This collection contains material collected and produced by Katherine Borland during her fieldwork in Masaya, Nicaragua. Originally arriving in Nicaragua in the early 90’s to study literacy programs, Dr. Borland changed the direction of her ethnographic practice on the ground. Her fieldwork in Nicaragua culminated in her first monograph: Unmasking Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Nicaraguan Festival, published in 2006 by University of Arizona Press.
This collection contains two binders of photographs, one binder of photo slides, 24 taped interviews conducted in Spanish, and 20 masks made by locals for Dr. Borland. Many of the masks (17) were created by a well-known mask maker in Monimbó, Masaya, Sr. Norlan Briceño.
The photos and slides are not digitized and are not yet fully described. The taped interviews have been fully digitized, and one interview has been transcribed in Spanish with a forthcoming English translation.
The photographs and interviews contained in this collection may hold research and/or pedagogical weight to those interested in costume, dance, festivals, foodways, gender non-conformity, legends, Latin American history, mask making, myths, Nicaraguan political history, and resistance.
A finding aid for this collection is available upon request. Please contact cfs@osu.edu for more information.