Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

Charles M. Bogert audio recordings, 1953-1965

Summary

Collection ID:
CFCH.BOGE
Creators:
Bogert, Charles M. (Charles Mitchill), 1908-1992
Dates:
1952-1965
Languages:
English
;
Spanish
;
Central Tarahumara
(Ralámuli raicha);
Purepecha
(P'urhe, P'urhépecha)[this designation is based on geographical references, not linguistic references.];
Sinhala
(Siṃhāla)
Physical Description:
79 Sound tape reels
1.6 cubic feet
Repository:
Five boxes containing sixty-four 5 inch and fifteen 7 inch open reel tapes recorded primarily by American herpetologist Charles M. Bogert from 1953-1965. This collection has two parts: the first focusing mainly on traditional music and liturgical music from several regions in Mexico: Oaxaca, Jalisco, Nayarit. Also included is music recorded in the Southwestern United States. The second portion of the collection contains amphibian, bird, and insect calls and choruses, mostly from these same regions in Mexico, the Southwestern, Western, and Southern United States, and Sri Lanka.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection is divided into 2 series. Series 1 contains forty-three 5 inch and twelve 7 inch open reel tapes of musical performances by groups and individuals Bogert recorded throughout Mexico, South America, and the southwestern United States between 1952 and 1965. Series 2 contains twenty-one 5 inch and 3 7 inch open reel tapes of field recordings made by Bogert in natural settings in Mexico, Southwestern United States, and Sri Lanka. Sounds include amphibian choruses, mating calls and warnings, bird calls, and insect communication.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Tapes are arranged into two series. Series 1: Musical Performances, 1953-1965, and Series 2: Field Recordings of Amphibians, Birds, and Insects, 1954-1964. Within each series, tapes are arranged by size, followed by chronological order, with undated tapes placed at the end of each sequence.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Charles Mitchill Bogert (June 4, 1908–April 10, 1992) was an American herpetologist, researcher, and curator of herpetology for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and a notable early ethnomusicologist. Bogert was a major figure in twentieth century herpetology, as a researcher and as administrator at the American Museum of Natural History for 25 years, as well as a folksong collector. Bogert traveled widely--including to Sri Lanka, Central America, the Southwestern United States, Florida, and the Bahamas--in search of experimental settings and samples of indigenous frog species. He would also use these travels to record the local folk music, usually performed by informal groups and in church celebrations.
He felt especially at home in Mexico, where in addition to conducting faunal surveys he made recordings of traditional music that were later commercially released on Folkways Records. In 1955, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for a year's research; a portion of his results are in the collection.
In 1960, he became a lecturer at the University of Colorado, and began an extensive study of the Oaxaca region of Mexico. In 1966, he was given an honorary LLD from UCLA. In 1978, he became a consultant at the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park for a year. Afterwards, he continued to travel and conduct further studies, until his death in 1992 in his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Folkways Records Releases
1954
FX 6122, Sounds of the American Southwest
1958
FX 6166 (SFW45060), Sounds of North American Frogs
FW 8867, Tarascan and Other Music of Mexico: Songs and Dances of the Mexican Plateau
1960
FW 8870, Mariachi Aguilas de Chapala

Administration

Author
Steve Lorenz and Cecilia Peterson
Processing Information
Processed by Steve Lorenz, August 2012.

Using the Collection

Tapes are in original boxes.
Conditions Governing Access
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies
Preferred Citation
Charles M. Bogert audio recordings, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archive and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.

More Information

Shared Stewardship of Collections

Shared Stewardship of Collections
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://doi.org/10.25573/data.21771155.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sri Lanka Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Michoacán de Ocampo (Mexico) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nayarit (Mexico) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arizona Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oaxaca (Mexico : State) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sonora (Mexico : State) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New Mexico Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tarasco Indians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tarahumara Indians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tarahumara language Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Purépecha Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sinhalese language Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hopi dance Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Field recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk songs, Tarahumara Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk music--Mexico Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
insect sounds Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
bird calls Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chirimía (Musical instrument) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Frog sounds Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bat sounds Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jalisco (Mexico) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Toad sounds Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
600 Maryland Ave SW
Washington, D.C.
rinzlerarchives@si.edu