The Museum of the City of New York held a party on June 16 for the opening of Folk City: New York and the Folk Music Revival, a celebration of the city’s role as the center of the folk music revival from its beginnings in the 1930s and 1940s to its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s.
With a wide array of memorabilia, photos, video and sound recordings, the exhibition documents the music and movement that helped transform Greenwich Village and spread as a major cultural phenomenon.
Folk City remains on view through Sunday, November 29.
Many notables from the folk era were present at the party. Here are some images, all by Frank Beacham.
Fred Hellerman, the last surviving member of The Weavers
Oscar Brand, now 95, sings along with the band
Noel "Paul" Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary sings to the crowd through reflected glass
John Cohen, performer, photographer, filmmaker and jack of all trades checks the audio board
John Hammond Jr., blues performer, with Terri Thal, early folk music manager of Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Danny Kalb and others
Tom Paxton
Dominic Chianese, actor and former emcee at Gerde's Folk City