Milwaukee's Irish Music Archives
A national treasure for two countries

With a nickel down on the slot, Barry Stapleton, caretaker of the Irish Music Archives at the Irish Festival Building (1532 Wauwatosa Ave.), pushes the sliding metal carriage into the machine. It sticks a little but returns with that beautiful sound that only one of those sliding coin dispensers can make. "Fffunk…Chuuuh."

The 1937 Rockola jukebox lights up. A silver metal arm picks the second of maybe 15 vertical 78s, which look like LPs but saucer size instead of plate size and much thicker. The arm transfers the 78 to a horizontal, circular metal piece. The metal circle begins to spin the 78 and raises until the needle up high graces the surface of the 78. A few seconds of crackle then Glenn Miller's version of "Danny Boy" starts playing. It's a grand old tune.

To the left of the jukebox, there is a 1910 Edison Cylinder Player that somehow makes music out of something that looks like aerosol can. The Irish Music Archives have hundreds in its collection. Though the cylinders play only two or four minutes of music, they don't come cheap these days. It can cost anywhere from fifty dollars to hundreds for a mint-condition cylinder. That's pretty costly for a couple of minutes of music.

But it's worth it. Played off the old machines, the songs can recapture memories lost in the deep recesses of the mind, effecting people in powerful ways. "Many people have started crying when hearing songs they heard when a child," Stapleton says.

Time Capsule
There are thousands upon thousands of time capsules available to be discovered in the archives: songs, ticket stubs, flyers, radio broadcast recordings, posters, instruments, sheet music, V-discs, song books and magazines, plus a huge ceramic bust of Bing Crosby and an assortment of other oddities. The jukebox and the cylinder player only take up a corner of the spacious room. There are numerous rows of shelves filled with records of all sizes (78s, 16-inchers, LPs, 45s); there are display cases showing various instruments and recognizable (and not so recognizable) titles and collectibles. The walls are decorated with band pictures, album covers, posters and turn-of-the-century paraphernalia. Each piece could evoke a different memory or enliven the present with a different feeling.

The John J. Ward Jr. Archive was established in 1992. Ed Ward, founder of Irish Fest and son of the collection's namesake, started the archives in an effort to promote and preserve the Irish-American musical heritage. The Ward family's extensive library of Irish music was the starting point. Over the years, other collections have been acquired. In 1996, the addition of the Comer collection, containing more than 6,000 recordings, made the archive one of the most reputable of its kind in the country and perhaps also the world. The Michael C. Corenthal ("Mr. Mike") collection brought and extensive amount of John E. McCormack's works as well as books and memorabilia. Other significant contributions have come from a variety of sources, including the general public.

Not only do some of these old ethnic songs illicit powerful emotions from those who are familiar with them, they are also musical monuments. Stapleton says, "The making of these songs coincides with the history of the country." One can gain an appreciation for the attitudes, politics, or circumstances of a time by studying the details of any song or music related material, such as pins, posters or concert tickets. For instance, Irish musicians, such as George Cohan, collaborated quite a bit on the composition of show tunes and the making of vaudeville shows with Jewish entertainers during the turn of the century. "The Irish were a very musical group of people, and the Jewish people were very active in the entertainment industry," Stapleton explains. The songs and the productions are evidence of the cross-fertilization of two persecuted groups of people.

Memorable Voices
Later in the century, the Pat O'Brien radio broadcast for the armed services inspired troops fighting in the World War II. O'Brien remains one of the most memorable voices of the war for many veterans. "The recording of his broadcasts is a piece of time," says Stapleton. That time fortunately is preserved on 16-inch records.

Thought the archivists believe that those visiting the museum will enjoy what they see and hear, they also hope that visitors gain an awareness of the lives of people who came before them. "Part of our aim," Stapleton explains, "is to educate people of Irish legacy."

The focus of the collection is on Irish-American music; however, they also feature plenty of American recordings by singers from Ireland. According to Stapleton, most Irish singers in the 19th and 20th century came over to the U.S. to record. "Ireland was a poor country. They didn't have the recording equipment in Ireland."

For enthusiasts of Ireland's great rock singers and groups, like Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison and Sinead O'Connor, there is also plenty to hear and see. For instance, one person donated every written article that could be found on US. The archivists have been working hard to expand their rock collection. "We want to have something for both young and old," Stapleton says.

The archive is primarily funded by Irish Fest proceeds. Ed Ward explains, "We want to give back to the community. Irish Fest has been a very successful festival. Putting money into the museum and archives if one way we have of giving back to the community." With more than 30,000 music-related items, the people at the Irish Music Archives and Irish Fest have given plenty of their time and money.

The message seems to be what goes around comes around, and that applies to the rest of us. Those who donate 10 items dealing with Irish music get a free ticket to the festival. With all the generous donations they have received throughout the years, one of the biggest problems Ed Ward and Barry Stapleton have is sorting through it all. They say that is their biggest task now. But, being aficionados of the music, it's a problem they love to have.