Urban Arts Corps (New York, N.Y.)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 210
1.5 linear feet
The Urban Arts Corps records consists of the production records for plays produced by UAC from 1967-1983 (bulk dates 1972-1979), and a separate body of material relating to Vinnette Carroll. The material has been divided into two series:...
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The Urban Arts Corps records consists of the production records for plays produced by UAC from 1967-1983 (bulk dates 1972-1979), and a separate body of material relating to Vinnette Carroll. The material has been divided into two series: Production Files and Vinnette Carroll. The Production Files contain an assortment of material; however, there is not every kind of material for each production. A sample of the file contents include cast lists, contracts, correspondence, director's notes, new releases, programs, reviews, and scripts. The second series documents Carroll's professional activities in the theater prior to her becoming the founding director of the Urban Arts Corp. Included are materials regarding her career as an actor and a director.
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Black Academy of Arts and Letters
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc Micro R-5916
Files of the Board of Directors containing correspondence, agendas, minutes, and records of three board committees; administrative records including materials on the founding of the Academy, nominations for awards, and records relating to daily...
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Files of the Board of Directors containing correspondence, agendas, minutes, and records of three board committees; administrative records including materials on the founding of the Academy, nominations for awards, and records relating to daily operations; and annual meeting files which encompass planning and programing for annual meetings, 1970-1972.
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United States Committee for the First World Festival of Negro Arts
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 220
0.63 linear feet (2 boxes)
The First World Festival of Negro Arts took place April 1-24, 1966, in Dakar, Senegal; it demonstrated the cultural ties between African nations and the rest of the world, and the impact of Black culture upon world culture. The records of the...
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The First World Festival of Negro Arts took place April 1-24, 1966, in Dakar, Senegal; it demonstrated the cultural ties between African nations and the rest of the world, and the impact of Black culture upon world culture. The records of the United States Committee for the First World Festival of Negro Arts Press agent's filess consist of administrative materials.
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Roley, Ida
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 723
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Ida Roley was a coloratura soprano and actress whose performances include a role in the 1923 edition of Jimmie Cooper's Revue, a burlesque show comprised of approximately seventy cast members, both African American and white. The white owner,...
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Ida Roley was a coloratura soprano and actress whose performances include a role in the 1923 edition of Jimmie Cooper's Revue, a burlesque show comprised of approximately seventy cast members, both African American and white. The white owner, producer and actor Jimmie Cooper, combined dancing, singing, jazz, comedy, and blackface in his company. The revue formed part of the circuit of the Columbia Amusement Company and performed in New York, Boston, London, and Montreal. Roley also performed in
Shuffle Along (1922) and the play
The Conjur Man Dies. She was the lead singer in the choir of Lew Leslie's road company of
Blackbirds (1929) in Paris, later performing as a soloist and doing song recitals. She also wrote a few short stories. The Ida Roley collection consists of a scrapbook documenting the career of this entertainer, writings by her, and other material. The scrapbook contains news clippings and programs of Roley's performances in Jimmie Cooper's Revue, Lew Leslie's
Blackbirds,
Shuffle Along, and
Plantation Days (1923), in addition to programs of her solo recitals. The scrapbook, which dates from 1923 to 1933 (bulk dates), also contains snapshots of Roley and other performers, news clippings about other singers, and productions in which she did not appear. In addition, the collection contains handwritten manuscripts for two stories Roley wrote in 1937, "Silver Dollars" and "The Unfaithful Wife." There are also two letters from W.C. Handy (1950) regarding his 77th birthday celebration.
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Charlton, Melville, 1880-1973
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 92
0.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Melville Charlton was the first African-American organist to be admitted to the American Guild of Organists. This collection contains correspondence and memorabilia documenting Charlton's seventy years as a musician.
Wallace, Emmett Babe, 1909-2006
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 56
3.5 linear feet
Emmett "Babe" Wallace is a singer, composer, actor and writer. He has performed in cabarets, musical revues, films and the theater. As a composer and writer, he has produced a voluminous body of musical compositions, poetry essays and journals....
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Emmett "Babe" Wallace is a singer, composer, actor and writer. He has performed in cabarets, musical revues, films and the theater. As a composer and writer, he has produced a voluminous body of musical compositions, poetry essays and journals. Music, songs, poetry, prose, daybooks, scripts, personal papers, printed material, and other papers, relating to Wallace's career in cabarets, musical revues, films, and theater in the United States, Canada, France, and Israel. Themes in his creative work include personal life, civil rights, religion, and politics.
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James, Lawrence, 1935-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 579
0.63 linear feet (2 boxes)
The Lawrence James papers consist of personal and professional correspondence concerning his acting career, 1959-1995; contracts 1966-1994; production and rehearsal schedules; and theater programs, flyers, and news clippings pertaining to...
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The Lawrence James papers consist of personal and professional correspondence concerning his acting career, 1959-1995; contracts 1966-1994; production and rehearsal schedules; and theater programs, flyers, and news clippings pertaining to performances of
Fences (1990),
Black Eagles (1991),
Driving Miss Daisy,
I'm Not Rappaport (1990), and
Mr. Ricky Calls a Meeting (1994), in which James appeared. Files on Buffalo's African American Cultural Center consist of correspondence, reports, news clippings, and programs relating to the Center's services, 1970-1976.
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Primus, Pearl
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 852
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Pearl Primus (1919-1994) was an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She is best known for presenting African dances, which she researched in Africa; studying their function and meaning; and performing before...
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Pearl Primus (1919-1994) was an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist. She is best known for presenting African dances, which she researched in Africa; studying their function and meaning; and performing before American audiences. She and her husband and partner, Percival Borde, conducted research in Africa from 1959 through the 1960s, and established a performing arts center in Liberia. However, Primus found her creative impetus in the cultural heritage of African Americans, exploring racism, as well as the dignity, beauty, and strength of Black people. Primus received an M.A. in education (1959) and a Ph.D. (1978) in dance education from New York University. In addition to teaching at such colleges as the five college consortium in Massachusetts, she founded several schools, one of which is the Pearl Primus Dance Language Institute, where her method of blending African American, Caribbean, and African influence with modern dance and ballet was taught. The Pearl Primus collection consists of two interviews conducted by Marcia Ethel Heard (1989) and James Briggs Murray (1992) with Pearl Primus, covering her dance career in the 1940s, the late 1980s, and the meaning of dance to her personally. There are a few programs, news clippings, and articles, as well as eight colored costume sketches for unidentified and undated dances.
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Cook, Charles, 1917-1991
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 99
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Charles "Cookie" Cook, a vaudeville tap and acrobatic dancer and teacher for more than fifty years, began performing as a child with Garbage and the Two Cans and Sarah Venable and Her Picks. In 1930, he and Ernest (Brownie) Brown formed the...
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Charles "Cookie" Cook, a vaudeville tap and acrobatic dancer and teacher for more than fifty years, began performing as a child with Garbage and the Two Cans and Sarah Venable and Her Picks. In 1930, he and Ernest (Brownie) Brown formed the headline dance and comedy team Cook and Brown. Their act, seen in such venues as New York's Cotton Club, combined tumbling, dance, and comedic patter. Cook was one of the members of The Copasetics, the fraternity of black entertainers that was influential in the revival of tap dancing in the late 1970s-1980s. Cook also performed in the film
Cotton Club, at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and at a 1990 tap festival in New York He died at age 77 in 1991. The Charles "Cookie" Cook Collection is actually a scrapbook that has been dismantled. The material focuses primarily on Cookie's later years with few primary source documents. There are several letters, telegrams, and postcards expressing appreciation for his performances, but no letters written by Cook. The collection also includes programs for performances in which Cook appeared, especially with the tap dance group The Copasetics in New York City, and other venues in the United States and Rome (1980-1995), as well as flyers advertising for a variety of performances in which Cook was featured (1961-1979). There are also programs for shows where jazz musicians, singers, and other artists appeared, in addition to news clippings discussing Cook, other tap dancers, and entertainers.
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Mortimer, Owen
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 424
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
This collection consists of exhibition and biographical materials relating to Ira Aldridge, and correspondence between his daughter, Amanda Aldridge, and biographer Owen Mortimer.
Jones, Lula Robinson
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 115
1 folder
Soloist and leading soprano singer in the Mother Zion Church choir and Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in New York City. Jones spent most of her life in Orange County, Virginia, where she was active in church and community affairs. Collection includes...
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Soloist and leading soprano singer in the Mother Zion Church choir and Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in New York City. Jones spent most of her life in Orange County, Virginia, where she was active in church and community affairs. Collection includes Jones's passport and marriage certificate; broadsides and programs regarding her performances; and a portion of a handwritten poem.
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Jarboro, Caterina
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 208
0.02 linear feet (2 folders)
Caterina Jarboro (1898-1986) was the first Black female opera singer to perform with a major company. The Caterina Jarboro papers consist of letters, programs, news clippings, and other items relating to Jarboro's career.
Williams, Clarence, III, 1939-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 801
1.92 linear feet (5 boxes)
The Clarence Williams III papers consist of personal and professional material related to this actor. The personal matter is small and contains biographical information and correspondence. The professional material focuses on Williams's early...
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The Clarence Williams III papers consist of personal and professional material related to this actor. The personal matter is small and contains biographical information and correspondence. The professional material focuses on Williams's early career and is comprised of contracts, correspondence, and scripts. Additionally, there are scrapbooks and printed matter.
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Hayward, Leonard
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 693
0.83 linear feet (2 boxes)
Leonard Hayward was a stage actor and a dramatic baritone who sang in operas, nightclubs, religious choirs, musicals, and television shows. This collection consists, for the most part, of biographical material, Hayward's writings, memorabilia from...
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Leonard Hayward was a stage actor and a dramatic baritone who sang in operas, nightclubs, religious choirs, musicals, and television shows. This collection consists, for the most part, of biographical material, Hayward's writings, memorabilia from his acting career, and partitions for various songs arranged by or for the artist.
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Johnson, Hall, 1888-1970
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 811
0.01 linear feet (1 folder)
African-American composer, musician, and arranger, Hall Johnson is best known as a choral director and for his arrangements of spirituals. In 1925, Johnson formed the Hall Johnson Negro Choir, which performed spirituals in the traditional style....
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African-American composer, musician, and arranger, Hall Johnson is best known as a choral director and for his arrangements of spirituals. In 1925, Johnson formed the Hall Johnson Negro Choir, which performed spirituals in the traditional style. The Hall Johnson Choir, which he organized in 1928, performed on Broadway in Marc Connolly's play
Green Pastures (1930), for which Johnson was music director. Johnson was known for his compositions as well as the articles he authored that discussed the history of spirituals and their performance practice. The Hall Johnson Collection contains a miscellaneous assortment of material including correspondence and news clippings regarding a workshop Johnson held in East St. Louis, Missouri, in 1969; and a letter to Katherine Dunham explaining his need to give more time to the inexperienced chorus. There is a music book with some holographic music; a poem he authored "Changelessness" (1956); and a few notes. This collection also includes biographical notes and personal recollections written in 2001, by Madeline Preston, a friend and member of his choir, along with a letter Johnson wrote to her in 1956.
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Davis, Ellabelle, 1907-1960
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 102
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Ellabelle Davis was a soprano opera singer. Prior to her career as a concert singer, she worked as a dressmaker. Davis began her musical career at The Town Hall in 1942. She was the first African American to play the lead role of
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Ellabelle Davis was a soprano opera singer. Prior to her career as a concert singer, she worked as a dressmaker. Davis began her musical career at The Town Hall in 1942. She was the first African American to play the lead role of
Aida during her 1946 performance at the Opera Nacional in Mexico. She resumed her role as
Aida at La Scala in 1949 and recorded for Decca in February 1950. Posthumously, an opera based on Davis was performed in 2009 and she was inducted into the New Rochelle Walk of Fame in 2011. This collection consists of performance programs, news clippings, and personal papers pertaining to Ellabelle Davis's career as an opera singer. A few programs document her appearance in a concert with Black composer Harry T. Burleigh.
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Gonsalves, Roy, 1960-1993
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 753
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
The Roy Gonsalves papers contain an unpublished manuscript titled "City of Refuge"; a photocopy of his will' correspondence with his literary executor, Harold Robinson (1992); and photocopies of journal entries.
Washington, Eno
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 495
5.93 linear feet (9 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Donald Eno Washington is a performing dance artist and instructor with a specialty in dance of West Africa and Mali. The Donald Eno Washington papers include personal and professional material regarding his dance career and travels.
Yuen, Lily, 1908-
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 643
.4 linear feet (1 flat box)
Lily Yuen was a singer and dancer, who also considered herself a comedienne, performer of novelty songs, parodies and specialty acts, as well as an emcee, during the 1920's and 1930's. She was a principal in the Brownskin Models, an annual touring...
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Lily Yuen was a singer and dancer, who also considered herself a comedienne, performer of novelty songs, parodies and specialty acts, as well as an emcee, during the 1920's and 1930's. She was a principal in the Brownskin Models, an annual touring revue produced by Irvin C. Miller in which her sister, Libo, also appeared. Yuen performed in "Broadway Rastus," "Fast and Furious" and "Yeah Man." Lily Yuen, also known as "Hoy Hoy" and "Pontop," was born in Georgia and lived her adult life in New York City. The Lily Yuen Papers provides some documentation of the dancing and entertainment career of this revue performer, in addition to containing personal family papers. A small number of papers pertain to Yuen's mother, brother, husband, and her sister and colleague, Libo (Olivia) Yuen. Of interest are two manuscript joke books containing hundreds of jokes, many titled, often about the relationship between men and women. There are also programs for the Brownskin Models, "Fast and Furious" and "Yeah Man," and sheet and manuscript music, some with parts, and most annotated, including "Can't Believe" and "Why Do I Lie to Myself About You?" A scrapbook of newsclippings documents Yuen's career as a Brownskin Model during the group's nationwide tours (1926-1930). The scrapbook emphasizes Yuen's fellow dancer, Blanche Thompson, who was a principal dancer in Brownskin Models, as well as Florence Mills of "Bye Bye Blackbirds" fame. Yuen's sister, Libo, is also mentioned in the scrapbook as a dancer.
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Simms, Hilda, 1918-1994
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 539
27.86 linear feet (59 boxes, 4 volumes)
Hilda Simms (1920-1994) was an actress best known for playing the title role in the American Negro Theater production of
Anna Lucasta that moved successfully to Broadway in 1944. Her acting career also included film,...
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Hilda Simms (1920-1994) was an actress best known for playing the title role in the American Negro Theater production of
Anna Lucasta that moved successfully to Broadway in 1944. Her acting career also included film, television, and radio broadcasts. The Hilda Simms papers date from the 1930s to 1994 (bulk dates 1940s-1950s) and document her career as an actress; her work on creative arts and drug treatment programs in New York; and her personal life.
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Anderson, Martha Pryor
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 510
2.08 linear feet (7 boxes)
Martha Pryor Anderson was an African American woman poet and dramatic performer. This collection consists of correspondence, notebooks, programs, printed matter, and scrapbooks documenting Anderson's activities as a poet and diseuse.
Mercer, Mabel, 1900-1984
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 536
0.33 linear feet (2 boxes)
Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) was a singer, song stylist, and night club entertainer. Born in England in 1900 to a Black musician father, Benjamin Mercer, and a white English vaudevillian mother, Emily Wadham Stonehouse, Mercer started her show...
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Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) was a singer, song stylist, and night club entertainer. Born in England in 1900 to a Black musician father, Benjamin Mercer, and a white English vaudevillian mother, Emily Wadham Stonehouse, Mercer started her show business career at the age of fourteen. She joined a song and dance act with her mother and aunt in Europe. Later, in the 1920s, she appeared in Lew Leslie's
Blackbirds in London, as part of a vocal trio. Around this time, Mercer started studying singing, with aspirations of becoming a concert singer. In the 1920s and 1930s, she was a successful night club singer in Paris, appearing at Ada "Bricktop" Smith's Bricktop's. She made her first appearance in the U.S. in 1938 and settled here in 1941, after marrying singer Kelsey Pharr, a member of the Delta Rhythm Boys. Mercer became an American citizen in 1952, where she was known as one of the most popular supper club singers for many years. The Mabel Mercer collection consists of articles, correspondence, interviews and profiles, publicity flyers, programs, and a scrapbook.
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Grandassa Models (Firm)
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 822
0.01 linear feet (1 folder)
The Grandassa Models Collection consists of printed material regarding the formation of fashion shows that featured these models and included African dancers and theatrical performances. Included are flyers, brochures, and posters that promoted...
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The Grandassa Models Collection consists of printed material regarding the formation of fashion shows that featured these models and included African dancers and theatrical performances. Included are flyers, brochures, and posters that promoted the fashion shows and also featured the AJSASS Repertory Theatre and the Dinizulu African Dance Company. In the collection are two booklets published by AJASS, the "Naturally '63 Portfolio" and "Color Us Cullud! The Official American Negro Leadership Coloring Book" (late 1963) by Cecil Elombe Brath, which was critical of most of the civil rights leaders at that time.
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Cato, Minto, 1900-1979
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 91
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Minto Cato, an opera singer and actress, was born in 1900 and died in 1979. A member of the National Negro Opera Company, she also appeared in productions of
Gentlemen Unafraid (1938) and
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Minto Cato, an opera singer and actress, was born in 1900 and died in 1979. A member of the National Negro Opera Company, she also appeared in productions of
Gentlemen Unafraid (1938) and
Showboat (1938-1942) at the St. Louis Municipal Theater ("The Muny"), and on Broadway in
Blackbirds (1930) and
John Henry (1940). On film, Cato acted in
The Girl from Chicago (1932) and
The End of the River (1947). This collection contains correspondence, certificates, and news clippings pertaining to the life and career of Minto Cato.
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Gunn, Bill, 1934-1989
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 971
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
The Bill Gunn playscripts are comprised of 5 varying copies of Bill Gunn's playscript titled, The Forbidden City.
Price, Gilbert
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 403
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
The Gilbert Price collection consists primarily of printed material. The collection contains several drafts of a biographical essay about Price written by Allen Warren Smith, a close friend and business associate, and administrative records of...
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The Gilbert Price collection consists primarily of printed material. The collection contains several drafts of a biographical essay about Price written by Allen Warren Smith, a close friend and business associate, and administrative records of Variety Recording Studios, which Smith directed, relating to the Price's career. There are also programs and playbills for productions in which Price held a leading role, newspaper clippings and reviews about Price, along with a ledger of his personal finances kept by Smith. Included is material relating to the planning of the memorial service for Price, held on February 5, 1991 at the Actors Chapel, St. Malachy's Roman Catholic Church and obituaries.
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Hall, Berniece
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 725
.8 linear feet (2 archival boxes)
African-American soprano soloist, Berniece Hall made her Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow (1953), and from 1956 to 1958 she performed in De Paur's Opera Gala. She also performed with Voices Inc. in Trumpets of the Lord (1963) at the French...
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African-American soprano soloist, Berniece Hall made her Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow (1953), and from 1956 to 1958 she performed in De Paur's Opera Gala. She also performed with Voices Inc. in Trumpets of the Lord (1963) at the French National Festival of the Arts in Paris in 1966. After the Festival, Hall remained in Italy and toured several other European countries, performing in a variety of venues. She lived in Italy for 4 years returning to live permanently in the United States in 1970. The Berniece Hall Papers document her professional career in North America and Europe. The Personal papers are comprised of biographical information, correspondence from friends and well-wishers, and financial records. The Professional papers contain correspondence pertaining to Hall's professional life, performance schedules for various events, some materials pertaining to Voices, Inc., scripts, song lists and lyrics, programs, posters and newspaper clippings.
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Mercer, Mabel, 1900-1984
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 341
17.08 linear feet (43 boxes)
Mabel Mercer (1900-1984) was a singer, song stylist, and night club entertainer. The Mabel Mercer papers consist of personal and prpfessional papers related to her singing career.
Wade, Adam
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 637
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
The three scrapbooks (ca. 1970s-1990s) in this collection document Adam Wade's career, including his directorial debut with
Miss Everlasting Joy and his screenplay,
The Dancer. The scrapbooks...
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The three scrapbooks (ca. 1970s-1990s) in this collection document Adam Wade's career, including his directorial debut with
Miss Everlasting Joy and his screenplay,
The Dancer. The scrapbooks are comprised of printed matter on or about the singer/actor, reviews of plays, press releases, and photographs of family, friends, and fellow thespians. There are autographed photographs of Ernie Barnes, Anita Bryant, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr. Roberta Flack, Bill Maddock, Johnny Mathis, and Pat Morita, among others.
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Ira Aldridge Society
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 131
1.88 linear feet (4 boxes)
Interracial organization devoted to the discovery and promotion of talented black artists and educating people on the contributions of black artists to the performing arts. Constitution and bylaws, financial and legal documents, financial reports,...
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Interracial organization devoted to the discovery and promotion of talented black artists and educating people on the contributions of black artists to the performing arts. Constitution and bylaws, financial and legal documents, financial reports, correspondence to private individuals as well as government institutions, news clippings, and other printed material relating to the Society. Also, Aldridge family papers consisting of copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates, and correspondence to and from Ira Aldridge and other family members.
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