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 Disks: 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 & 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 and Piano. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1954. In the CSWR & Fine Arts libraries: call number M1629.7 N57 R62.
*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.
ARCHIVES AT THE CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST RESEARCH
The following archival collections at the CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST RESEARCH have detailed finding aids, including inventories, available on the Rocky Mountain Online Archive.
J. D. Robb Papers (1915-1989)
MSS 497 BC, 139 boxes + oversize folder. Click here for Finding Aid.
The extensive archives of John Donald Robb relate to his work as an educator, author, lecturer, and composer. The collection is arranged in three series: Personal and Professional Papers; Folk Music; and Compositions of John Donald Robb.
John Donald Robb Photograph Collection (1950-1989)
PICT 000-497, 2 boxes (301 photo prints, 13 slides) Click here for Finding Aid.
The photograph collection consists of portraits of John D. Robb and family, friends, and numerous musicians, conductors, singers, and dance performers.
John Donald Robb Musical Trust Records (1989-2006)
MSS 718 BC. 4 boxes. Click here for Finding Aid.
This archive contains materials generated by the John Donald Robb Musical Trust since its founding in 1989. Records include recordings of performances of Robb’s work as well as scores edited posthumously.
Robb's field recordings are available online and can be searched by title, performer, place of publication. Click here to visit this page.
Texts of complete song texts and melodies may be used in the Anderson Reading Room, Center for Southwest Research in Zimmerman Library.
Field recordings of other Hispanic folk songs recorded and performed by various other collectors within the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music are located in the CSWR and some are also in the Fine Arts Library. Click here for the listing of other folk music from the Archive.
FURTHER ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
Please visit the Rocky Mountain Online Archive website to find other archival collections relating to music and folkways from the Southwestern U.S., Latin American, and Spain.