Austin and Alta S. Fife collection on Mormon folklore
Scope and Contents
These materials form part of the Austin and Alta Fife fieldwork collection, and consist of transcripts and typed copies of the original acetate discs, reel-to-reel field recordings and field notes (which are housed separately). Previous references to this collection may include the acronym FMC, meaning Fife Mormon Collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1940-1976
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Restrictions
No restrictions on access, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Austin and Alta S. Fife collection on Mormon folklore must be obtained from the Curator of the Fife Folklore Archives and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Historical note
The Austin and Alta S. Fife collection on Mormon folklore is comprised of transcriptions and copies of the original fieldwork (acetate discs, reel-to-reel field recordings and field notes) and slides gathered/taken by the Fife's between the 1940s and late 1970s. Using summer vacations and weekends, the Fifes traveled all over the west – most intensively in their native Utah – with a camping trailer, recording equipment, camera and stenographic materials to collect the folklife of the American West, including cowboy songs, Mormon folklore and slides of vernacular architecture. On their fieldtrips, typically, one of them would interview someone while the other took notes or operated a recording device. They also visited libraries throughout the west, taking notes and making copies of songs and stories housed in regional and archival collections. Austin Fife took the slide images.
Extent
3 Linear Feet (22 bound volumes)
Abstract
Bound transcriptions of interviews, bound typescripts of excerpts from manuscript collections, and bound typescripts of materials found in printed sources focusing on Mormon folksongs and narratives.
Organized into the following series:
- I. Transcriptions of oral sources;
- II. Transcriptions of manuscript sources;
- III. Transcriptions of printed sources.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
In 1966, the Fife's deposited their extensive fieldwork collections at Utah State University Library. In 1972, the Library established the Fife Library of Western Folklore (later renamed the Fife Folklore Archives) under the administration of the Special Collections Department.
Separated Materials
Sound recordings from this collection separated; housed in FOLK COLL 4 no. 4 and 5.
Processing Information
Originally processed by Alta Fife and Barbara [Garrett] [Walker] Lloyd and updated by Randy Williams. Finding aid created by Randy Williams and Susan Gross, April 2004; updated by Randy Williams, March 2012.
- Title
- Guide to the Austin and Alta S. Fife collection on Mormon folklore1940-1976
- Author
- Finding aid created by Randy Williams and Susan Gross, April 2004
- Date
- ©2008
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant, 2007-2008
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
- 2025: Revised to simplify finding aid structure and change to 4-digit item numbers
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu