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

Browse Items (201 total)

  • Temporal Coverage is exactly "1940s"
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George Van Kleeck - Catskills caller

Three photos of Catskills square dance caller George Van Kleeck. The third one was taken at the Catskills Folk Festival, c. 1941. For more information about Camp Woodland, see this site. The… View item
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Al Brundage and Pete Seeger

Today, it's easy to think of Al Brundage and Pete Seeger as inhabiting two different world, Brundage the popular caller of modern square dances and Seeger the singer and banjo player associated with… View item
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Quadrilles in Harlem - 1946

Rod LaFarge was a caller, publisher, and dance historian, interested in all manner of dances. In this account, he describes visiting Harlem on several occasions-- LaFarge lived in New Jersey--to… View item
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El Paso squares, 1940s

This selection of photos shows the Sun City Promenaders, a square dance club in El Paso, and several Square Dance Festivals in 1947. The photos are from the Jimmy Clossin Papers at the University of… View item
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Honor Your Partner - table of contents

Ed Durlacher was among America's most famous and influential square dance callers. In 1949, Durlacher published his book of 81 square, circle, and contra dances, as well as his set of recordings to… View item
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Bob Sumrall - newspaper clippings

Two newspaper clippings about Texas caller Bob Sumrall. The first, from January 14, 1947, focuses on a new square dance team that he formed and that will be performing at the Inaugural Ball for the… View item
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Texas Folk Dance Camp

Announcement cards featuring square dance images, used for Texas Folk Dance Camp, 1949 View item
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Texas Folk Dance Camp - history

This scrapbook documents the early years of the Texas Folk Dance Camp, starting in 1949. Inspired by Jane Farwell's camp at Oglebay Institute in West Virginia, the camp brought together Texas… View item
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"Southern Appalachian"- overview of structure

The author describes the overall structure of a southern Appalachian big circle dance: an opening sequence, the second phase with two-couple figures, and the closing sequence that involves all the… View item
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Ray Shaw biography

This article profiles caller Ray Shaw, brother of Lloyd Shaw. Ray started calling square dances in Los Angeles in 1939, and was featured as the guest on the first television show that Bob Osgood… View item
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Veteran Square Dancers - California's oldest club?

This short article from 1946 describes a square dance club that has been meeting regularly for 17 years without missing a night, which would mean it started in 1929. The group counts 300 "rural… View item
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Texas Dance Memories

This booklet was compiled by Betty Casey; it presents an overview of Texas square dance history. The booklet features short profiles of 14 "first pacesetters," figures who are important in the history… View item