The collection comprises 303 folders containing background information on subjects germane to the collecting mission of the Southern Folklife Collection. These subjects, while they all pertain to folkways and traditions in North Carolina or other locations in the American southeast, span a broad array of academic disciplines and cultural interests. General topics include African American music, ballads, banjo music, bluegrass music, blues, cajun music, country music, cowboy music, fiddle music, folk music, gospel music, guitar music, hillbilly music, jazz, old-time music, rhythm and blues, rock, western swing, zydeco, and other types of music; animal calls; folklore and customs of the Appalachian region; folk art; folklore; furniture; ghost stories; hollering; Native Americans; labor lore and songs; legends and storytelling; Melungeons; minstrel shows; oral traditions; Primitive Baptists; race relations; shape note singing; snake cults; square dancing; tattooing; Waldenses; and others. Materials contained in the files include newspaper clippings, magazine articles, pamphlets, other writings, theses, dissertations, correspondence, memoranda, handbills, sheet music, press releases, bibliographies, discographies, newsletters, theater and concert programs, catalogs, instructional booklets, exhibit guides, directories, invitations, brochures and church fans.
