Lasting Impression
Nearly half a century ago, a
folk singer came to Maine to teach English and pursue music. The rest,
as they say, is history.
Edward "Sandy" Ives was already collecting traditional songs when he
came to the University of Maine in 1955. Through the music, he learned
more about the cultural history of the men and women behind the
melodies.
In 1958, he founded the Northeast Folklore Society, with its annual
publication Northeast Folklore. The next year, he began teaching
folklore courses. Ives then established the Northeast Archives of
Folklore and Oral History, dedicated to the collection, preservation and
study of the songs, tales, legends and oral traditions of Maine and the
Maritimes.
Under his leadership, Northeast Folklore and Northeast Archives evolved
into the Maine Folklife Center a decade ago. Current holdings include
5,000 hours of tape recordings, 10,000 photos and slides, and 164 linear
feet of manuscripts related to folklore and social history. It is
considered one of the finest ethnographic collections of regional
culture in North America.
The preeminent folklorist of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and
eastern Maine retired from the university in 1998. Today, at 77, Ives
continues to do research, write and lecture on folklore and oral
history. And the national spotlight continues to shine on the Maine
Folklife Center, now directed by James Moreira. Most recently, Associate
Director Pauleena MacDougall has worked in partnership with staff of the
National Council for the Traditional Arts, Bangor Convention and
Visitors Bureau, the city of Bangor and Eastern Maine Development Corp.,
to bring the National Folk Festival to Bangor, Maine for the second
consecutive summer.
"Lasting Impression" features a memorable person or event in UMaine
history.
