and organizer Lillie Lee Baker. (The boy at left is holding the 78 rpm album of Texas Square Dance Music that was recorded in… View item
Document

Lillie Lee Baker

Lillie Lee Baker (Mrs. Paul Baker) was a Texas dance caller, supporter of children's performing square dance groups, and an organizer for Texas square dances. In 1947, she directed square dance… View item
Moving Image

Roseanna McCoy - square dance scene

The square dance scene from the movie, with caller Sherman Sanders View item
Still Image

Roseanna McCoy - publicity

Roseanna McCoy was a Hollywood movie released in 1949. The film included a square dance scene (click here to view it) during which the heroine dances first with her true love and then with the bad guy… View item
Still Image

Stepney Barn

The Stepney Barn was constructed by Al Brundage. In his description below, note that the barn opened in 1948 with 442 dancers, testimony to the popularity of square dancing at that time. Readers… View item
Still Image

Texas Starlings - teenage dancers, 1947

This photo shows the Texas Starlings, a teenage group of square dancers, in Austin, Texas, 1947. The accompany article fromFoot 'n' Fiddlemagazine describes a session by Herb Greggerson for teens in… View item