Indiana University Folklore Institute's Ventriloquism Project records, 1973-1990, bulk 1987
Finding aid prepared by Chad Edward
Buterbaugh
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Indiana University, Bloomington.
Folklore Institute.
TitleIndiana University Folklore Institute's
Ventriloquism Project records, 1973-1990, bulk 1987
Collection No.
C589
Extent
.4 cubic foot (1 dc)
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
The Ventriloquism Project was a planned
collaboration of the Indiana University Folklore Institute and Radio & TV
Services, who hoped to produce a documentary on the contemporary practice of
ventriloquism in the United States. Ultimately, the project was not funded. This
collection traces the history of the venture from its beginnings to its eventual
shelving.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Administrative History
The Ventriloquism Project was a planned collaboration of the Folklore Institute and
Radio & TV Services, who hoped to produce a documentary on the contemporary
practice of ventriloquism in the United States. Ultimately, the project was not
funded. This collection traces the history of the venture from its beginnings to its
eventual shelving.
The materials included here are among the last describing the Folklore Institute’s
documentary filmmaking activities in the 1980s. Some of the most successful of the
Institute’s documentary projects were 1980’s
Joy
Unspeakable
, which investigated Pentecostal traditions in southern
Indiana; and 1983’s
Classics Come Home: Auburn, Cord,
Duesenberg
, which highlighted automotive heritage in northern
Indiana.
Participants in the Ventriloquism Project worked hard to turn their idea into a
documentary. The files in this collection—especially those in Series 2—detail their
efforts to solicit financial support from a wide variety of sources. Even though
they were unsuccessful in the end, this collection is valuable in that it archives a
substantial body of preliminary work. Practitioners or fans of ventriloquism, as
well as folklorists or other cultural experts with an interest in performance
studies, are likely to find this material stimulating. Scholarly essays, event
programs, and individual performers’ publicity pamphlets are among the files.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into two series: Background materials, and Project
overview and correspondence.
Scope and Content Note
This collection is organized into two series. The first series, Background materials,
includes promotional literature, media coverage, and academic publications related
to ventriloquism, as well as preliminary research data gathered at Vent Haven, a
ventriloquism museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. It spans 1973-1987. The second
series, Project overview and correspondence, details project participants' search
for funding through various sources, including master puppeteer Jim Henson. A full
project proposal is also included with these files, which span 1987-1990. All
materials are arranged to reflect the movement of the project from ideation to
attempted execution.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries'
online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by
searching the catalog using these terms.
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Separated Material
Two audio cassettes in an envelope dated July 15, 1985, and labeled “FCM Conference”;
located in Folder “Audio cassettes" (Box 2).
Photographs Pulled: 3 contact sheets, 11 strips of negatives, and 1 photograph, all
located in Folder “Photos & negatives” (Box 2). No contextual information.
Related Material
Additional records such as newsletters, annual reports, bulletins, and publications
may be accessed in the
Archives of Institutional Memory.
Archived web sites for this unit may be included in
Archive-It.
Related photographs may be available in the
University Archives
Photographs Database
.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accessions: 2003/055, 2010/065
Usage RestrictionsCopyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by
the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for
non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility
for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials.
Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these
materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational
and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its
inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Indiana University Folklore Institute's Ventriloquism Project records, Collection C589, Indiana University Archives,
Bloomington.
Provenance
Transferred from the Indiana University Folklore Institute, May 8, 2003 and July
12, 2010.
Appraisal
A number of files have been recycled. These include duplicate materials or files
listing minor expenses incurred as a part of project research. They do not
include any files describing the project’s content or funding process.
Processing InformationProcessed by Chad Edward Buterbaugh.
Completed in 2015
Container List
Series:
Box 1
Background materials, 1973-1987
Event literature & media coverage 1973-1987, undated
FCM Conference Audio cassettes 1985
Performer literature 1983-1985, undated
Scholarly literature 1980-1987
Ventriloquism Project – Winona Lake materials 1980-1985, undated
Other fieldwork materials, undated
Series:
Box 1
Project overview and correspondence, 1987-1990
Project overview, 1987-88, undated
Ventriloquism correspondence, 1983-1989
Ventriloquism: NEH 1987-1990, undated