Scope and arrangement
The Pretzfeld family papers date from 1924 to 1994. They hold two guestbooks and two scrapbooks.
The first guestbook, dating from 1924 to 1931, logs visitors to the Pretzfeld home, and contains a few photographs of attendees. Starting in the late 1920s, the log also notes the repertoire performed by musicians during these visits. The second guestbook, dating from 1931 to 1965, is titled “Ray & Bob Pretzeld,” and also logs visitors and repertoire performed. Both guestbooks contain the signatures of musicians and other notable people attending these performances, such as Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, Willem Willeke, Walter Edelstein, Stephen Kates, Joseph Reilich, and Georges Enesco.
The first scrapbook, dating from 1961 to 1994, contains lists of guests of Pretzfeld-hosted performances from 1915 to 1939, compiled retrospectively in the 1960s. It also holds guest lists for performances between 1961 and 1967, clippings about musicians, a signed photograph of and letters from Stephen Kates, and a 1994 photograph of Roberta W. Pretzfeld. The second scrapbook dates from 1940 to 1966. It partially documents the political activities of Mrs. Robert Pretzfeld through letters from the League of Women Voters, Robert Oppenheimer, and Hubert Humphrey. It also holds letters to Mrs. Pretzfeld from E.B. White, Albert Sprague Coolidge and Stephen Kates, as well as letters to Ray Pretzfeld.
Arrangement
The four books are arranged chronologically.