- unitid
-
{"value"=>"LPA Mss 2005-002", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21824", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1883-1976", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1883/1976"}
{"value"=>"1987-1993", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1987/1993"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Arthur Tracy papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"35.03 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"24 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. Music Division.</span><div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center</span> <span class=\"addressline\">40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"This collection contains materials related to Arthur Tracy’s radio, stage, and film career as the Street Singer. Materials include correspondence, manuscript and sheet music, photographs, and posters. There is little personal material."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p> Arthur Tracy Papers, LPA Mss 2005-002. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Tracy, Arthur, 1899-1997", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p> Arthur Tracy was born Abba Trascovutsky in Kamenetz-Podolsk in Moldavia on <span class=\"date\">June 25, 1899</span>. His family escaped the pogroms and moved to the United States in <span class=\"date\">1906</span>. Tracy grew up as one of seven siblings in Philadelphia. As a child, he showed that he had a talent for singing and began singing in public. He considered being an architect, and even began his studies at the University of Pennsylvania; but decided he did not want to spend the necessary years as an apprentice before he succeeded and chose to drop out to focus on his singing. Tracy considered Caruso his idol and ultimately studied at the Curtis Institute. He sang at weddings and parties and then graduated to vaudeville and Yiddish theaters. He toured in <span class=\"title\">Blossom Time</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Student Prince</span>. After the <span class=\"date\">1929</span> stock crisis he worked in nightclubs, variety, even sang black face Mammy songs. He eventually considered his voice a “bari-tenor.”</p> <p>William S. Paley offered Tracy a fifteen minute CBS radio program. Not wanting to embarrass his family if he failed, Tracy chose to remain anonymous. He was going to bill himself as the Vagabond Singer, but realized that Rudy Vallee was known as the Vagabond Lover. He also considered calling himself the International Balladeer. By chance, he read about a Frederick Lonsdale play called <span class=\"title\">The Street Singer</span> and chose to utilize that name as his identity. The Street Singer debuted on radio in <span class=\"date\">1931</span> and quickly won over audiences. After five months, his identify as Arthur Tracy was revealed. Tracy’s repertoire included Viennese operetta, love songs, pop songs, and cowboy songs as well as songs in several languages. His theme song was <span class=\"title\">Marta (Rambling Rose of the Wildwood)</span> by Moises Simons. Tracy appeared in the <span class=\"date\">1932</span> film, <span class=\"title\">The Big Broadcast</span>, with Bing Crosby and Kate Smith. He was not a success in American film and instead continued his singing career.</p> <p>In <span class=\"date\">1935</span> he went to England for a seven week tour and ultimately stayed for four years. In England he found immense popularity which resulted in him being offered film roles. From <span class=\"date\">1936</span> to 1938 he starred in the films <span class=\"title\">Limelight</span> with Anna Neagle, <span class=\"title\">Command Performance</span> with Lilli Palmer, <span class=\"title\">The Street Singer</span> with Margaret Lockwood, and <span class=\"title\">Follow Your Star</span> with Belle Chrystall. In <span class=\"date\">1937</span>, Tracy was considered the most popular singer in England while Bing Crosby was number two. With war on the horizon, Tracy took part in drills and air raid scares. He only left England when war was imminent and all Americans were ordered to leave.</p> <p>Tracy returned to the United States and entered real estate with several properties in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. He spent much of the following decades in real estate; ultimately he became a multi-millionaire. Tracy was married and divorced three times throughout his life, but remained close to his wife Blossom. He continued to sing for benefits; often he performed for free because he did not need the money. A thriving English based fan club welcomed him back on tour in the late <span class=\"date\">1960s</span>. His singing career resurged in the United States after his recording of the song <span class=\"title\">Pennies from Heaven</span> was used the <span class=\"date\">1981</span> film of the same title. Tracy performed several concert dates and toured with the company of the play <span class=\"title\">Social Security</span>. He also had a part in the <span class=\"date\">1988</span> film <span class=\"title\">Crossing Delancy</span>.</p> <p>In <span class=\"date\">1987</span> he received South Florida’s Carbonell award for Supporting Actor in Social Security in the roadshow category. In <span class=\"date\">1996</span> he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He also received a star on the Philadelphia walk of fame.</p> <p>Arthur Tracy died of cardiac arrest on <span class=\"date\">October 5, 1997</span> at the age of 98.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Arthur Tracy Papers include a significant amount of materials related to Tracy’s career as a singer on radio and on film. The bulk of the collection consists of sheet music, manuscripts, and music books owned by Tracy. Music styles are vaired and include hymns, spirituals, folk songs, classical music, opera, Broadway, and popular music in a number of languages. The music dates from <span class=\"date\">1883</span> to <span class=\"date\">1976</span>. Many items are annotated and stamped with ownership stamps; however, there is little evidence regarding which pieces were used in performance.</p> <p>There are a significant number of posters and publicity materials related to Tracy’s concerts and successful film career in Great Britain. There are also a limited number of scripts from Tracy’s radio career and attempts to branch into television. The collection also contains correspondence from fans during his <span class=\"date\">1967</span> British tour as well as a complete run of the fan created magazine The Street Singer and Stars of the Thirties. There is little personal material. Of interest are the contents of the embossed folders of annotated music for Tracy’s concerts. Also of interest are the tour posters which detail the British variety circuit in the late <span class=\"date\">1930s</span>.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Arthur Tracy papers are arranged in four series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/21824#c1418893'>Series I: Professional files, ca</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1939-1967</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains correspondence, programs, and scripts detailing Arthur Tracy’s career as the Street Singer. Most of the correspondence is from fans during Tracy’s tour of Great Britain in the <span class=\"date\">1960s</span>. The scripts provide information on Tracy’s radio career and later attempts to branch into television. The series also contains a complete run of the fan created magazine <span class=\"title\">The Street Singer and Stars of the Thirties</span>. There is little personal material.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/21824#c1418973'>Series II: Music, ca</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1883 - 1976, ca. 1993</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series is arranged into three sub-series and includes manuscripts, sheet music, and music books owned by Arthur Tracy. Music includes hymns, spirituals, folk songs, classical music, opera, Broadway, and popular music in a number of languages. Music dates from <span class=\"title\">Ave Maria</span> in <span class=\"date\">1883</span> to <span class=\"title\">The Slipper and the Rose</span> in <span class=\"date\">1976</span>. Many of the pieces are annotated and stamped with ownership stamps. There is little specific indication of which music Tracy actually utilized in performance.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/21824#c1419355'>Series III: Photographs and Memorabilia, ca</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1920s - 1987, 1933</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains professional headshots and publicity photos that detail the span of Tracy’s career. Photographs include early professional headshots, unidentified cast photographs, a photograph with Eleanor Roosevelt, publicity photographs from his film career in Great Britain, and photographs of Tracy in the touring cast of <span class=\"title\">Social Security</span>. The series also contains Arthur Tracy’s performance folders. These black embossed folders held the music and parts Tracy utilized in performance. All music found within is now filed in Series II: Music.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/21824#c1419380'>Series IV: Oversized Images, ca</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1920s-1967, 1992</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains professional and amateur images of Arthur Tracy. Materials include posters and publicity from his career as well as drawings and images of Tracy himself.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p> The Arthur Tracy Papers were donated to the Library for the Performing Arts in 2005 by Michael and Robert Tracy.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p><span class=\"title\"> Arthur Tracy The Street Singer in Person</span> wooden rod hanger banner, undated. Two banners. Both are purple background with yellow letters and yellow tassels and fringe.</p> <p><span class=\"title\">Arthur Tracy The Street Singer: On Stage, In Person</span> stage sized banner, undated. Two banners. Pink satin edged in yellow with white fringe. Black letters and blue starts sewn on. Water damage.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Whitney E. Berman; Machine-readable finding aid created by Whitney E. Berman.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1883
- keydate
-
1883
- date_end
-
1993
- date_inclusive_start
-
1883
- date_inclusive_end
-
1993