Angna Enters correspondence

id
383
origination
Enters, Angna, 1897-1989
date statement
1921-1973
key date
1921
identifier (local_mss)
19754
org unit
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
call number
*MGZMD 101
b-number
b13468628
total components
636
total series
6
max depth
3
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2013-04-01 14:58:54 UTC
updated
2026-06-25 15:07:55 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

physdesc
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"856 letter and legal size folders in 14 Hollinger boxes"}
unitid
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 101", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19754", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1921-1973", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1921/1973"}
date_inclusive_start
1921
date_inclusive_end
1973
keydate
1921
unittitle
{"value"=>"Angna Enters correspondence"}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Dance Collection. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts</span>"}
prefercite
{"value"=>"Angna Enters correspondence, *MGZMD 101. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
origination
{"value"=>"Enters, Angna, 1897-1989", "type"=>"persname"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Angna Enters was born on April 18, 1897 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her real name was Anita Enters, which she changed into Angna [ahnjna] in the early 20s. She moved to New York as an art student and began to study dance with Michio Ito in 1920. Soon she was performing in concerts as Michio's partner. In March of 1924 Enters produced her first evening of solo performance. In the following years until 1939 she toured the US and Europe on a permanent basis presenting her program called The Theatre of Angna Enters. After 1939 she continued to give performances until late 1960s.</p> <p>During this period of touring, Enters was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study Greek mime, art and music forms. She exhibited her paintings, as continued to do in following decades, and published her first autobiographical volume, First Person Plural in 1937. In 1939, she published her popular play, Love Possessed Juana, co-written with Louis Kalonyme.</p> <p> Although she continued to perform into advanced age, Enters' stage career declined in the postwar years. She took up residence in California and began to pursue scriptwriting as a profession. Her account of these years, published in Silly Girl in 1944, reached the best seller list. She would go on to publish Among the Daughters (1955), Artist's Life (1958), and On Mime (1965).</p> <p>After Louis Kalonyme's death in June of 1961 Enters accepted an invitation to be an artist-in-residence to the Dallas Theatre Center and Baylor University for the 1961-62 school year. She taught mime there, and spent next school year at the Wesleyan University in Connecticut. The book On Mime was the result of these years.</p> <p> From 1965 to 1968 she lived as a hostess and a travel companion with her life-long friend, retired film producer Albert Lewin, whose wife died in 1965.</p> <p> In 1970-71 school year she was again an artist-in-residence at Pennsylvania State University, during which she gave her last known public performance.</p> <p>In 1974 she suffered a physical collapse and was moved to a nursing home. Angna Enters died on February 25, 1989 in a nursing home in Manhattan.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The correspondence of Angna Enters is a part of the larger collection of Angna Enters papers received by the Dance Collection in 1979 from Mr. and Mrs. <span class=\"persname\">Jason Berger</span> in the name of Mrs. Berger's father, <span class=\"persname\">Philip Wittenberg</span>, an attorney to <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span> and Angna Enters.</p> <p>The papers of Angna Enters are comprised of literary manuscripts, choreographic and research notes, publicity material, photographs of her works, glass negatives, and original art, and correspondence.</p> <p>The correspondence of Angna Enters covers her professional career and private life, from 1921 to 1973. It reflects almost all aspects of her multi-faceted life and career as a dancer, a writer, and an artist.</p> <p>Altogether the correspondence of Angna Enters represents a unique account of the artistic and personal life of an extraordinary woman who established herself professionally and achieved success in several art fields, both in the United States and Europe. The correspondence thoroughly documents her struggle for artistic and financial independence for more than 50 years.</p> <p>The majority of letters are in fragile condition and require special handling. The most fragile, deteriorating items were xeroxed onto an acid-free paper.</p> <p>Since constant crossovers between personal and business relationships make it impossible to separate one from another, the correspondence was kept in one large series. The following arrangement was established:</p> I. Business and private correspondence II. Correspondence between Angna Enters and Louis Kalonyme III. Fan-mail IV. Acknowledgments for press-reviews V. Financial documentation VI. Louis Kalonyme correspondence and papers <p>The first series includes correspondence with various agents and agencies, publishers, galleries, theaters, concert halls, colleges and universities in the United States and Europe, as well as correspondence with individuals. It also includes a number of Angna Enters contracts which are filed under respective agencies. The series is alphabetical and chronological within files.</p> <p>The second series includes intimate letters to and from Angna Enters' husband, art critic and writer <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>, who was also her most ardent supporter and advisor in the artistic matters. It is arranged chronologically, 1924-1956.</p> <p>The fan-mail series includes letters from individuals and sometimes organizations to Angna Enters as a performer, a writer and an artist. It is arranged chronologically, 1928-1972.</p> <p>The fourth series consists of the numerous letters written by Angna Enters to reporters and critics acknowledging their reviews of her performances and books. It is arranged chronologically, 1942-1953.</p> <p>V. Financial documentationFinancial documentation includes her leases, bills and insurance papers, as well as contracts, 1927-1973.</p> <p>The last series includes <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>'s correspondence (mostly private) not related to Angna Enters' carrer. Correspondence includes letters of condolences to Angna Enters on <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>'s death.</p> <p>The series also includes drafts of <span class=\"persname\">Kalonyme</span>'s writings on <span class=\"persname\">Eugene O'Neill</span> (unpublished), and his passports. The series is arranged alphabetically, and covers the period of 1918 to 1961.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Angna Enters correspondence is arranged in six series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c366522'>I. Business and private correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes correspondence with various agents and agencies, publishers, galleries, theaters, concert halls, colleges and universities in the United States and Europe, as well as correspondence with individuals. It also includes a number of Angna Enters contracts which are filed under respective agencies. The series is alphabetical and chronological within files.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c367073'>Angna Enters -- Louis Kalonyme: Correspondence between Angna Enters and Louis Kalonyme</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1956</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes intimate letters to and from Angna Enters' husband, art critic and writer <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>, who was also her most ardent supporter and advisor in the artistic matters. It is arranged chronologically, 1924-1956.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c367078'>Fan-mail</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1928-1972</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The fan-mail series includes letters from individuals and sometimes organizations to Angna Enters as a performer, a writer and an artist. It is arranged chronologically, 1928-1972.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c367080'>Acknowledgments for press-reviews</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1942-1953</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The fourth series consists of the numerous letters written by Angna Enters to reporters and critics acknowledging their reviews of her performances and books. It is arranged chronologically, 1942-1953.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c367082'>Financial documentation</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1927-1973</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Financial documentation includes her leases, bills and insurance papers, as well as contracts, 1927-1973.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19754#c367095'>Louis Kalonyme correspondence and papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1918-1961</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The last series includes <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>'s correspondence (mostly private) not related to Angna Enters' carrer. Correspondence includes letters of condolences to Angna Enters on <span class=\"persname\">Louis Kalonyme</span>'s death.</p> <p>The series also includes drafts of <span class=\"persname\">Kalonyme</span>'s writings on <span class=\"persname\">Eugene O'Neill</span> (unpublished), and his passports. The series is arranged alphabetically, and covers the period of 1918-1961.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"I. Business and private correspondence; II. Correspondence between Angna Enters and Louis Kalonyme; III. Fan mail; IV. Acknowledgements for press reviews; V. Financial documents", "supress_display"=>true}
acqinfo
{"accession_number"=>"DAN"}
{"source"=>"Mr. and Mrs. Jason Berger", "address"=>"300 Oxford Road, New Rochelle, NY 10804", "method"=>"Gift", "value"=>"Gift, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Berger"}
relatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<p>See also: Angna Enters papers, (*MGZMD 158), Letters to Edward L. Berman (*MGZMC-Res. 19) and other items cataloged separately in the Jerome robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts</p>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"Personal and business correspondence. The bulk of the papers consist of correspondence with agents, publishers, galleries, theaters, colleges and individuals. Contracts are filed under the respective agencies. The second series includes personal letters to and from Louis Kalonyme, art critic and writer. Kalonyme was Enters' artistic advisor and was acknowledged by her as her husband late in life. Financial documents include leases, bills, and insurance papers."}
langmaterial_code
eng
ger
fre
spa
langmaterial
{"value"=>"In English with items in German, French and Spanish"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Irina Klyagin; machine-readable finding aid created by K. Coblentz.</p>"}
date_start
1921
date_end
1973

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Resources TOP

PDF finding aid

No PDF finding aid attached.

File attachments

No files attached.

Repository Assets

No UUIDs attached.

Living at NYPL Archives

Sign in to add or edit a living at feature for this collection.

Export Collection to ArchivesSpace