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

Browse Items (1930 total)

Document

Beatnik square dance

All forms of social dance reflect changes in the broader society in which they take place. This call, found in an unidentified caller's notebook, dates from the 1950s and shows a common set of… View item
Still Image

Lloyd Shaw's summer class - photos

This collection of photos comes from the family of George and Betty Greene, dancers and organizers from the St. Louis area, and were contibuted to SDHP by Ellen Hocker, their daughter. 1. Lloyd… View item
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St. Louis square dancers, early 1950s

These photos are from the early St. Louis square dance scene, organized in part by George Greene and his wife, Betty. George Greene played an active role bringing to the St. Louis area some of the… View item
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Vermont square dancers, 1950s - children

This collection of photographs from the 1950s shows children dancing, mostly at the large square dance festivals held in Northfield or Montpelier, Vermont. View item
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Jim Munyon

This album sent us searching to learn more about the two individuals. We've determined that "Munyan" refers to Jim Munyon, who was a southern California dance caller who appears in numerous newspaper… View item
Moving Image

African-American quadrille, 1914 (#2)

This comes from the Prelinger Archives and the footage appears to be from the same reel as another itemin our collection. The first part of the footage shows common quadrille figures: opposite couples… View item
Still Image

1988 Calgary Olympics - costume

This is a costume worn by dancers at the gala square dance that formed part of the opening ceremony at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. See the related item for video footage of that dance routine… View item
Still Image

Callers' Jamboree - NH, 1947

Callers sitting on stage:Gene Gowing, Ralph Page, Hal Brundage, Al Brundage, Ed Durlacher, Lawrence Loy, Orville "Pop" SmithMusicians on stage:Bob Gulyassy, George Gulyassy, Dick Best, Bob McQuillen,… View item
Website

Square dance, Helvetia, WV - 1974

https://archive.org/details/gerald-fords-america-297_17473Square dance starts at around 12 minute markhttps://archive.org/details/gerald-fords-america-298_17474This one is a continuation of the… View item
Person

Jack Murtha

Jack Murtha, a caller in his own right, worked closely with Bob Ruff to teach square dance to schoolchildren. This portrait of him was painted by Gene Anthony, who also portrayed the members of the… View item
Still Image

Rita and Mal Hayden

Photo of Mal and Rita Hayden dressed in clothing to celebrate the American Bicentennial, 1976 Jim Mayo comments: “He was calling when I first started dancing in 1947 and when I got out of… View item
Still Image

Young African Americans Square Dancing - 1952

This photo shows a square dance at the Hallie Q. Brown Center, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1952. View item