- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"15 linear feet (55 boxes)"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"JPB 90-30", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"20095", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Rosa Ponselle papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The New York Public Library, Music Division"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Rosa Ponselle Papers document the career of one of the most noted 20th century American soprano opera singers, and covers her beginnings in vaudeville, her Metropolitan Opera career (1918-1937), her teaching activities, her adminstrative involvement with musical life in Baltimore, and her retirement. Also included is material concerning her sister Carmela Ponselle (1892-1977)."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Rosa Ponselle Papers, JPB 90-30, Music Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Ponselle, Rosa, 1897-1981", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Since Rosa Ponselle's career has been covered in depth elsewhere, most recently in the biography <span class=\"title\">Rosa Ponselle: A Centenary Biography</span> by <span class=\"persname\">James Drake</span> (1997), only the outlines of her life are presented here.</p> <p>Rosa Ponselle (born Ponzillo) was born in Meriden, CT, on January 22, 1897. She had her early training from her mother and appeared with her sister Carmela in vaudeville. She later took voices lessons with William Thorner, who introduced her to Enrico Caruso. Caruso paved the way for her Metropolitan Opera debut on November 18, 1918 in which she was cast as Leonora opposite the tenor in <span class=\"title\">La Forza del Destino</span>. Ponselle remained a mainstay of the company until her final performance in the title role of <span class=\"title\">Carmen</span> on February 15, 1937. Within a year she had retired from singing.</p> <p>In 1936, Ponselle married Carl Jackson, son of a former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. The couple moved to Baltimore, where Jackson built their home, \"Villa Pace,\" located in Green Spring Valley. After their divorce in 1950, Ponselle began to be more active, teaching and becoming involved with the Baltimore Civic Opera as well as community life in Baltimore.</p> <p>Rosa Ponselle died at Villa Pace, on May 25, 1981.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>Highlights in the Rosa Ponselle Papers include: a photograph autographed to Ponselle from Enrico Caruso (box 2, folder 1); a proof book of Mishkin photographs (box 29); and an early financial ledger (box 1, folder 11). Notes from Ponselle's study with Albert Carre for Carmen (box 11) are detailed and complete, and typescript recital programs, from 1920 to 1938 (box 9), contain scrupulous handwritten notations about Mme. Ponselle's wardrobe for each recital. Along with a host of musical luminaries, soon-to-be famous opera singers, presidents and heads of state, Ponselle's significant correspondents included manager Libbie Miller (4,41) and secretary Edith Prilik (5,24). In addition, Ponselle's career with the Baltimore Civic Opera is documented with programs and reviews (boxes 17 and 18) and the diva's 80th birthday celebration is documented in letters and telegrams from numerous friends and celebrities (6,45-46).</p> <p>Rosa's sister Carmela is also documented in this collection (boxes 20-22) with scrapbooks, photographs, programs, and poetry.</p> <p>Fire at Villa Pace, in 1979, destroyed much of Ponselle's library, including her collection of musical scores. Some of the remaining items show smoke and water damage. A few documents, duplicate photographs, along with furnishings from the Ponselle estate were sold at auction in 1989.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Rosa Ponselle papers are arranged in twenty series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c534821'>Series 1: Personal, Legal, Financial Records</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c534853'>Series 2: Correspondence</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535043'>Series 3: Concert Programs</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535064'>Series 4: Recital Programs</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535088'>Series 5: Recital Song Books (texts)</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535090'>Series 6: Carmen Materials</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535097'>Series 7: Music</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535101'>Series 8: Articles, Offprints, Publications</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535135'>Series 9: Clippings</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535145'>Series 10: Baltimore Civic Opera</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535173'>Series 11: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535177'>Series 12: Material Concerning Recordings</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535184'>Series 13: Carmela Ponselle Papers</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535197'>Series 14: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535205'>Series 15: Photographs</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535254'>Series 16: Photoengravers' Dies</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535264'>Series 17: Posters, Awards, Diplomas, Etc.</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535269'>Series 18: Books</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535273'>Series 19: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mus/20095#c535283'>Series 20: Realia</a></div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The arrangement of series is as follows:</p> <p>Series 1: Personal, Legal, Financial Records</p> <p>Series 2: Correspondence</p> <p>Series 3: Concert Programs</p> <p>Series 4: Recital Programs</p> <p>Series 5: Recital Song Books (texts)</p> <p>Series 6: <span class=\"title\">Carmen</span> Materials</p> <p>Series 7: Music</p> <p>Series 8: Articles, Offprints, Publications</p> <p>Series 9: Clippings</p> <p>Series 10: Baltimore Civic Opera</p> <p>Series 11: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra</p> <p>Series 12: Material Concerning Recordings</p> <p>Series 13: Carmela Ponselle Papers</p> <p>Series 14: Scrapbooks</p> <p>Series 15: Photographs</p> <p>Series 16: Photoengravers' Dies</p> <p>Series 17: Posters, Awards, Diplomas, Etc.</p> <p>Series 18: Books</p> <p>Series 19: Scrapbooks</p> <p>Series 20: Realia</p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Rosa Ponselle Papers were donated to the Music Division of The New York Public Library in 1989 by the Rosa Ponselle Charitable Foundation, Inc., Elayne Duke, President.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Recordings and 16mm moving picture film have been separated and sent to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.</p> <p>Audiovisual materials separated from archival collections are cataloged individually and can be found in the Library catalog. Search CATNYP, The New York Public Library catalog.</p> <p> View the finding aid for the Rosa Ponselle Collection in Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>There are no restrictions to access except for scrapbooks, which must be viewed on microfilm.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to copy or publish please contact the Music Division.</p>"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"ca. 1911-1981", "type"=>"inclusive", "certainty"=>"approximate", "normal"=>"1911/1981"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1911
- date_inclusive_end
-
1981
- altformavail
-
{"value"=>"<p>Scrapbooks available on microfilm: *ZB-2110; *ZB-2107</p>"}
- note
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of The Rosa Ponselle Charitable Foundation, Inc., Elayne Duke, President, 1989</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
- keydate
-
1911
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Leslie Hansen Kopp; machine-readable finding aid created by Robert Kosovsky.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1911
- date_end
-
1981