Eloise Hubbard Linscott (December 29, 1897 – 1978) was a 20th-century American folklorist, song collector, and preservationist. She is the author of ''Folk Songs of Old New England'' (1939), considered a valuable scholarly source for American folk songs. John Lee Brooks described ''Folk Songs of Old New England'' as an American equivalent of
Bishop Percy's 1765 work ''
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry
The ''Reliques of Ancient English Poetry'' (sometimes known as ''Reliques of Ancient Poetry'' or simply Percy's ''Reliques'') is a collection of ballads and popular songs collected by Bishop Thomas Percy and published in 1765.
Sources
The basis ...
''.
Life and career
Linscott was born Eloise Barrett Hubbard and raised in
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount ...
. She was graduated from
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and functioned as the female coordinate institution for the all-male Harvard College. Considered founded in 1879, it was one of the Seven Sisters colleges and he ...
in 1920 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.
[
Linscott was initially inspired to begin her fieldwork to preserve the legacy of her own family's musical traditions, and because there were then no music books on traditional songs such as she had known as a girl. ''Folk Songs of Old New England'' was the culmination of about ten years of work. One important source of ''Folk Songs of Old New England'' was a collection of songs which had remained in the possession of the descendants of one Elizabeth Foster Reed for over 150 years, which Linscott unearthed. But Linscott used several other sources as well.][
Although she continued her research and fieldwork with the intention of publishing other books, ''Folk Songs of Old New England'' was Linscott's only publication. However, she gave popular lectures on folk music at music societies, camps, women's clubs, and arts groups, where she would bring a guest fiddler, and sometimes sing.][
In the 1940s, Linscott became involved with the National Folk Festival as a volunteer coordinator for New England musicians. She helped organize regional folk festivals, including ones held at the Boston Arena and Boston Public Garden.][
Linscott used her own personal funding to finance the first ten years of her research. Around 1940, she gained sponsorship from ]Musicraft
Musicraft Records was a record company and label established in 1937 in New York City.
Catalogue
Musicraft's catalog encompassed many different musical styles, including classical music, folk, jazz, Latin, popular vocal, and calypso.
Artists wh ...
and in 1941 from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
. In 1941, Linscott borrowed equipment from Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...
(head of the Library's Archive of American Folk Song The Archive of Folk Culture (originally named The Archive of American Folk Song) was established in 1928 as the first national collection of American folk music in the United States of America. It was initially part of the Music Division of the Libr ...
) and in two weeks delivered to Lomax 36 glass-core master acetate discs of folk songs. Lomax was a regular correspondent and mentor to her during this time.[
Linscott was an enterprising, tenacious, energetic, and enthusiastic fieldworker. One informant bestowed on her the nickname "The Tornado".][
Over the course of her career, Linscott gathered approximately 2500 recordings on cylinders, discs, and tapes, as well as other materials. Linscott's manuscripts, recordings, and other materials remain at the Eloise Hubbard Linscott Collection of the American Folklife Center in the ]Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
.[
]
Personal life
Linscott had two sisters and three brothers. She married Charles Hardy Linscott in 1921; they lived in Needham, Massachusetts
Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is home of Olin College.
History
Early settlement
Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a ...
, and spent summers in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Wolfeboro is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,416 at the 2020 census. A resort area situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro includes the village of Wolfeboro Falls.
History
The town was granted ...
. Linscott had one son, John Hubbard Linscott, born in 1929.[
]
Works
* Reprinted 2011, Dover Publications,
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Linscott, Eloise Hubbard
1897 births
1978 deaths
People from Taunton, Massachusetts
People from Needham, Massachusetts
Radcliffe College alumni
American folklorists
Women folklorists
American folk-song collectors
People from Wolfeboro, New Hampshire