Jones, George, d. 1878
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1589
.3 linear feet (1 box)
George Jones (d. 1878), an American actor and lecturer, was known as "Count Joannes.". Collection consists of Jones's correspondence with family members and others. Topics include his career as lecturer and orator, business matters and lawsuits.
American Dramatic Fund Association
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 70
.4 linear feet (1 box)
The American Dramatic Fund Association was founded in New York City in 1848 for the purpose of aiding members of the theatrical profession (actors, dancers and singers) who were unable to work, helping to support members' widows and orphans, and...
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The American Dramatic Fund Association was founded in New York City in 1848 for the purpose of aiding members of the theatrical profession (actors, dancers and singers) who were unable to work, helping to support members' widows and orphans, and defraying funeral expenses of members. The organization has been known as the Actors' Fund of America since 1882. Collection consists of correspondence and records of the American Dramatic Fund Association. Correspondence concerns donations and applications for membership and financial assistance. Also, annuity receipts, receipt book for 1848 to 1869, and papers regarding alterations of rules and regulations.
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Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 928
54.21 linear feet (146 boxes)
The Schomburg Programs and Playbills collection consists of thousands of programs, playbills, and other ephemera, spanning the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries, documenting Black theatrical, musical, and dance performances, as well as events...
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The Schomburg Programs and Playbills collection consists of thousands of programs, playbills, and other ephemera, spanning the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries, documenting Black theatrical, musical, and dance performances, as well as events put on by Black academic, community, religious, and political organizations.
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Buckley, Gail Lumet, 1937-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 327
2.04 linear feet (4 boxes)
This collection consists of original documents and correspondence related to the Horne family, assembled by Gail Lumet Buckley during the research and writing of her book
The Hornes: An American Family (New York: Alfred...
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This collection consists of original documents and correspondence related to the Horne family, assembled by Gail Lumet Buckley during the research and writing of her book
The Hornes: An American Family (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986). Included are articles, programs, awards, memorabilia, business correspondence and papers, financial data, and other printed material pertaining to the careers of singer Lena Horne; her uncle, Frank S. Horne, a member of the Roosevelt "Black cabinet" and poet; and other members of the extended family.
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Johnson, Helen A.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 599
16.79 linear feet (46 boxes)
The Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater collections (HAJMTC) were formed by over two hundred file-folder level collections (one-three file folders per personality or event). The collections contain information dating from the...
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The Helen Armstead-Johnson miscellaneous theater collections (HAJMTC) were formed by over two hundred file-folder level collections (one-three file folders per personality or event). The collections contain information dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, and they document early dramatic actors, minstrel shows, vaudeville, musical revues, Broadway productions, and protest dramas, among others. In addition to actors, playwrights, singers, musicians, and dancers and the productions in which they appeared, there are collections for poets and visual artists.
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Locke, Robinson, 1856-1920
Billy Rose Theatre Division | NAFR+
107.94 linear feet (518 volumes, 574 other items)
The Robinson Locke collection consists of scrapbooks and portfolios containing clippings, programs, photographs, prints, letters and other ephemera documenting American theater history.
Luening, Otto, 1900-1996
Music Division | JPB 94-07
72.68 linear feet (203 boxes)
The Otto Luening papers contain the composer's scores, correspondence, writings, subject files, and other professional papers; and family papers of his siblings, parents, extended family, and ancestors, including the scores of his father, Eugene...
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The Otto Luening papers contain the composer's scores, correspondence, writings, subject files, and other professional papers; and family papers of his siblings, parents, extended family, and ancestors, including the scores of his father, Eugene Luening.
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Gomme, Laurence J. (Laurence James), 1882-
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1993-004
Laurence Gomme was a bookseller, appraiser, publisher and collector. His collection consists of letters, programs, clippings and photographs.
Friedman, Phil, 1921-1988
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss-2004-019
.67 linear feet (2 boxes)
Philburn (Phil) Friedman (1921-1988) was an American stage manager. Friedman managed numerous Broadway and West Coast theater productions, many of them musicals, including Kismet (1953), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961),...
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Philburn (Phil) Friedman (1921-1988) was an American stage manager. Friedman managed numerous Broadway and West Coast theater productions, many of them musicals, including Kismet (1953), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Pippin (1972), Chicago (1975), and Dancin' (1978). He worked with director, writer, and choreographer Bob Fosse for nearly 15 years, and played the part of the stage manager in Fosse's 1979 autobiographical film, All That Jazz. He also worked extensively with directors Cy Feuer and Abe Burrows. The Phil Friedman papers (1805-1979) document Friedman's general interest in theater and to some extent, his work as a stage manager. The collection holds programs, telegrams, photographs, biographical material, and scrapbooks containing images of stage actors from the early 1900s.
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Weidman, Charles
Jerome Robbins Dance Division | (S) *MGZMD 539
1.92 linear feet (6 boxes)
Charles Weidman (1901-1975) was a modern dancer, choreographer, and educator. He founded several dance companies and was seminal to the modern dance movement in the United States. He continued to teach and perform until he died in New York City in...
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Charles Weidman (1901-1975) was a modern dancer, choreographer, and educator. He founded several dance companies and was seminal to the modern dance movement in the United States. He continued to teach and perform until he died in New York City in 1975. The collection dates from the late 1800s, but the bulk of materials are from the 1940s to 1975. The collection contains photographs of Weidman's performances, primarily in the Expression of Two Arts Theatre, and papers related to his close collaborator, artist Mikhail Santaro.
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Fryer, Katharine Homer, 1907-
Music Division | JPB 09-3
58.3 linear feet (84 boxes)
The Louise Homer Collection extensively documents the lives and careers of Louise and Sidney Homer, as well as the history of their extended family. It was assembled by Katharine Homer Fryer, one of the Homers' twin daughters. The collection...
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The Louise Homer Collection extensively documents the lives and careers of Louise and Sidney Homer, as well as the history of their extended family. It was assembled by Katharine Homer Fryer, one of the Homers' twin daughters. The collection contains correspondence, family papers, music scores, publicity materials, clippings, concert programs, scrapbooks, photographs and posters.
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Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957
Music Division | JPB 90-1
330 linear feet
Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma, Italy, on March 25, 1867, and died in Riverdale, New York, on January 16, 1957. Many regard him as one of the world's greatest conductors. In addition, Toscanini's anti-Fascist stance during World War II...
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Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma, Italy, on March 25, 1867, and died in Riverdale, New York, on January 16, 1957. Many regard him as one of the world's greatest conductors. In addition, Toscanini's anti-Fascist stance during World War II distinguished him as a symbol of freedom and humanity. His extraordinarily long career began in 1886, when Italian orchestral conductors were still relatively few in number, and extended into the 1950s, by which time his radio and television broadcasts had transformed him into a cultural icon. The Toscanini Legacy papers form a portion of the Toscanini Legacy housed at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The other major portion, of sound recordings, is housed in NYPL's Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound. The papers in the Music Division consist of music scores and orchestral parts with and without markings by Arturo Toscanini and others (including composers in some instances), correspondence, photographs, programs, clippings, books, newspapers, brochures, periodicals, scrapbooks, and medical and financial records. Subjects include the various musical organizations in Europe and the United States with which Toscanini was associated, and his anti-Fascist activities. The hundreds of correspondents include family members, composers, performers, conductors, and music critics; as well as Italian exiles, and U.S. and Italian political figures.
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Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957
Music Division | JPB 90-1
330 linear feet
Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma, Italy, on March 25, 1867, and died in Riverdale, New York, on January 16, 1957. Many regard him as one of the world's greatest conductors. In addition, Toscanini's anti-Fascist stance during World War II...
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Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma, Italy, on March 25, 1867, and died in Riverdale, New York, on January 16, 1957. Many regard him as one of the world's greatest conductors. In addition, Toscanini's anti-Fascist stance during World War II distinguished him as a symbol of freedom and humanity. His extraordinarily long career began in 1886, when Italian orchestral conductors were still relatively few in number, and extended into the 1950s, by which time his radio and television broadcasts had transformed him into a cultural icon. The Toscanini Legacy papers form a portion of the Toscanini Legacy housed at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The other major portion, of sound recordings, is housed in NYPL's Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound. The papers in the Music Division consist of music scores and orchestral parts with and without markings by Arturo Toscanini and others (including composers in some instances), correspondence, photographs, programs, clippings, books, newspapers, brochures, periodicals, scrapbooks, and medical and financial records. Subjects include the various musical organizations in Europe and the United States with which Toscanini was associated, and his anti-Fascist activities. The hundreds of correspondents include family members, composers, performers, conductors, and music critics; as well as Italian exiles, and U.S. and Italian political figures.
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Roche, Emeline Clark, 1902-1995
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1996-016
The Emeline Roche Collection (1815-1988) consists of the Emeline Roche Papers (1815-1988) and the Jane Cowl Papers (1884-1949). The collection came in two installments: first after 1950 from Emeline Roche, the rest after her death from her...
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The Emeline Roche Collection (1815-1988) consists of the Emeline Roche Papers (1815-1988) and the Jane Cowl Papers (1884-1949). The collection came in two installments: first after 1950 from Emeline Roche, the rest after her death from her executor and friend, Henry Grady.
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Schang, F. C.
Music Division | JPB 06-57
0.42 linear feet (1 box)
The Frederick C. Schang Papers document the collecting interests and professional relationships of a prominent agent in the music industry during the 1930s-1970s.
A'Becket family
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1991-002
The A'Becket Family Diaries and Prompt Books include handwritten memoirs and daily notations regarding the life and career of Thomas A'Becket, Sr. from 1844 to 1890. The diaries show the extent of A'Becket's theatrical activities. The diaries of...
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The A'Becket Family Diaries and Prompt Books include handwritten memoirs and daily notations regarding the life and career of Thomas A'Becket, Sr. from 1844 to 1890. The diaries show the extent of A'Becket's theatrical activities. The diaries of his son, Thomas A'Becket, Jr. are primarily music related. These diaries span the years 1862 to 1880. The scripts and prompt books are sometimes annotated and sometimes unmarked and belonged to Thomas A'Becket, Sr. They span his career and some give information on the theater and year of the production. The collection appears to be a useful research source for detailing the life of a stock actor, writer and musician of the 19th century. A'Becket includes information on his work schedule and his travel schedule in the circuit theaters. Information as well, regarding his family, friends and acquaintances can be found in the diaries.
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Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 3142
156.3 linear feet (208 boxes, 339 v.)
Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) was a writer, promoter of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance, patron of the arts, and photographer. After he graduated from the University of Chicago in 1930, he entered upon a career as a reporter...
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Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) was a writer, promoter of African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance, patron of the arts, and photographer. After he graduated from the University of Chicago in 1930, he entered upon a career as a reporter for newspapers that included The American in Chicago and within a few years The New York Times. At the latter he served as an overseas correspondent in Paris and subsequently as an assistant to the music critic Richard Aldrich in New York City. Van Vechten moved to New York City in 1906 with his first wife Anna Elizabeth Snyder, a teacher. After his divorce in 1912, Van Vechten met and married the stage actress Fania Marinoff. Marinoff made her stage debut at the age of eight in a stock company, and eventually developed a successful stage career. Van Vechten's novels include The Blind-Bow Boy, Interpreters and Interpretations, Nigger Heaven, Peter Whiffle, Tiger By the Tail, and The Tattooed Countess. Van Vechten promoted the careers of many authors' works by writing introductions to their monographs. In his second successful career as a photographer, he had the opportunity to photograph, and to have himself photographed, with many literary figures, stage and screen stars and others. Papers reflect Van Vechten's social life and professional career as a writer, photographer and patron of the arts; they also document Van Vechten's literary and artistic circle of friends and colleagues. An avid collector, Van Vechten retained the letters of prominent individuals who corresponded with him including Ralph Barton, James Branch Cabell, Arthur Davidson Ficke, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Donald Gallup, Langston Hughes, Edward Jablonski, Klaus Jonas, James Weldon Johnson, Mabel Dodge Luhan, Bruce Kellner, Saul Mauriber, H. L. Mencken, Georgia O'Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz, Florine Stettheimer, and Henrietta Stettheimer. Papers are also rich in Van Vechten's photographs of prominent individuals, and in 19th century photographs of his family in Iowa. Multiple editions of Van Vechten's monographs and the monographs of others add to the diversity of the papers. Many of the monographs have been autographed by the author.
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Chase, Ilka, 1905-1978
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1981-002
13 linear feet (20 boxes, 20 scrapbooks)
The Ilka Chase Papers consist of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, scripts, scrapbooks and other material related to the career of Ilka Chase. There is also considerable material related to the career of her mother, Edna Woolman...
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The Ilka Chase Papers consist of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, scripts, scrapbooks and other material related to the career of Ilka Chase. There is also considerable material related to the career of her mother, Edna Woolman Chase, and to "Vogue" magazine. There is a large amount of personal correspondence, especially between Ilka Chase and her mother. The collection also contains the entire run of scripts from a radio program hosted by Ilka Chase from January 1951 to October 1951 and a complete run of articles for a syndicated newspaper column from 1955 to 1964. The photograph collection contains photos of Ilka Chase both in her professional career and private life, Edna Woolman Chase, and other celebrities, including Mr. and Mrs. Eugene O'Neill.
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Horne, Marilyn
Music Division | JPB 19-05
87 linear feet : 175 boxes
Marilyn Berneice "Jackie" Horne (b. 1934) is one of America's most famous operatic mezzo-sopranos. The Marilyn Horne Score Collection contains scores used during her career as a versatile performer and teacher. The collection also holds some...
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Marilyn Berneice "Jackie" Horne (b. 1934) is one of America's most famous operatic mezzo-sopranos. The Marilyn Horne Score Collection contains scores used during her career as a versatile performer and teacher. The collection also holds some memorabilia, such as autographed materials, and correspondence.
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Barker, Barbara M., 1938-
Jerome Robbins Dance Division | (S) *MGZMD 157
12 linear feet (29 boxes)
This collection documents the research material collected by Barbara Barker. The collection spans ca. 1833-1998. It consists of correspondence, extensive clippings from books, and newspapers of the mid-to-late 1800’s. There are also illustrations,...
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This collection documents the research material collected by Barbara Barker. The collection spans ca. 1833-1998. It consists of correspondence, extensive clippings from books, and newspapers of the mid-to-late 1800’s. There are also illustrations, slides, photographs and negatives.There is no personal material in the collection.
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Appleton, William W., 1915-2014
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2001-065
The William Appleton collection consists of letters, handwritten manuscripts, "penny plains" and "two-pence coloured" materials, which were small portraits of actors created for the toy theater trade, a once-popular form of home entertainment. The...
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The William Appleton collection consists of letters, handwritten manuscripts, "penny plains" and "two-pence coloured" materials, which were small portraits of actors created for the toy theater trade, a once-popular form of home entertainment. The collection encompasses the late 17th century up through the mid-20th century, although the bulk of the material falls between the mid-18th century and the mid-19th century. The oldest item is a letter from actress Elizabeth Barry to a Lady Lisbourn, dated October 25, 1697. The latest item is a letter from playwright George Bernard Shaw to a J. T. Grien, dated November 28, 1930. The collection contains many letters from prominent theatrical figures, primarily of the English stage, including Ira Aldridge, Dion Boucicault, Edward Gordon Craig, David Garrick, Sir Henry Irving, Edmund Kean, William Charles Macready, Bernard Shaw, Sarah Siddons, Dame Ellen Terry, and others. Also included are black and white portraits known as "penny plains," and color portraits known as "two-pence coloured," depicting actors and actresses of the day in their best known roles. These images were intended for home use in puppet theater-type settings, and most date from the early to mid-1800s, though some date as far back as 1799.
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Sandak : Stamford, Conn.
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Vim 2002-004
177 slides
Images of set and costume designs from over 40 famous designers. Published by Sandak, inc.; Stamford, Conn.
Michel, Artur
Jerome Robbins Dance Division | (S) *MGZMD 181
8.36 linear feet (20 boxes)
The Artur Michel Papers primarily document the professional concerns of the German-born dance critic and scholar, who immigrated to the United States after the Nazi rise to power. Michel settled in New York, where he became a reviewer for the...
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The Artur Michel Papers primarily document the professional concerns of the German-born dance critic and scholar, who immigrated to the United States after the Nazi rise to power. Michel settled in New York, where he became a reviewer for the German-language newspaper
Aufbau, wrote articles that appeared in
Dance Magazine and other publications, and completed a comprehensive, unpublished book on the history of theatrical dance,
Der Tanz auf der Bühne: Geschichte des Theatertanzes seit der Renaissance.
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Cranefield, Paul F. (Paul Frederic), 1925-
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2006-006
19.5 linear feet (25 boxes)
The Paul Cranefield Papers, 1824-2002 [bulk years 1951-2002], document medical doctor and theater enthusiast Paul Cranefield’s interest and contribution to New York City’s theatrical world, and in particular the Off-Off Broadway movement. The...
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The Paul Cranefield Papers, 1824-2002 [bulk years 1951-2002], document medical doctor and theater enthusiast Paul Cranefield’s interest and contribution to New York City’s theatrical world, and in particular the Off-Off Broadway movement. The collection consists of administrative files created by the La Mama Experimental Theatre Club and the Circle Repertory Theatre, in which Cranefield served as a board member for several years. They include correspondence, meeting minutes, notes and agendas, legal and financial records, grant applications, leaflets and brochures, production inventories, and Cranefield’s writings on subjects related to theater and collecting. There are also scripts, photographs, clippings, and a considerable number of programs and posters from productions created by La Mama and Circle Repertory Theatre, as well as from productions of the 1800s, collected by Cranefield.
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Sembrich, Marcella, 1858-1935
Music Division | JPB 91-94
75 linear feet
Marcella Sembrich was a Polish born coloratura soprano who sang leading roles in European and American opera during her highly successful career. From 1898 to 1909 she was a regular member of the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York. She continued...
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Marcella Sembrich was a Polish born coloratura soprano who sang leading roles in European and American opera during her highly successful career. From 1898 to 1909 she was a regular member of the Metropolitan Opera Company, New York. She continued performing as a concert singer after her retirement from the operatic stage. Sembrich also became an instructor of singing at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School of Music, becoming mentor to many pupils who later became famous in their own right. The correspondence, papers, posters, and programs in this collection represent the career and activities of Marcella Sembrich and her family from 1851 to 1988. The collection consists of an extensive amount of correspondence with the leading musical figures of the day; posters, concert advertisements and programs from Sembrich (and other) performances throughout her career; and memorabilia including an autograph album with signatures and drawings of famous musicians and others. Series IX "Photographs" also includes some 15-20 original graphic art works among its 2284 items. Subjects include Sembrich, places she lived, places she performed, and people with whom she performed. The sheet music and musical scores (Series X) are currently being processed.
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Arthur Weyhe
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Vim 1998-047
5.25 linear feet (11 boxes and 1 portfolio)
Sheets of scenery, characters and wings, both colored and uncolored, used in toy theatres. Also published booklets of play scripts for the theatres.
Davis, John P. (John Preston), 1905-1973
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc Micro R-5858
Writings and research files, along with personal papers, and corrrespondence documenting Davis' multifaceted career, 1923-1972. Includes material on the AMERICAN NEGRO REFERENCE BOOK, 1966, edited by Davis; papers relating to Frederick Douglass,...
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Writings and research files, along with personal papers, and corrrespondence documenting Davis' multifaceted career, 1923-1972. Includes material on the AMERICAN NEGRO REFERENCE BOOK, 1966, edited by Davis; papers relating to Frederick Douglass, including letters to Douglass from his sons, Lewis and Frederick; historical novel about a frontier family in Louisville, Kentucky; compilation of biographies of black athletes called "Jump High;" short stories and poetry; and manuscript about Liberia entitled "Bitter Canaan," by Charles S. Johnson. Correspondents include Mary M. Bethune, Ralph J. Bunche, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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Patten, Grace Bigelow
Music Division | JPB 06-51
26.9 linear feet (22 boxes)
The Mrs. William Patten Papers are comprised mainly of unbound scrapbook leaves containing press clippings and other materials relating to musicians active during the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. It is probable that the...
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The Mrs. William Patten Papers are comprised mainly of unbound scrapbook leaves containing press clippings and other materials relating to musicians active during the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. It is probable that the materials were compiled by Grace Bigelow Patten, the wife of the editor William Patten (1868-1936). She wrote at least one of the stories which appeared in the ten-volume Junior Classics series edited by her husband and is also is known to have published magazine pieces.
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Hazelton, George Cochrane, 1868-1921
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1989-003
19 linear feet (36 boxes; 14 scrapbooks)
The George Cochrane Hazelton Papers consist of diaries, correspondence, ledgers, promptbooks, scripts, photographs, clippings and programs from 1848-1941, documenting Hazelton's private and professional life. After his death, his wife, as...
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The George Cochrane Hazelton Papers consist of diaries, correspondence, ledgers, promptbooks, scripts, photographs, clippings and programs from 1848-1941, documenting Hazelton's private and professional life. After his death, his wife, as executor, maintained the business correspondence and records until 1941. The collection provides detailed and extensive research materials about theater and daily life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Crane family
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 687
8.7 linear feet (19 boxes, 6 v.)
Members of the Crane family included Colonel Alexander Baxter Crane (1833-1930), soldier, lawyer and businessman of Indiana and New York; his wife, Laura Mitchell Crane; and their children, Elizabeth, Caroline, Helen, Aurelia, Laura, and...
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Members of the Crane family included Colonel Alexander Baxter Crane (1833-1930), soldier, lawyer and businessman of Indiana and New York; his wife, Laura Mitchell Crane; and their children, Elizabeth, Caroline, Helen, Aurelia, Laura, and Alexander. Colonel Crane served in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, had a prominent law practice in New York City, and was active in Westchester County, N.Y., affairs. Collection consists of correspondence, journals, military records, legal papers, accounts, writings, photographs, and printed matter. Materials include correspondence of Colonel Crane and his wife with their children, relatives and friends; Civil War records of Alexander Crane; and miscellaneous legal papers, accounts and writings. Also correspondence, 1877-1933, of Elizabeth Crane and drafts of her literary works; correspondence, 1819-1852, of the Mitchell and Green families; correspondence, 1847-1884, 1889, of Caroline Crane Marsh and her husband, George P. Marsh, scholar and United States Minister to Italy; photographs and news clippings pertaining to the Crane family; and diaries, 1861-1864, and 1878-1879, of Caroline Marsh and others.
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