Historical Portrait
John Soininen, half-length portrait, photograph
Archive record
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting John Soininen, performing Finnish songs on November 5, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Berkeley, California.
About this photograph
This portrait of John Soininen was made in Berkeley, California, on November 5, 1939. The photograph was taken by Sidney Robertson Cowell as part of documentation that included field recordings of Soininen performing Finnish songs.
Cowell directed the W.P.A. California Folk Music Project, which recorded and photographed traditional musicians across Northern California between 1938 and 1940. She deliberately worked across the state's immigrant communities rather than concentrating on a single tradition.
The project materials are held by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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