- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"349 items in 41 folders in 3 document size boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 102", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19732", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1949-1991", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1949/1991"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Olga Spessivtzeva collection and letters"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The <span class=\"corpname\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts</span> <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Olga Spessivtzeva collection and letters, *MGZMD 102. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Fern, Dale", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"Collector", "role_code"=>"col"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Dale Edward Fern was born in Ottumwa, Iowa. He became interested in dance after he saw a published photograph of Olga Spessivtzeva in “Giselle”. In fact, the impression made on him by her image was so great that he decided to find out who the dancer was.</p> <p>After his graduation from high school he went to Chicago, then, in 1945 he moved to NY where he started taking ballet classes, attended performances, and inquired everywhere about Olga Spessivtzeva. Nobody seemed to know where she was. Only in 1949 by mere chance he met Romola Nijinsky who told him that Olga Spessivtzeva was mentally ill (with the same diagnosis as Vaslav Nijinsky) and had been a resident in a mental hospital for almost ten years.</p> <p>When Dale Fern went to see her in the hospital he found her unable to communicate, and the hospital authorities completely unaware of who their patient was.</p> <p>From that moment on to Olga Spessivtzeva's death in 1991 Dale Fern remained Olga's devoted friend. For 10 years he visited her weekly in Hudson River State Hospital. His visits and care contributed a great deal to Olga's recovery at the beginning of the 1960s, and resulted in her transfer to the Tolstoy Foundation Farm in Nyack.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>Olga Spessivtzeva [Ol'ga Aleksandrovna Spesivtseva] was born on July 18, 1895 in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia. She graduated from The Theatre School in Saint-Petersburg in 1913 and was accepted into the Maryinsky ballet company as a corps de ballet dancer. In 1916 she was promoted to the rank of soloist, and in 1918 she became a ballerina.</p> <p>Even before she graduated from school Spessivtzeva was considered to be the most promising young dancer of her generation. Very soon she proved that she really was. In 1916 Olga was invited by Serge Diaghilev to join his company on it's first American tour. She had great personal success and also as a partner of Vaslav Nijinsky. In 1921 she performed the leading role in the famous Diaghilev production of `Sleeping princess” in London. In 1923 Spessivtzeva left Russia for good to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet and later, from 1927 with Diaghilev's company. After Diaghilev's death she returned to the Paris Opera, and in 1931, after Anna Pavlova's death she was engaged by Victor Dandre to fulfill Pavlova's engagements. In July of 1937, in Buenos Aires she gave her last performance.</p> <p>Spessivtzeva's career was abruptly interrupted by the mental decease of which she suffered sporadically for many years. As legend has it, she lost her memory on-stage performing the famous mad scene in Giselle. In 1940 she suffered a major nervous breakdown and was taken to the psychiatric hospital. She remained in the hospital for 22 years, until she recovered and was released. Spessivtzeva moved to the Tolstoy's Foundation Farm in Nayack where she lived until her death on September 16 of 1991.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection of <span class=\"persname\">Dale Edward Fern</span> covers the period of 1949-1991 and relates mainly to <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva's</span> life and career.</p> <p>The bulk of the collection consists of originals of <span class=\"persname\">Mr. Fern's</span> correspondence about <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva</span> with various organizations and people, and private correspondence with <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva</span> herself, including correspondence with <span class=\"persname\">Spessivtzeva's</span> sister <span class=\"persname\">Zinaida</span> and her family. In addition there are letters from <span class=\"persname\">Spessivtzeva's</span> colleagues and former partners to <span class=\"persname\">Dale Fern</span>.</p> <p>The collection also contains the typescript of an unpublished book written by <span class=\"persname\">Dale Fern</span>, <span class=\"title\">To Olga Spessivtzeva: A Memoir of Loving,</span>clippings, original photographs and copy prints of <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva</span> and negatives.</p> <p>Included also is a silk hand sewn doll of Nijinsky in `Les Sylphides” made by <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva</span>. This is one of a series of dolls made by <span class=\"persname\">Olga</span> in the 1960s.</p> <p>The collection constitutes a major source of information about the life and career of the legendary dancer, <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva</span>. Particularly valuable is the documentation of the years <span class=\"persname\">Spessivtzeva</span> spent in the mental hospital, her almost miracle cure and her transfer to Tolstoy Foundation Farm in New Jersey.</p> <p>Language: English, Russian, French, some Spanish</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Olga Spessivtzeva collection and letters are arranged in two series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19732#c364163'>I. Correspondence:</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Correspondence series was generally left as arranged by the collector with a few necessary rearrangements. Files are alphabetical, by name or title. Within the files letters were arranged chronologically. There are a number of translations into English attached to <span class=\"persname\">Olga Spessivtzeva's</span> letters written in Russian. Some letters remain untranslated as is indicated on the folder. This series also includes <span class=\"persname\">Spessivtzeva's</span> abstract thread designs and a diagram sent to <span class=\"persname\">Dale Fern</span> with the letters.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19732#c364214'>II. Book</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The Book series consists of a typescript of a book, clippings and photographs, and copy prints. The copy of the typescript was donated by <span class=\"persname\">Doris Hering</span>.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is organized in two series:</p> <ol> <li> I. Correspondence</li> <li> II. Book</li></ol>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Purchase. Dale Edward Fern. Received: April 1994.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>The following items were received with the original gift but have been separated from the manuscript collection. The current location of these items (as of February 1995) is indicated.</p> <ul> <li>Handmade doll of Vaslav Nijinsky in <span class=\"title\">Les Sylphides</span> - Location: in process</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Portrait of Giselle</span>[videotape] - Location: discarded</li> <li>Issues of Dance Magazine ##4,5,7 of 1960 - Location: *MGZA</li> <li>Issue of Ballet News, May 1982 - Location: *MGZA</li> <li>Gold framed photograph of Olga Spessivtzeva in `Sleeping Beauty” - Location: Curator's office</li></ul>"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1949
- date_inclusive_end
-
1991
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Chiefly correspondence about and with Olga Spessivtzeva and a typescript book entitled, To Olga Spessivtzeva: A memoir of loving."}
- langmaterial_code
-
eng
rus
fre
spa
- keydate
-
1949
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"In English, Russian, French, and Spanish"}
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Irina Klyagin.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
349 items in 41 folders in 3 document size boxes
- date_start
-
1949
- date_end
-
1991