Woody Guthrie has been a hero of mine since the 1960s when I fell in love with folk music. Woody was one of the original performers in that genre. He became popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s. I know folk music has lost its charm to many but even though I am deaf now, I still remember many of Woodie’s songs. His most popular one was “This Land Was Made For You And Me”. I have been on a lifelong journey to make it our national anthem. It talks more about the “real” America instead of a little known battle in a little known war that is current our national song.
I think the reason I only listened to folk music instead of the Beatles and such is that the lyrics almost always gave a message for many of my generation. Peter, Paul, and Mary simply sang what I believed in those years. Simon & Garfunkel did the same. But I was primarily a Bob Dylan fan, that is until he turned electric in the 1970s. His songs talked to my soul.
I was so excited to see that Woody Guthrie finally had his own museum I couldn’t wait to visit. Here is a gallery of pictures for your pleasure. There wasn’t any Internet in Woody’s day so the two men wearing placards trying to find word during the Depression was the best they could do. If you are ever in Tulsa plan on a visit to this museum and take the time to stroll through the rest of the Brady District where it is located. If you are not fimilar with him it is still worth a visit to understand the messengers of my generation.
They also have a large archive of many of his artistic stuff. He was into way more than just folk songs. If you were a devoted fan you can probably spend half a day there, it not a couple of hours will like dlyo. That area of Santa Fe is very artsy in nature and worth the visit.
Here is a gallery of some of the things you will see there.
