Paul Belanger, interviewed by Mark Silber and Raymond Pelletier
Scope and Contents
This project involved a series of bilingual interviews utilizing family albums to stimulate discussion about Franco-American culture, particularly as it pertained to work. That is, it concerned the following: how work reflected cultural values; work ethic; work/occupation patterns; how work was integrated with family life (or interfered with it); the history of work patterns in the Lewiston area, and about Franco-American culture and family life in general. We interviewed elderly persons identified by the Western Maine Older Citizens Council. The interviewers included Raymond Pelletier (professor of French at UM), Marcella Sorg, Mark Silber, and Steffan Duplessis. The products of these interviews included: (1) a filmstrip with bilingual audio tape using reproduced family photos which illustrated themes from the ethnography and excerpts from the tape-recorded interviews; and (2) a bilingual traveling photo exhibit using selected family photos and captioned with quotes (with translations).
Dates
- Creation: 1977-1982
Creator
- From the Collection: Sorg, Marcella (Interviewer, Person)
- From the Collection: Pelletier, Raymond (Interviewer, Person)
- From the Collection: Duplessis, Steffan (Interviewer, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
For digitized items free from access restrictions, we are working to upload this material (pdfs, mp3s, jpgs) for public access, but it is an ongoing project. If you don’t find what you are looking for here, contact Special Collections (um.library.spc@maine.edu).
Extent
From the Collection: 34 items
Language of Materials
English
French
Abstract
1685 Paul Belanger, interviewed by Mark Silber and Raymond Pelletier, February 18, 1981, Lewiston, Maine. Belanger talks about the history of Franco-Americans in Lewiston and Auburn; Franco-American love of music; working during the Great Depression; working for a French newspaper, the Messenger, and radio station; his father’s musical work for St. Mary’s Church, importance Franco-Americans placed on education for their children; religion; and retirement. Partially in French. Text: 18 pp. transcript, French segments not transcribed. Recording: T 1806 CD 2524 1-1/4 hours, partially in French.
Subject
- Catholic Church (Organization)
Repository Details
Part of the Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History Repository
5729 Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono ME 04469-5729 United States
207.581.1686