Research John Donald Robb Resources in the UNM University Libraries

Center for Southwest Research
(505) 277-3814
cswrref@unm.edu
http://elibrary.unm.edu/cswr

Fine Arts & Design Library
(505) 277-2355
falref@unm.edu
http://elibrary.unm.edu/falref/

The University of New Mexico’s Center for Southwest Research (CSWR) is the home of John Donald Robb’s personal papers, photographs, musical scores, field recordings, and other materials, donated to the University Libraries according to the wishes of Dean Robb and his wife Harriet. Visit the Center for Southwest Research website for information about the collections, hours, visitor information, policies and forms. Centrally located in the UNM Zimmerman Library, the CSWR welcomes researchers from around the world who make use of our collections throughout the year.

The UNM Fine Arts & Design Library contains CD copies of Robb Field Recordings along with a number of his other recordings and publications. The Field Recordings and a number of the publications are also available at the Center for Southwest Research. Search LIBROS, the library’s online catalog for details of holdings. The Fine Arts & Design Library is located within George Pearl Hall next to the UNM Bookstore on Central Avenue at Cornell.

JOHN DONALD ROBB FIELD RECORDINGS (1944-1979)

John Donald Robb began making field recordings shortly after his arrival at UNM in 1941 and continued that work for more than 40 years. His collection eventually grew to 94 reels of audio tapes, containing more than 1,800 songs recorded in the U.S. Southwest, Mexico and Spain. These recordings preserve many of the musical traditions of these areas, especially New Mexico and Southern Colorado, and include Native American, Hispano, Mexican and African American music, as well as railroad and cowboy songs, fiddle music, and the music of festivals and fiestas.

The John Donald Robb Field Recordings are available in these formats:

  • Digital Recordings Online: Over 2500 selections from John Donald Robb’s field work are available on the CSWR’s “Digital Collections” econtent.unm.edu website. Click here to search for and listen to audio recordings.
  • Compact Discs: 97 CDs made from Robb’s original reel-to-reel tapes are available for listening at the Center for Southwest Research or the UNM Fine Arts & Design Library. Additionally, the CDs at the Fine Arts library are available for checkout to UNM borrowers. A guide is available at the CSWR for Robb Archive # MU7, or may also be searched on the LIBROS Online Catalog. Search title = john donald robb field recordings.
  • Song Texts: The J.D. Robb Collection of Folk Music Recordings: Song Texts. 3 volumes, in the Center for Southwest Research and also the Fine Arts & Design Library. Call number: ML156.4.F6 R61.
  • Melodies: The J. D. Robb Collection of Folk Music: Melodies. 3 volumes, in the Center for Southwest Research and also the Fine Arts & Design Library. Call number: ML156.4 F6 R6.
BOOKS*

Robb, John Donald, compiler. Hispanic Folk Music Of New Mexico and the Southwest: A Self-Portrait of a People. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1980. In the CSWR and Fine Arts libraries: call number M1668.4 H52.

Robb, John Donald. Hispanic Folk Songs of New Mexico: With Selected Songs Collected, Transcribed and Arranged for Voice with Piano or Guitar Accompaniment. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, Revised 2008. In the CSWR and Fine Arts libraries: call number M1629.R666H5 2008.

*There are a number of publications and recordings by J. D. Robb in the University Libraries catalog. Please search LIBROS by Author = Robb, J. D.