Minnesota Polka Project Collection, 1990
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Summary Information

Collection Summary

Title: Minnesota Polka Project Collection
Dates: 1990

Creators:
  • Minnesota State Arts Board
  • Minnesota Historical Society
Unique Identifier: CSUMC0008-CG

Contents: Minnesota Historical Society: 12 sound recordings, 52 documents; Wisconsin Historical Society Archives: 18 folders; UW-Madison Folklore Program: 12 copy sound recordings, 78 slides, 56 documents, 1 computer diskette

Publisher:
Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures
432 East Campus Mall, Room 332
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
608-262-8180
Web site: http://csumc.wisc.edu

Archival Locations:
UW-Madison Folklore Program (Map)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Minnesota Historical Society (Map)

Summary:
The Minnesota Polka Project documents the polka music traditions of German-American, Czech-American, Slovenian-American, and Polish-American ethnic groups throughout Minnesota. Sixteen bands and 21 of the bands' musicians were documented, resulting in a 44-minute anthology of Minnesota polka recordings and an accompanying 20-page booklet in 1990. Available materials include recorded interviews with band leaders and members, color slides of musicians and performance venues, and artist files containing correspondence, tape logs, electronic versions of the tape logs, and news clippings. The project was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Arts Board and was also known as the Minnesota Polka Oral History Project.

Language: Manuscripts and sound recordings are in English.

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-csumc-csumc0008cg
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Collection Concordance by Format
Quantity Physical Description Location
Manuscript Materials
52 pages Minnesota Historical Society
18 folders WHS Library-Archives Division
56 documents UW-Madison Folklore Program
Sound Recordings
8 60-minute original audiocassettes Minnesota Historical Society
4 90-minute original audiocassettes Minnesota Historical Society
13 90-minute copy audiocassettes UW-Madison Folklore Program
Graphic Materials
78 35 mm color slides UW-Madison Folklore Program
Electronic Media
1 3.5-inch computer diskette UW-Madison Folklore Program

Biography/History
Staff/Fieldworkers

Philip Nusbaum, then Folk Arts Program Associate at the Minnesota State Arts Board, initiated and obtained funding for the project. James P. Leary, then working with the Wisconsin Folk Museum and a faculty associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted the field documentation, co-produced the recording, and wrote the companion booklet. Recording Engineer Jerry Minar of New Prague, Minnesota, produced a master tape of the individual tracks.


Project History

The Minnesota Polka Project was part of the Minnesota Musical Traditions Series, a joint effort between the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Arts Board. The project presented recordings of traditional music and interpreted them historically and culturally based on historical research and contemporary interviews of musicians.

In 1990, the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota State Arts Board contracted with folklorist James P. Leary to research polka traditions, compile an anthology of polka music, and interview polka artists. Polka music was broadly defined to encompass polka, waltzes, schottisches, obereks, laendlers, and other dances. To study the polka traditions of German-American, Czech-American, Slovenian-American, and Polish-American ethnic groups, Leary interviewed 21 artists across the state.

The anthology of sound recordings, Minnesota Polka: Dance Music from Four Traditions, and its 20-page companion booklet of the same name, were published in 1990 by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. The anthology features previously released musical performances from 16 bands. The booklet focuses on the ethnic influences of Minnesota polka music and Minnesota's polka industry. The book and sound recording may still be purchased through Folklore Village in Dodgeville, Wisconsin.


Scope and Content Note

The Minnesota Historical Society holds the original sound recordings and tape logs for the interviews conducted during this project. They are called "Oral History Interviews of the Minnesota Polka Oral History Project" (call number OH 44). The interviews document artists who have been involved with the performance of ethnic polka music in Minnesota and adjacent states, both as band leaders and performers. Many of the narrators are first- or second-generation ethnic Americans and describe the rich part music played in their home lives and social gatherings.

At the Wisconsin Historical Society Library-Archives Division, 18 folders organized alphabetically by traditional artist name (within the context of a range of mostly Wisconsin traditional artists) represent formerly open artist files kept by the Wisconsin Folk Museum. They contain copies of tape indexes, correspondence mostly with James P. Leary, newspaper clippings, song translations, and other materials related to the project. The files are part of the "Wisconsin Folk Museum Records" collection (call number M98-044). See the Access portion of this collection guide for more information.

James P. Leary has copies of the interview sound recordings and tape logs and some correspondence from the project on file at the UW-Madison Folklore Program. The tape logs and correspondence are also in electronic format.

The musical performances included on the Minnesota Polka anthology were all previously recorded and issued on LP and/or cassettes by the respective bands. The original masters were returned to either the bands or to the studio that produced the original recordings. Photographs in the anthology were either historical photos from the Minnesota Historical Society, field photographs by James P. Leary, or those provided by the musicians and subsequently returned. A listing of photo credits can be found in the back of the booklet.

Related Materials

Rippley collection of old time bands, Minnesota Historical Society. Photograph Collection I.329.

Minnesota folk art survey and exhibition research files, 1945-1989 (bulk 1984-1989), Minnesota Historical Society. 143.J.13.3B--143.J13.9B.

"The Polka Music, Polka Culture" traveling photo-index exhibit, 1991, produced by James P. Leary and Lewis Koch at the Wisconsin Folk Museum, currently available through Folklore Village, Dodgeville, Wisconsin.

Productions

Productions resulting from the described fieldwork were:

Minnesota Polka: Dance Music from Four Traditions, St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1990.

Key Subjects
Groups (Ethnic, National, Cultural, Religious, etc.)

  • Czech Americans
  • German Americans
  • Polish Americans
  • Slovenian Americans
Instruments

  • Accordion
  • Baritone (Musical instrument)
  • Bohemian bagpipes
  • Button-key accordion
  • Chordovox (type of accordion)
  • Clarinet
  • Concertina
  • Coronet
  • Drums (Musical instrument)
  • Fiddle
  • Melodeon (Button-key accordion)
  • Piano
  • Saxophone
  • Solovox
  • Trombone
  • Trumpet
Languages

  • Czech language
  • English language
  • German language
  • Polish language
  • Slovenian language
Locations

  • Anchorage (Alaska)
  • Duluth (Minn.)
  • Ely (Minn.)
  • Mankato (Minn.)
  • Minnesota
  • Montgomery (Minn.)
  • New Prague (Minn.)
  • North Mankato (Minn.)
  • Norwood (Minn.)
  • Rochester (Minn.)
  • Shoreview (Minn.)
  • St. Joseph (Minn.)
  • Sturgeon Lake (Minn.)
  • Webster (Minn.)
  • White Bear Lake (Minn.)
Performers

  • Anzelc, Matt
  • Barich, Bernie
  • Barich, John
  • Barich, George
  • Buermann, Betty Wolf
  • Chmielewski, Florian
  • Coopman, Ernie
  • Czerniak, Bill
  • Czerniak, Mary Lou
  • Czerniak, Joe
  • Filipczak, John
  • Ford, Marge Gersich
  • Kahle, Ivan
  • Miller, Marshall
  • Minar, Jerry
  • Rezac, Roman
  • Rysavy, Larry
  • Setniker, Ron
  • Suess, Erwin
  • Vorderbruggen, Matt
  • Wilfahrt, John ("Whoopee John")
  • Zellmer, Blanche Havel
Performers-Groups

  • The Alaska Polka Chips
  • The Barich Brothers
  • Bill Czerniak Concertina Band
  • The Bohemian Brothers Concertina Band
  • Chmielewski Funtime Band
  • The Deutschmeisters
  • Ernie Coopman and the Stagemen
  • Erwin Suess and the Hoolerie Dutchmen
  • Ivan Kahle and His Band
  • The Matt Vorderbruggen Orchestra
  • Montgomery Czech Singers
  • The Polka Chimes
  • Roman Rezac Band
  • Joe Czerniak and the Polka Dots
  • John Filipczak and the Classics
  • Larry's Concertina Band
Subjects

  • Brass bands
  • Folk dance music
  • Laendler
  • Marches
  • Mazurkas
  • Obereks
  • Polka bands
  • Polka (Dance)--History
  • Schottisches
  • Waltzes
Provenance

Original sound recordings and logs of interviews were deposited at the Minnesota Historical Society upon completion of the project. Copies of manuscript and project materials generated by James P. Leary and maintained in open artist files at the Wisconsin Folk Museum were transferred from the Wisconsin Folk Museum to the Wisconsin Historical Society upon closure of the museum in 1996.

Access

Access to the Bill Czerniak interview at the UW-Madison Folklore Program is restricted until 2040 January 1. Contact records custodians for other access information.

Minnesota Historical Society Library
Reference Services
345 Kellogg Blvd. West
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102-1906
Email: reference@mnhs.org
Phone: (651) 296-2143
Web site: http://www.mnhs.org/library/
Wisconsin Historical Society
Library-Archives Division
Reference Services, Archives
816 State St.
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Email: askarchives@wisconsinhistory.org
Phone: (608) 264-6460
Web site: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:1142
UW-Madison Folklore Program
Prof. James P. Leary
2315 Sterling Hall
475 N. Charter Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Email: jpleary@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8107
Web site: http://folklore.wisc.edu
Use

Consult the Minnesota Historical Society and Wisconsin Historical Society for information on use restrictions. Duplication of the materials for non-profit personal, educational, and research purposes within the scope of the Folklore Program's jurisdiction may be arranged. Duplication of materials for public presentation, publication, and production requires negotiation with the Program Director, the fieldworkers, and the people documented.

Preferred Citation

Consult the Minnesota Historical Society and Wisconsin Historical Society for citation guidelines for their documents. We suggest the following citation form when using direct quotes from a person documented: [Name of person documented]. [Date]. [Tape/video/other]-recorded interview by [Fieldworker name]. [Place interviewed]. [Name of collection/project]. [Repository, city, state]. When using a specific image: [Identify subject matter/people in caption]. Photo/image by [Photographer/fieldworker name]. [Date]. Courtesy of [repository]. To quote fieldworker, follow bibliographical style.

Collection Inventory and Description
Series: I: MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS. Wisconsin Historical Society Archives. Wisconsin Folk Museum Records, M98-044. Artist Files.
Box   1
Artists A-Ka
Barich Bros.
Note: 3 interviews
Chmielewski, Florian
Coopman, Ernie
Czerniak, Bill
Czerniak, Joe
Filipczak, John
Ford, Marge Gersich
Kahle, Ivan
Box   2
Artists Ke-Z
Miller, Marsha
Minar, Jerry
Rezac, Roman
Rysavy, Larry
Setniker, Ron
Note: with Matt Anzelc, 2 interviews
Suess, Erwin
Vorderbruggen, Matt
Wilfahrt, John (Whoopee John)
Note: Research materials only
Wolf Buermann, Betty
Zellmer, Blanche
Series: II: MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS. UW-Madison Folklore Program. Minnesota Polka Project.
⇧
Folder   1
Copy tape logs and correspondence
Series: III: MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS. Minnesota Historical Society. Oral History Interviews of the Minnesota Polka Oral History Project, OH 44.
⇧
Folder   1
Tape logs
Series: IV: SOUND RECORDINGS. UW-Madison Folklore Program. Minnesota Polka Project.
⇧
Box   1
Cassette   1
Larry Rysavy and Marshall Miller, 1990 February 5
Box   1
Cassette   2
Jerry Minar, 1990 May 8
Box   1
Cassette   3
Ivan Kahle, Norwood, Minnesota, 1990 February 12
Box   1
Cassette   4
Jerry Minar, New Prague, Minnesota, 1990 February 6
Box   1
Cassette   5
Matt Anzelk/Polka Chimes, Biwabik (with John Berquist), 1990 February 8
Box   1
Cassette   6-7
Bill Czerniak, Shoreview, Minnesota, 1990 February 7
Access Restrictions: Access to the Bill Czerniak interview is restricted until 2040 January 1.
Box   1
Cassette   8
John Filipczak, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1990 February 11
Box   1
Cassette   9
Barich Bros. (Bernie, John, George), Ely, Minnesota
Box   1
Cassette   10
Erwin Suess, North Mankato, Minnesota, 1990 February 6
Box   1
Cassette   11
Betty Wolf, St. Joseph, Minnesota, 1990 February 8
Box   1
Cassette   12
Blanche Zellmer, Montgomery, Minnesota, 1990 February 13
Box   1
Cassette   13
Ernie Coopman, Mankato, Minnesota, 1990 February 6
Series: V: SOUND RECORDINGS. Minnesota Historical Society. Oral History Interviews of the Minnesota Polka Oral History Project, OH 44.
Scope and Content Note: Original interview recordings. In addition to the names listed for recordings at the UW Folklore Program, MHS interviewees include Florian Chmielewski, John Anzelk, and Ron Setnik (per their catalog record).
⇧
Series: VI: GRAPHIC MATERIALS. UW-Madison Folklore Program. Minnesota Polka Project.
⇧
Series: VII: ELECTRONIC MEDIA. UW-Madison Folklore Program. Minnesota Polka Project.
⇧
Tape logs and correspondence (also listed in Series II)
Physical Description: 1 3.5-inch computer diskette