Helvetia Video Project

Freda Balli milking a cow on Balli Farm. Photograph by Gerry Milnes, Sept 1991 during the Helvetia Video Project in Hacker Valley near Helvetia, WV. The video project culminated in a documentary film entitled Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia that features descendants of 19th century Swiss immigrants sharing and discussing their music, dance, yodeling, foodways, crafts, customs, and celebrations.

archive reference GM S2602.

Project description:
The Milnes Collection contains audio-visual recordings made and collected by the Augusta Heritage Center’s former Folk Arts Coordinator, Gerald Milnes. Throughout his career with Augusta, Milnes conducted field work to amass a large collection of photographs, oral histories, music, and event recordings. He recorded the bulk of the collection from the early 1970s to 2013, but the collection also includes tapes with earlier dates that others sent to him.

Videographer Robert “Bob” Campbell and assistant with film-making equipment on Balli Farm during the Helvetia Video Project. Photograph by Gerry Milnes, Sept 1991, Hacker Valley near Helvetia WV. The video project culminated in a documentary film entitled Helvetia: The Swiss of West Virginia that features descendants of 19th century Swiss immigrants sharing and discussing their music, dance, yodeling, foodways, crafts, customs, and celebrations.

archive reference GM S2601.

Project description:
The Milnes Collection contains audio-visual recordings made and collected by the Augusta Heritage Center’s former Folk Arts Coordinator, Gerald Milnes. Throughout his career with Augusta, Milnes conducted field work to amass a large collection of photographs, oral histories, music, and event recordings. He recorded the bulk of the collection from the early 1970s to 2013, but the collection also includes tapes and photographs with earlier dates that others sent to him.