Collection number: MC 248
Size: 4 boxes
(2 cu.ft.)
About Kerry Elkin
Kerry Elkin (1951-2009) was born in New York City and grew up in Middleborough, Massachusetts. He graduated from Middleborough High School in 1969, where he lettered in football. He earned a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also attended Rutgers University, where he majored in engineering, and played football and rugby.
Kerry spent his early career at the Manomet Bird Observatory (now the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences) in Manomet, Massachusetts. Always deeply interested in wildlife and the natural world, he found his true vocations as a farmer and a musician.
As a farmer, he was principally involved with cranberries. He was a bog manager for Beaton Cranberries, Inc. in Wareham from 1984 to 1992. Kerry was also a grower, who built his own bog in Rochester and farmed it from 1985 to 1995.
It was as a musician that he drew his most satisfaction and acclaim. Kerry was an accomplished traditional dance fiddler, who performed at dances, dance camps, and festivals across the United States, Canada, Belgium, Ireland, and France. His bands, "Geese in the Bog" and "Fresh Fish", performed at monthly dances in Rochester and Rehoboth granges, and drew on the large community of contra dancers in New England. His bands recorded cassettes and CDs, and he was invited to perform on the recordings of other musicians. He was the proud owner of and performer of a custom Bob Childs fiddle, and was a member of the band "Childsplay".
About the Kerry Elkin Papers, 1975-2000
Most of the Kerry Elkin Papers consists of sheet music, reflecting a wide variety of styles and interterests. This includes Swedish, Cape Breton, Scottish, Irish, international folk dance, singing squares, swing dance, and New England genres. Some compositions are original; many others are hand-transcribed. Copius dance diaries exist for the years 1987-1993, along with dance cards, chord charts, and field and commercial recordings.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], [Folder], [Box], Kerry Elkin Papers, 1975-2000, MC 248, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Gift from the Elkins family, 2012
Separated Material
Commercial recordings are housed with the main collection.
Collection Arrangement
Collection is in original order.
Collection Contents
| Box 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Box 1, Folder 1 | Notebook of Dance Calls | |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | Dance Diary, 1992-1994 | |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | Shetland Tunes | |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | Wellington Bilgewater Tunes (G.C. Kaynor) | |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | Misc. Tunes | |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | Misc. Tunes, A-J | |
| Box 1, Folder 7 | Misc. Tunes, K-Z | |
| Box 1, Folder 8 | Dance Binder: Reels | |
| Box 1, Folder 9 | Dance Binder: Jigs | |
| Box 1, Folder 10 | Dance Binder: Waltzes, Hornpipes, Clogs | |
| Box 1, Folder 11 | Dance Binder: "Mandolin from Joe" | |
| Box 1, Folder 12 | Dance Binder: "Mom's" Tunes | |
| Box 1, Folder 13 | Misc. Transcribed Tunes | |
| Box 1, Folder 14 | Copy of Unidentified Tune Book | |
| Box 2 | ||
| Box 2, Folder 1 | Waltzes | |
| Box 2, Folder 2 | First Collection of Irish Music (Mulvihill) | |
| Box 2, Folder 3 | Reels | |
| Box 2, Folder 4 | Misc. Tunes | |
| Box 2, Folder 5 | Reels: Canadian | |
| Box 2, Folder 6 | Jigs: Canadian | |
| Box 2, Folder 7 | Reels: Cape Breton | |
| Box 2, Folder 8 | Jigs | |
| Box 2, Folder 9 | Jigs: Irish | |
| Box 2, Folder 10 | Reels: Irish | |
| Box 2, Folder 11 | Reels: Quebecois and Newfoundlander | |
| Box 2, Folder 12 | Jigs: Quebecois | |
| Box 2, Folder 13 | Marches | |
| Box 2, Folder 14 | Waltzes | |
| Box 2, Folder 15 | Polkas | |
| Box 3 | ||
| Box 3, Folder 1 | Childsplay | |
| Box 3, Folder 2 | English Country Dance Tunes | |
| Box 3, Folder 3 | New Compositions | |
| Box 3, Folder 4 | International | |
| Box 3, Folder 5 | Singing Squares | |
| Box 3, Folder 6 | Scottish | |
| Box 3, Folder 7 | Taggart Collection | |
| Box 3, Folder 8 | Swedish | |
| Box 3, Folder 9 | Swing Dance | |
| Box 3, Folder 10 | Set Lists, 1987-1990 | |
| Box 3, Folder 11 | Misc. Dance Materials | |
| Box 3, Folder 12 | Misc. Dance Materials | |
| Box 4 | ||
| Box 4, Folder 1 | Chord Charts | |
| Box 4, Folder 2 | Chord Charts | |
| Box 4, Folder 3 | Dance Cards: Improper Contras | |
| Box 4, Folder 4 | Dance Cards: Improper Contras | |
| Box 4, Folder 5 | Dance Cards: Other Formations | |
