Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution the national museum of the United States. They are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation preservation and dissemination of sound. Folkways Records believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials Folkways Records seek to strengthen people s engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others. Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document “people s music ” spoken word instruction and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987 and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued the Folkways commitment to cultural diversity education increased understanding and lively engagement with the world of sound.

This is an instructional recording of the sounds of different animals from the Detroit Zoo and The Cornell Behavioral Farm at Cornell University. The animal sounds are followed by explanations of the behavior that spurs the sound such as hunger calls for feeding or distress calls for lost or cold. The album is in no particular order with the zoo and farm animals intermingled together. The liner notes include detailed information on the animals and context of the sounds made. Recordings by Arthur M. Greenhall and Nicholas Collias in 1954 and 1961.