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Audio Recording Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1

Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1

About this Item

Title

  • Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1

Names

  • Bradunas, Elena (Collector)
  • Sajewski, Alvin (Interviewee)
  • Sajewski, Jeannette (Interviewee)

Created / Published

  • Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 1977

Headings

  • -  Polish Americans
  • -  Ethnography
  • -  Interviews
  • -  Illinois -- Chicago

Genre

  • Ethnography
  • Interviews

Notes

  • -  Alvin and Janette Sajewski (Recorded by Elena Bradunas), part 1
  • -  Part 1 of a 3-part interview with sister and brother Jania Sajewski (Jeanette Sajewski Terley or Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski) and Alvin Sajewski in their music store, 1227 Milwaukee Ave; topics include earlier version’s of the family’s store in Chicago, the current iteration is the sixth; the basement has special features to control dampness; their family includes 3 girls and 5 boys, father died in 1948; about the demolition of one store because of urban renewal; in youth, Alvin Sajewski spent the most time in the store with his father, learned the business; Polish was spoken at home, there was pride in being Polish; Jeannette explains that her husband’s name Terlikowski was shortened to Terley for ease in spelling; Poles and Polish Americans always stopped at Sajewski store, “if we didn’t stay here no one could find us”; musical trends, earlier favored accordions and concertinas, today guitars; Alvin grew up with the record business; we give credit to buyers; about how proud ethnic Americans were to own a phonograph; in 1914, Columbia started recording polkas and waltzes, how the Sajewskis suggested to the big companies that they start recording what people wanted, which the Sajewskis knew about; Alvin’s first chore in the store had been to wind up the photographs and play records for customers, his older brother taught him to tantalize customers by only playing part of the record, this task made Alvin very aware of customers’ tastes, psychology of selling, play a few good ones, a few bad ones; joke about Halley’s comet, at about the time of the passing in 1910.

Medium

  • audiocassette, C-60

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Call number: AFC 1981/004: AFS 20804a
  • MBRS Shelflist: RYA 0802
  • Field Project Identifier: CH77-T339-C

Source Collection

  • Chicago Ethnic Arts Project collection (AFC 1981/004)

Repository

  • American Folklife Center

Digital Id

Online Format

  • audio

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that some of the materials in this collection are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions, and are therefore free to use or reuse. For example, the fieldwork in this collection is in the public domain in the United States.

However, the Library has obtained permission for the use of other materials, and presents additional materials for educational and research purposes in accordance with fair use under United States copyright law. For example, some of the recordings contain copyrighted music, and not all of the performers and other individuals who were recorded signed releases for public use of their work.

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Credit line: Chicago Ethnic Arts Project collection (AFC 1981/004), American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Bradunas, Elena, Alvin Sajewski, and Jeannette Sajewski. Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1. Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 1977. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc1981004_afs20804a/.

APA citation style:

Bradunas, E., Sajewski, A. & Sajewski, J. (1977) Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1. Chicago, Illinois, June 3. [Audio] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc1981004_afs20804a/.

MLA citation style:

Bradunas, Elena, Alvin Sajewski, and Jeannette Sajewski. Interview with Alvin Sajewski and Jeannette Sajewski Terlikowski, Chicago, Illinois, part 1. Chicago, Illinois, June 3, 1977. Audio. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc1981004_afs20804a/>.