{"value"=>"<p>These papers are primarily incoming and internal correspondence. They portray <span class=\"persname\">David Blakely</span> as concert artist manager, booking agent and businessman. The correspondence reflects Blakely's primary concern of acquiring, organizing and managing concert artists and performing groups of high caliber.</p> <p>In the early years the correspondence shows Blakely managing <span class=\"persname\">Theodore Thomas</span> and his Orchestra as well as managing and booking engagements for numerous singers and instrumentalists. During these years Blakely received many requests from performing artists seeking concert management. In addition there is considerable correspondence from managers in other U.S. cities looking to book one of Blakely's groups.</p> <p>By early 1891 the correspondence reflects Blakely's interest in <span class=\"persname\">John Philip Sousa.</span> Blakely's plans to free Sousa from his responsibilities with the <span class=\"corpname\">Marine Band</span> in Washington in order to form the <span class=\"corpname\">New Marine Band</span> based in Chicago begin to take shape. By June of 1892 there is a flood of incoming letters from musicians nation-wide seeking entry into the new band. Some letters are written directly to Sousa, others to Business Manager <span class=\"persname\">Frank Christianer</span> or to Blakely himself. In addition letters to the Blakely management come from prominent musicians seeking work or to recommend other musicians for positions with the new <span class=\"corpname\">Sousa Band</span>. This type of correspondence is soon followed by letters of acceptance from those musicians who have been signed by Sousa along with copies of some of the contracts that Blakely had kept for his own files. By December of 1892 there appears a handwritten list of band members and their salaries.</p> <p>Beginning in 1893 copies of outgoing Blakely correspondence appear sporadically. The remainder of the correspondence concerns bookings and tour preparations for the <span class=\"corpname\">Sousa Band</span>. These include the semi-annual tours, the Mid-Winter Exposition of 1894 and the Trans-continental tour of May-December of 1896. After Blakely's death on November 7, 1896, the correspondence is taken over by <span class=\"persname\">Frank Christianer</span>. The volume of papers sloly diminishes and finally ceases in January of 1897.</p> <p>The sub-series of this correspondence reflect other interests of the <span class=\"corpname\">Blakely Syndicate</span>. These include management of <span class=\"persname\">Eduard Strauss</span>, the <span class=\"corpname\">Austro-Hungarian Juvenile band</span> and other European groups as well as Blakely's ill-fated <span class=\"corpname\">“Ladies Orchestra” Project</span>of 1891-92. Regarding Blakely's management of <span class=\"persname\">Eduard Strauss</span> there are the two sub-series titled Strauss/Blakely Correspondence 1889-90, and the Eduard Strauss Tours 1890-92. This contains Blakely's correspondence with <span class=\"persname\">Senator Washburn</span> concerning violation of the Musicians League agreements prohibiting foreign musicians from performing on U.S. soil and “competing” with American musicians. (See also; Blakely, Personal Papers, Letterbook 1890-92). In addition Blakely is in continuous negotiations with Eduard Strauss to satisfy Strauss' artistic requirements regarding his orchestra tours in the U.S. Finally there is contained here a letter to Blakely from officials of the<span class=\"corpname\"> Madison Square Garden Company</span> asking Blakely to postpone the first Strauss U.S. concert which was to open the new Garden until construction on the site can be completed.</p> <p>The letterbooks within this series of <span class=\"corpname\">Blakely Syndicate</span> correspondence contain Blakely's own correspondence regarding each of his concert group operations. These include <span class=\"persname\">Theodore Thomas</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Eduard Strauss</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Sousa</span>.</p>"}