Between 1989 and 1992, folklorists Jim Leary and Rick March produced and hosted "Down Home Dairyland," a radio series that explored the traditional and ethnic music of Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest. The series drew heavily on field recordings and archival research made possible by support from the Wisconsin Arts Board and the Wisconsin Folk Museum. The show combined sound recordings, interviews with musicians and commentary by the hosts.

The Down Home Dairyland Collection features original photographs, notes, and 80 field recordings of musical performances and interviews that provided source material for the programs; as well as 40 half-hour programs with accompanying essays published in 1996 as "Down Home Dairyland: a listener's guide," press releases and broadcast schedules.

Special thanks to The National Endowment for the Humanities for providing essential support for this online collection.

Access

Original collection materials reside in the Mills Music Library. Materials in the collection are non-circulating but may be consulted in the library. Patrons wishing to consult materials may contact the reference librarian on duty.

Materials in the collection are subject to the guidelines for use and reproduction of materials in the special collections of the General Library System of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.