Mykola Francuzenko was a Ukrainian-American writer (under the pseudonym Mykola Virnyi), translator, theatrical director, radio journalist, and social activist. His literary output includes over 400 works, and he was a writer and broadcaster for the Ukrainian services of both Radio Liberty and the Voice of America during the Cold War. He was known for his speaking and recitation, and was considered a master of the art of the Ukrainian spoken word. His archives contain scripts, working notes, photo albums, and numerous audio tapes, some of which contain unique interview recordings, recordings of poets reading their own works, live recordings of events in the Ukrainian American community, and radio programming of the Ukrainian services of Radio Liberty and the Voice of America.
Content types:
Performed music, Spoken word, Still image, Text, and Two-dimensional moving image
Formats:
Analog audiocassette, Polyester open reel tape, Acetate open reel tape, Motion picture film, VHS (including SVHS and VHS-C), Data disk (floppy disk), Photographic print, Text document, and Microcassette
Extent:
Approximately 130 open reel tapes and 200 analog audio cassettes, as well as radio scripts, photographs, and text documents
Production materials documenting Smithsonian's thirteen-part program on the role of radio in transforming the African American community in the twentieth century. The program was produced in 1996 by Jacquie Gales Webb for Smithsonian Productions, with assistance from the AAAMC. The collection contains over 400 hours of interviews and historical aircheck tapes in addition to articles, research files, program scripts, and transcripts. The audio interviews feature conversations with over 150 well-known disc jockeys, radio professionals, record company executives, journalists, and scholars. The historical airchecks include station identifications and jingles, radio interviews with prominent Black figures, coverage of historical events, and programs highlighting or influenced by the contributions of Black performers, disc jockeys, and other important persons in radio.
Content types:
Performed music, Spoken word, Still image, and Text
Formats:
Analog audiocassette, Digital Audio Tape, Data cartridge, Optical disc (Including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD), Text document, and Data disk (floppy disk)
Extent:
4.3 linear feet (10 boxes) + 297 audiocassettes (DAT : digital, stereo), 168 audiocassettes (analog), 9 8mm data cartridges, 7 audio discs (CD-R), 3 data disks (1.44 MB floppies)
Broadcast archives of the WILL Radio's Focus 580, a public radio call-in talk program featuring interviews with newsmakers, subject matter and policy experts, authors, artists, and others addressing topics of public interest including politics, science, health, race, gender, LGBTQ, environment, education, history, literature, culture and the arts, and community life.
Content types:
Performed music, Spoken word, and Text
Formats:
Optical disc (including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD), Analog audiocassette, Digital Audio Tape (DAT), Digital audio file (including MP3, WAV, AIFF, etc.), Data disk (floppy disk), and Text document