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Library of Congress Research Guides

American Folklife Center Collections: Delaware

This guide provides access to ethnographic resources documenting expressive culture in the state of Delaware at the Library of Congress.

Introduction

Ruth W. Morris, quiltmaker. 1992 Delaware State Winner. Lands' End All-American Quilt Collection (AFC 1997/011), Collection. Library of Congress, American Folklife Center.

The collections of the American Folklife Center contain rich and varied materials from Delaware documenting the diversity of its expressive culture. Among its unique collections are documentation of African-American singing and praying bands, and the varied collection of Delaware musician, singer-songwriter, and luthier, David Bromberg.

Collections of Interest

In 1992, the Coming Home Division of Lands' End Direct Merchants teamed up with Good Housekeeping magazine to sponsor an "All-American Quilt Contest." From the entries received, judges selected both a first prize winner from each state and a national winner. Selected images from this contest and documentation of Blue Ridge quilting from the Center's Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project were combined to showcase authoritative examples of this material culture practice.

Podcasts and Blog Posts

Public Programming

The Singing and Praying Bands of Delaware and Maryland (Eastern and Western Shore) belong to an African American devotional/musical tradition that is unique to the Delmarva region, probably the oldest living African American musical tradition in Delaware and Maryland.

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