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Category: New Acquisitions

Excerpt of handwritten orchestra score for "Wuthering Heights" by Alfred Newman (1939).

New Finding Aids at the Music Division of the Library of Congress

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

Learn about six new collection finding aids that have been published by the Library's Music Division. These finding aids provide bibliographic access to the Irwin Bazelon Papers, Harry Chapin Collection, Ann Murphy Collection on the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall, Alfred Newman Film Music Manuscripts, Park Avenue Synagogue Commissioning Project Correspondence and Hans Spialek Papers.

Fritz Kreisler in three piece suit holding up violin in left hand with bow in right hand. Standing in front of a fireplace and chari.

Queen Elizabeth, Liszt and Instrument Additions Arrive for the Fritz Kreisler Collection

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest post by Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford, Curator of Musical Instruments, and Dr. Frederic Kreisler. Over the past few years Dr. Frederic Kreisler, grandson of the cellist Hugo Kreisler (1884-1929) and grand-nephew of the violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), has generously donated Kreisler family materials and musical instruments to the Fritz …

Photo of Eddie Condon in a suit and bowtie holding his Gibson guitar.

Eddie Condon’s Gibson Guitar Finds a New Home at the Library

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The Library of Congress Music Division is proud to be the new home of guitarist and bandleader Eddie Condon’s Gibson L-7 Plectrum guitar, which was custom made for him in 1965. The guitar (pictured below) features a carved spruce top with a sunburst finish. Donated in 2023 by Maggie Condon, Eddie’s daughter, the guitar is …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Learning the Backstory to “Rent”

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

This post is by Emily Hauck, a summer intern in the Library’s Communications Office. A version of this post was first published in the Library of Congress Gazette and it also appeared on the Library of Congress Blog. No matter how much you think you know about a topic, there is always more to discover. I …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

New Wonder Woman Treasures on Display

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The Library of Congress recently celebrated its extensive comic book collection with a pop-up exhibit (“Library of Awesome“) and a series of programs that culminated in a special appearance by Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman. During her appearance, Carter donated some remarkable items to the American people that will be housed in the Library’s …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Finding Afro-Kola at the Library of Congress

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest blog by 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar Ingrid Monson. “Finding Afro-Kola at the Library of Congress”  Ingrid Monson, Harvard University 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar For scholars and researchers interested in jazz, a visit to the Music Division of the Library of Congress can be a rewarding improvisation …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Courage and Improvisation: The Max Roach Papers

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest blog by 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar Ingrid Monson. “Courage and Improvisation: The Max Roach Papers” Ingrid Monson, Harvard University 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar As I sat going through box after box of the Max Roach Papers in the Music Division at the Library of Congress, the …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Jazz Scholar John Szwed on Visiting the Library

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

The following is a guest blog by 2016-2017 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar John Szwed. Notes on My Visit to the Music Division By John Szwed I’ve visited the Library of Congress a number of times over the years for many different reasons, sometimes for research on a writing project, at others just out of curiosity. …

Woman with dark hair, fancy dress and pearls with eyes closed and mouth slightly open, singing

Pride in the Library: LGBTQ+ Voices in the Library’s Collections

Posted by: Nicholas A. Brown-Cáceres

This is a guest post by Meg Metcalf, women’s, gender and LGBTQ+ studies librarian in the Main Reading Room. It was originally posted on the Library of Congress Blog. The collections of the Library of Congress tell the rich and diverse story of LGBTQ+ life in America and around the world. To share this story, …