Scope and arrangement
The papers of Pauline Koner 1905-2000) consist of material documenting Koner’s dance career as a choreographer, dancer, dance teacher, author and lecturer. Writings, programs, photographs, teaching notes, as well as choreography and lighting notes constitute the vast majority of the collection. This collection shows a strong emphasis on Koner’s time with the José Limón Dance Company and on her performances abroad. Correspondence, clippings, ephemera and scrapbooks are also present.
While her connection to Nimura, Ito, Fokine and Limón are represented in the collection with correspondence, photographs and programs, detailed choreographic information on their works is not to be found in collection. From her diaries (Box 1, Folders 9-15) and her autobiography Solitary Song, the researcher can get information on her personal as well as professional life from late 1920 to late 1980. Her marriage to Fritz Mahler is not heavily documented—a few letters concerning her feelings on his illness (Box 2, Folder 22) can be found. Her personal life from 1995 to her death is not well represented in the collection.
The Pauline Koner papers are arranged in ten series:
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1928 - 2000, undated, 1.5 boxes
This series contains materials ranging from an appointment book revealing meetings that Koner scheduled to biographical materials about her (e.g. resumes). Of special interest are the handwritten diaries concerning her dance and personal life abroad, and the transcript of the NYPL Oral History Archive Interview.
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1929-1999, undated, 3 boxes
This series contains letters from Koner’s professional associates, friends, former students, as well as letters written by Pauline Koner.
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1925, 2000, undated, 11.5 boxes
This series contains material related to Koner’s dancing and teaching careers. Elements of Performance, the published version of her course Elements of Performing, can be found in Series IV: Writings.
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1927, 2000, undated, 8 boxes
This series contains articles, novels / textbooks, poetry, speeches and related materials found within the collection.
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1905, 1998, undated, 7 boxes
The two biggest groupings of photographs within this series are those for her dance compositions and travel. As such, the researcher can find images of such works as Altar Piece, Cassandra, Moor’s Pavane and Poéme, as well as pictures of her time in Japan, India and Italy. Furthermore, photographs of Michio Ito, Yeichi Nimura, Michel Fokine and Fritz Mahler (alone or with Koner) are found in this series.
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1930, 1998, undated, 5 boxes
Subseries 1: Pauline Koner, 1930 - 1998 and undated Subseries 2: Other Artists, 1940-1997 and undated
This series contains two subseries. The first subseries deals with material connected to the work of Pauline Koner in her guises as choreographer, dancer, lecturer, author and judge of dance performances. The second subseries deals with the program material of other artists (no mention of Koner within the items).
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2000, undated, 3 boxes, 10 folders
Subseries 1: Pauline Koner, 1916 - 1998 and undated Subseries 2: Subject files, 1939 - 2000 and undated
This series, which contains the magazine and newspaper clippings found in the collection, is organized into two subseries. The first subseries focuses on the items containing information on Pauline Koner’s public appearances and performances. The second subseries contains materials relating to subjects or persons of interest to Koner, mostly within the disciplines of dance.
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1930, 1989, undated, 8 folders
This series contains blank postcards, dance film catalogs and flyers, booklets in Russian, Concorde ephemera and other items of a transitionary nature.
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1928, 1981, undated, 1 Box
This series contains the scrapbooks found within the collection. The most common items found within are programs, clippings and photographs. Of special interest to the dance researcher with a focus on early television performances is the Choreotones material for CBS-television.
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1917, 1980, undated, 7 boxes
This series contains the oversized art journal, articles in French, awards, correspondence, music scores, photographs, posters, schematics (lighting) and scrapbooks found within the collection