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Category: Special Collections

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Auld Lang Syne: Sharing a “Cup of Kindness” with Old Friends

Posted by: Cait Miller

The following is a guest post from Music Reference Specialist James Wintle. There is many an old familiar song running through the collective memory of the Western world that will occasionally cause one to sit back with a puzzled look and wonder: “Do I actually understand what I’m saying right now?” Foremost among these is …

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Miles White Costume Designs

Posted by: Cait Miller

The following is a guest post from Senior Theater Specialist Walter Zvonchenko. Miles White (1914-2000) was one of the most admired costume designers for the American stage in the 20th century. He came to New York in the 1930s hoping for a career in high fashion.  While that was not to be, his subsequent work …

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Announcing New Acquisition: The Billy Strayhorn Collection

Posted by: Larry Appelbaum

In January of 2017, I traveled to a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona to meet Dr. Gregory Morris and family. Morris is the nephew of Billy Strayhorn and Executor of the Billy Strayhorn Estate. Dr. Morris, a retired educator originally from Pittsburgh, kept the collection in safe hands for nearly five decades. The papers, including …

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The Musical Life and Legacy of Artur Schnabel

Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld

Renowned pianist Artur Schnabel is best known for his recordings of a complete cycle of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas, which he recorded from 1932-1935. His recording, the first ever made of the complete cycle of Beethoven’s 32 sonatas, to this day places him at the forefront of interpreting the composer’s piano works. Schnabel’s son …

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Musical Leftovers

Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld

Ever since I was little, one of the joys of Thanksgiving has been the leftovers in the days that follow. Who doesn’t like a Cajun turkey sandwich with some stuffing and mashed potatoes on the side? Some leftovers even get better with age, as the flavors become richer. Over this past Thanksgiving, I started thinking …

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Sheet Music Spotlight: Armistice Day, November 11, 1918

Posted by: Pat Padua

The following post is by retired music cataloger Sharon McKinley. I’ve enjoyed perusing the Library’s World War I sheet music over the past few years as we’ve commemorated the centennial of The Great War. We are now coming to the end of the fighting. Although the Treaty of Paris wasn’t signed until June 28,1919, an …

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Cooking Up History: Ballet Theatre Belly-Busters

Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld

In 1979, the corps de ballet of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) went on strike in a wage dispute. The newest members of the corps, the lowest-ranking dancers in the company, only made $235 a week—$869 in 2018 dollars. Many principal and solo dancers in the ABT supported the corps. In an article for People …

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A Star is Born Once Again

Posted by: Cait Miller

The following is a guest post from Gershwin Archivist Janet McKinney. It seems there is something utterly compelling about the core story of A Star is Born, as it is now being told in theaters for the fourth time. Originally a 1937 drama starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, it told the story of a …