Harry Oster Collection

Harry Oster (1923-2001) was an American folklorist, educator, and record producer whose field recordings of African American folk music in the 1950s revealed an extraordinary vein of vernacular music and culture. 

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Oster received his PhD in English from Cornell University and was appointed professor of English at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1955. There he began making field recordings of vernacular music traditions throughout Louisiana, many of which he released on his Folk-Lyric label. In 1959, Oster visited the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to record blues, prison work songs, spirituals, sermons, and interviews. His recording interests also included Cajun dance music, African American old-time fiddle tunes, religious gatherings, children's songs, street vendor cries, personal histories, and folktales. 

In 1964, Oster moved to the Department of English at the University of Iowa, where he continued to record regional music traditions including Czech, German, Norwegian, Scots-Irish, Amanite, Mennonite, Dutch, and Mesquakie. At Iowa, Oster also developed a wide range of folklore courses exploring American folk literature, jazz, blues, and ragtime.

The Oster collection includes photographs and audio recordings made by Oster in Louisiana and Iowa in the 1950s-1960s, including at Angola prison. We look forward to making more materials from the collection available in 2024. Explore the finding aid at the link below to learn more about the collection.