In 1956, Michael Stillman and his business partner Rose Rubin started Monitor Records in New York City, to fill a gap they perceived in the music available to the American public--music from the then-Soviet Union, the Eastern Bloc, and other parts of Europe. Monitor has more than 250 folk and classical music recordings in its catalogue, including a wide variety of international folk dance and belly dance music recordings that were widely used by dancers. The collection, which includes the original master tapes, phonograph records, graphics, and business records of the company, was acquired by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in 1998.

A finding aid is currently being prepared and will be posted as soon as it is available.

See a complete list of Monitor Records available through Smithsonian Folkways