Lomax recorded an enormous amount of folk music from all over the world. His library is in the process of being digitized so it will be available to the world for streaming online (!). Saw this in the wikipedia article about him and thought it was funny, regarding an FBI investigation into his alleged Communist views/sympathy:
Yet what the probe failed to find in terms of prosecutable evidence, it made up for in speculation about his character. An FBI report dated July 23, 1943, describes Lomax as possessing "an erratic, artistic temperament" and a "bohemian attitude." It says: "He has a tendency to neglect his work over a period of time and then just before a deadline he produces excellent results." The file quotes one informant who said that "Lomax was a very peculiar individual, that he seemed to be very absent-minded and that he paid practically no attention to his personal appearance." This same source adds that he suspected Lomax's peculiarity and poor grooming habits came from associating with the hillbillies who provided him with folk tunes".
On a side note, I wish I had his job.
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