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

Browse Items (214 total)

  • Subject is exactly "Transitional/Western 1950s"
Website

Sets in Order yearbooks

Bob Osgood published in 1954 a Five Year Book that printed every dance that had been published in Sets in Order in the first five years. In 1956 he issued the first Yearbook that included everything… View item
Moving Image

Bob Osgood - television program #2

A later broadcast of Osgood's television show, this time featuring his first guest caller (2:25), Ray Shaw, the brother of Lloyd Shaw. Ray Shaw was one of the few square dance callers in the Los… View item
Still Image

Summer Institute, Asilomar, 1957

InAs I See It, Bob Osgood devotes an entire chapter to Asilomar, a series of summer square dance institutes sponsored bySets in Order magazine. Asilomar was a conference facility that Osgood had… View item
Still Image

"Square Dancing" film flyer

This is the flyer used to promote the Square Dancing film created by Bob Osgood and his Sets in Order team. View item
Sound

Settin' the Woods on Fire - Bob Ruff

Borrowing the tune from the popular Hank Williams song of 1952, this excerpt features caller Bob Ruff with music by the Buckboard Busters on the Sets in Order label. The "lady 'round two and… View item
Sound

Bruce Johnson interview

This interview with a young Bruce Johnson-- he's 25 at the time-- was conducted by Mildred Buhler as part of her "Calling All Folk Dancers" radio program in 1950-1951. (The illustration is from 20… View item
Website

Square Dance Articles - Buddy Weaver resources page

Buddy Weaver has collected on his website a series of transcriptions and printed essays by numerous well-respected square dance callers. On this site, you'll find pieces by Doc Alumbaugh, Ed… View item
Sound

Oklahoma Cyclone (clip) - Butch Nelson

Butch Nelson was a regular caller at the Lighted Lantern dance camp in Colorado. View item
Document

Aggie Haylofters - Colorado

Author Cal Campbell shares his memories of dancing with the Aggie Haylofters, a square dance group at Colorado State University. (CSU was Colorado A&M until it changed its name in the 1950s;… View item
Sound

Arch of Three - Cal Golden, Santa Monica, 1950

This is an audio recording from the 1950 Santa Monica dance, the world's largest square dance event at that time. Caller Cal Golden is being introduced by Lloyd Shaw, master of ceremonies for the… View item
Sound

Cal Golden - interview and four dances

Note: There are five separate audio clips in this item, and it may take a little longer than usual to load. We start with an interview with a young Cal Golden conducted by Mildred Buhler as part… View item
Document

Colorado dancing - Cal Campbell

Dance caller Cal Campbell started dancing at age 6 in 1943; he has written a series of reminiscences of his experiences growing up in a small Colorado town and the vital role that dancing played in… View item