Square Dance History Project
The rich story of North American square dance finally has a home in the digital age.

Browse Items (201 total)

  • Temporal Coverage is exactly "1940s"
Still Image

Lloyd Shaw and kids

Lloyd Shaw, surrounded by some of the young members of the Cheyenne Mountain Dancers View item
Still Image

Cowboy Dances

This is the dust cover to Lloyd Shaw's book, Cowboy Dances, first published in 1939.Used copies are common and inexpensive. A clean reprint of the book is also available from the Lloyd Shaw… View item
Sound

Redwing - Dip and Dive - Ed Durlacher

Ed Durlacher, caller. The tune is Redwing. Durlacher's vocal style is distinctive. Recorded in 1941, with music by Al MacLeod's Country Dance Band. View item
Sound

Lloyd Shaw calling (clip)

This short audio clip illustrates Shaw's calling style and voice. Other items on this site refer to full-length recordings posted elsewhere. View item
Moving Image

Ed Durlacher - Central Park Newsreel

Newsreel footage of square dancing in Central Park, New York City, in the 1940s. Ed Durlacher called to crowds in the thousands. Famed news photographer Weegee was one who documented this series; a… View item
Website

Sets in Order archive

The complete collection of Sets in Order (which changed its name to Square Dancing in 1968) is available online through the University of Denver. A duplicate set is now housed on the Internet Archive.… View item
Moving Image

Eleanor Roosevelt square dancing

Newsreel footage of Eleanor Roosevelt dancing in Arthurdale, West Virginia, 1940 View item
Website

Square Dance in Japan

(Note: also available is information on the start of square dancing in Germany. Viewers may also be interested in a 2021 audio program featuring MWSD singing calls by Japanese callers, part of Buddy… View item
Still Image

Winfield P. Niblo

Photographs of Winfield P. Niblo, widely credited with bringing American square dance to Japan after World War II. In one photo he can be seen calling with cupped hands; there simply was no PA system… View item
Sound

Bud Udick - Hash #1

This 1949 audio clip features Bud Udick calling with "Cactus" Tait's Orchestra, recorded live "at the regular weekly square dances at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel" in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A… View item
Sound

Bud Udick - Hash #2

This 1949 audio clip features Bud Udick calling with "Cactus" Tait's Orchestra, recorded live "at the regular weekly square dances at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel" in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A… View item
Moving Image

Going to the Barn Dance Tonight - Soundie

Carson Robison (on guitar) was a country music star. The Wikipedia article about him says, "According to Billboard, his 1942 recording of the standard "Turkey in the Straw" was that year's top selling… View item