Pittsburgh Folk Festival Records and Photographs
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The online collection of Pittsburgh Folk Festival Records and Photographs features images that capture festival activities from the 1960s through the 1980s. The photographs depict the celebration of ethnic traditions across the world, showcasing an array of dances, musical performances, traditional attire, and culinary offerings from participating groups.
What's in the entire collection?
The Pittsburgh Folk Festival Records and Photographs consists of the organizational records of the festival, including administrative, legal, and financial documents, as well as internal and external communications, dating from the festival's inception in 1956 to 1990. The collection holds a range of materials such as photographs, promotional items, financial reports, correspondence, and operational documents, including performance scripts and venue floor plans. Also included are festival-related items like programs, ticket stubs, advertisements, brochures from various cultural organizations, and newspaper articles that feature the festival and its associated groups.
About the Pittsburgh Folk Festival.
Founded in 1956, the Pittsburgh Folk Festival aims to promote “unity in diversity” by celebrating Western Pennsylvania's cultural diversity through an annual event. Richard Crum, a member of Duquesne University’s Tamburitzans, devised the idea for the Pittsburgh Folk Festival. Together with Rev. John Schlicht, a Duquesne instructor, and with the university's sponsorship, they shaped the festival, drawing inspiration from the Festival of Nations in St. Paul, Minnesota, an event Crum had previously organized.
The Pittsburgh Folk Festival initially featured seventeen nationality groups. Organizers invited these groups to create educational displays, perform music or dance pieces, and offer popular foods from their cultures. The festival took place at various city venues, including the Syria Mosque, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Civic Arena, and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Museum. Charles and Carol Cubelic managed the festival for many years.
Robert Morris University sponsored the event from 1962 until 1992, at which point the festival was incorporated as an organization to be collectively managed by the participating groups.