Rahn, Muriel
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 848
0.71 linear feet (3 boxes)
Best known for her performance in the title role of the original 1943-1944 Broadway production of
Carmen Jones, Muriel Rahn (1911-1961) developed a reputation as a performer who was equally talented as a singer and an...
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Best known for her performance in the title role of the original 1943-1944 Broadway production of
Carmen Jones, Muriel Rahn (1911-1961) developed a reputation as a performer who was equally talented as a singer and an actress. The Muriel Rahn papers contain materials related to her performing career.
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Hubbard, Alma Lillie
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 549
0.21 linear feet (1 box)
Alma Lillie Hubbard was an African-American soprano who introduced Marc Connelly, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play,
The Green Pastures (1930), to the black churches of New Orleans. She also selected many of the...
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Alma Lillie Hubbard was an African-American soprano who introduced Marc Connelly, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play,
The Green Pastures (1930), to the black churches of New Orleans. She also selected many of the spirituals that were sung in the production and performed in the chorus of the touring company in the 1930s. Hubbard studied music and voice at a number of institutions including Straight College where she also trained to be a Jubilee singer with two graduates of Fisk University who organized the first Jubilee clubs at that college, as well as Chicago's American Conservatory of Music, Columbia University in 1931 (Rosenwald scholarship), and the Juilliard School of Music where she received a master's degree. The Alma Lillie Hubbard papers consist of letters written to Hubbard from her first husband, Berry Hubbard, her mother and godmother, and from Gladys Mike of the Apollo Theater listing names of performers there for one week in February 1934. Other letters concern Hubbard's performances, education, and personal financial affairs. Hubbard authored one letter in the collection. Other material includes memo pads listing songs she performed, preparatory material for recitals and lessons she gave, and personal expenses. News clippings are primarily reviews of the touring performances of
The Green Pastures in the South and Midwest in 1933-1934.
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Williams, Mary Lou, 1910-1981
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | SC MG 922
1.04 linear feet (3 boxes)
The collection contains materials used to create the Mary Lou Williams documentary,
Music on My Mind, directed by Joanne Burke.
Music on My Mind focuses on Williams's enduring contribution to...
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The collection contains materials used to create the Mary Lou Williams documentary,
Music on My Mind, directed by Joanne Burke.
Music on My Mind focuses on Williams's enduring contribution to American culture as a jazz pianist, composer, and vocalist. This collection includes a short autobiography (incomplete), transcripts of interviews, information on the financial support of the documentary, film technical edits, reel catalog, and an information kit about the documentary.
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Loudon, Dorothy
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2005-006
31 linear feet (82 boxes)
Dorothy Loudon (1925-2003) was a singer, comedienne and Tony Award-winning actress, who appeared in supper clubs, television shows, films, summer stock and on Broadway. The bulk of the materials in this collection are from 1940-2003. They...
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Dorothy Loudon (1925-2003) was a singer, comedienne and Tony Award-winning actress, who appeared in supper clubs, television shows, films, summer stock and on Broadway. The bulk of the materials in this collection are from 1940-2003. They extensively cover the personal life and professional career of Dorothy Loudon, including materials relating to stage, film and television productions, albums, nightclub performances as well as personal correspondence.
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Horne, Lena
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 326
Collection consists predominantly of material relating to Lena Horne's one woman Broadway production and national and international tour of "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" (1981-1984). Papers contain fan mail, a small amount of business,...
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Collection consists predominantly of material relating to Lena Horne's one woman Broadway production and national and international tour of "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" (1981-1984). Papers contain fan mail, a small amount of business, personal and family correspondence; press coverage (newspaper and magazine clippings and audio and video reviews); publicity and public relations material; programs; financial data and certificates (proclamations, awards and honors).
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Nixon, Marni
Music Division | JPB 03-14
.6 linear feet. (3 boxes)
Marni Nixon, talented singer and performer in her own right, is the singing voice behind many Hollywood stars. The collection includes scores for pieces sung by Marni Nixon. Not included are any of the songs from her motion picture dubbing work.
Bradley, Lillian E
Music Division | JPB 06-24
2.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Lillian E. Bradley was a singer, entertainer, and producer. This collection consists of Bradley's photographs, one scrapbook of recital programs and thank you letters from various groups she entertained, and one folder of loose clippings,...
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Lillian E. Bradley was a singer, entertainer, and producer. This collection consists of Bradley's photographs, one scrapbook of recital programs and thank you letters from various groups she entertained, and one folder of loose clippings, programs, correspondence, and her single musical composition.
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Bricktop, 1894-1984
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 247
7 linear feet
Internationally known cabaret personality Bricktop, was born Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith in Alderson, West Virginia in 1894. Nicknamed "Bricktop" for her red hair, she began her career as an entertainer at the age of 16,...
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Internationally known cabaret personality Bricktop, was born Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia Smith in Alderson, West Virginia in 1894. Nicknamed "Bricktop" for her red hair, she began her career as an entertainer at the age of 16, performing on the vaudeville circuit with Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles in McCabe's Georgia Troubadours minstrel show, then later with the Oma Crosby Trio, and the Panama Trio with Florence Mills and Cora Green. She also performed in saloons in Chicago such as the Roy Jones' saloon and Cabaret de Champion, also known as Café Champ owned by boxer Jack Johnson, and in Harlem at Barron's Exclusive Club and Connie's Inn. Bricktop went on to own her own nightclubs in Paris (1920s and 30s), Mexico City (1940s), and Rome (1950s). Towards the end of her career she made appearances on radio broadcasts, performed at various establishments such as The Club Tango in Chicago, and introduced Josephine Baker for her "come-back" engagement at Carnegie Hall in 1973. She co-authored "Bricktop" (1983), her autobiography, with James Haskins. The Ada "Bricktop" Smith DuConge Papers, 1920s-1984, primarily document the latter part of Bricktop's life and career. The Papers consist of letters and cards, daily planners and address books, notes on religious thoughts and other subjects, financial papers, sheet music, and news clippings. The diaries range from the 1920s to 1983 and in some instances serve as daily planners and account books. The volumes hold information pertaining to both her personal and professional life. The earliest letters date from the 1950s, after she moved to Rome. Primarily they are from people Bricktop worked with during her career including Jack Jordan, James Haskins, Hugh Shannon, David Hanna, and Earl Blackwell. Additionally, there are promotional materials that relate to her career as an entertainer, e.g. fliers, programs; invitations, among them two from Bricktop's in Paris in 1937; letters from broadcasting agencies; magazines noting her appearance dates; and news clippings that include featured stories about Bricktop in arts, entertainment and society columns.
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McCorkle, Susannah
Music Division | JPB 06-3
30 linear feet (63 boxes)
Susannah McCorkle (1946-2001) was an important American jazz / pop singer as well as a talented writer. Her papers consist of her writings, correspondence, business and personal papers, scores, concert programs, clippings, publicity material,...
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Susannah McCorkle (1946-2001) was an important American jazz / pop singer as well as a talented writer. Her papers consist of her writings, correspondence, business and personal papers, scores, concert programs, clippings, publicity material, photographs and books.
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Blaine, Vivian, 1921-1995
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1996-053
14 linear feet (18 boxes)
Vivian Blaine was a singer in concerts and nightclubs and an actress in film, television and theater from the late 1930s through the mid 1980s. She is best remembered for having originated the role of Miss Adelaide in
Guys and...
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Vivian Blaine was a singer in concerts and nightclubs and an actress in film, television and theater from the late 1930s through the mid 1980s. She is best remembered for having originated the role of Miss Adelaide in
Guys and Dolls (1950). This collection consists mainly of professional items pertaining to Blaine’s film and theater career, but also includes personal items.
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Hall, Berniece
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 725
.8 linear feet (2 archival boxes)
African-American soprano soloist, Berniece Hall made her Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow (1953), and from 1956 to 1958 she performed in De Paur's Opera Gala. She also performed with Voices Inc. in Trumpets of the Lord (1963) at the French...
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African-American soprano soloist, Berniece Hall made her Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow (1953), and from 1956 to 1958 she performed in De Paur's Opera Gala. She also performed with Voices Inc. in Trumpets of the Lord (1963) at the French National Festival of the Arts in Paris in 1966. After the Festival, Hall remained in Italy and toured several other European countries, performing in a variety of venues. She lived in Italy for 4 years returning to live permanently in the United States in 1970. The Berniece Hall Papers document her professional career in North America and Europe. The Personal papers are comprised of biographical information, correspondence from friends and well-wishers, and financial records. The Professional papers contain correspondence pertaining to Hall's professional life, performance schedules for various events, some materials pertaining to Voices, Inc., scripts, song lists and lyrics, programs, posters and newspaper clippings.
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Marsh, Audrey, 1911-
Music Division | JPB 06-76
1.8 linear feet (2 boxes)
The American singer Audrey Marsh had a successful career singing in performance and on commercial radio. Her papers contain correspondence, clippings, concert programs, journals, photographs and personal papers.
Sullivan, Maxine, 1911-1987
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 473
10.34 linear feet (27 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
The Maxine Sullivan Papers document her career as a jazz performer. The papers contain correspondence from both professional and personal contacts, legal contracts, newspaper clippings, performance flyers, posters, and programs, sheet music, and...
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The Maxine Sullivan Papers document her career as a jazz performer. The papers contain correspondence from both professional and personal contacts, legal contracts, newspaper clippings, performance flyers, posters, and programs, sheet music, and some financial and organizational membership records. Some materials pertain to her third husband, Cliff Jackson.
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Webb, Alyce Elizabeth, 1930-2000
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 694
1.25 linear feet (3 boxes)
African American singer and actress Alyce Webb performed in several Broadway, Off-Broadway, and dinner theater productions. The Alyce Webb papers document Webb's career in theater, film, and television.
Sullivan, Maxine, 1911-1987
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 918
0.42 linear feet (1 box)
African American jazz soloist Maxine Sullivan was known for her cool and arresting "whispering voice," soothing style, gentle rhythmic phrasing, and intricate swing delivery. She became well known in the late 1930s for her swing performance of the...
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African American jazz soloist Maxine Sullivan was known for her cool and arresting "whispering voice," soothing style, gentle rhythmic phrasing, and intricate swing delivery. She became well known in the late 1930s for her swing performance of the Scottish traditional ballad "Loch Lomond". The song became her signature piece and catapulted her career. During this period, Sullivan performed as the main act at the Onyx Club on 52nd Street in New York City, alongside bassist John Kirby and his band. The two married in 1938 but were divorced three years later. In 1950, Sullivan married pianist Cliff Jackson. Excluding a ten-year break she took from show-business in 1957, Sullivan's career spanned four decades. Sullivan was also popular with jazz enthusiasts outside of the United States and she toured internationally several times. The collection contains a photocopied transcript of an interview with Maxine Sullivan conducted as part of Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies Oral History Project. The transcript is particularly rich in its detail of Sullivan's recording career and collaboration with other artists. Eleven tapes were transcribed, totaling 750 pages.
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Cole, Nat King, 1919-1965
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 695
28.75 linear feet (134 boxes)
This collection consists of personal and professional material of Nat King Cole, such as correspondence, programs, and advertisements. Additionally, there is printed matter, such as clippings and articles; scrapbooks; and scores, which is the...
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This collection consists of personal and professional material of Nat King Cole, such as correspondence, programs, and advertisements. Additionally, there is printed matter, such as clippings and articles; scrapbooks; and scores, which is the largest series. Finally, there is material related to Cole's wife, Maria Cole, such as scrapbooks, biographical material, and drafts for a book.
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Dawson, Mary Cardwell, 1894-1962
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division | Sc MG 104
0.02 linear feet (1 oversize folder, 1 folder)
Opera director, concert singer, teacher, conductor and impresario, Dawson was the founder, president, and general manager of the National Negro Opera Company. Formed in 1941 due to Dawson's concern regarding the lack of opportunity for...
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Opera director, concert singer, teacher, conductor and impresario, Dawson was the founder, president, and general manager of the National Negro Opera Company. Formed in 1941 due to Dawson's concern regarding the lack of opportunity for Afro-Americans in opera because of racial discrimination, for over 20 years the Company presented such productions as Verdi's Aida and La Traviata, and C.C. White's Ouanga. Among the featured opera singers were Minto Cato, Lillian Evanti, Muriel Rahn, Edward Boatner, and Robert McFerrin. Ms. Dawson also founded the Cardwell School of Music and the prize winning Cardwell-Dawson Chorus. At the time of Dawson's death in 1962, her proteges were appearing in the great opera houses of the world. Collection of documents relating to Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company. Collection includes a booklet describing the history and activities of the Company, biographical data on Dawson, and several certificates commending Dawson for her achivements and contributions to various organizations.
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Nelson, Novella
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2023-003
13.63 linear feet (41 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Novella Nelson (1938-2017) was an actor, singer, and director who appeared on stage on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and cabaret venues, and on television and film. Nelson's papers, dated 1949 to 2017, reflect her professional...
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Novella Nelson (1938-2017) was an actor, singer, and director who appeared on stage on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and cabaret venues, and on television and film. Nelson's papers, dated 1949 to 2017, reflect her professional and personal accomplishments and interests through correspondence, subject files, writings, poetry, photographs, scores, scripts, printed matter, and sound recordings.
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