Scope and Content Note
The Franziska Boas collection is an extensive collection of multi-format materials documenting the professional and personal life of Franziska Boas. The collection spans Boas' career, from her academic training at Barnard College through her professional work as a dance teacher, accompanist, therapist and ethnologist, and includes documentation of her work as a social activist and as a community educator after her retirement.
The collection consists of choreographic scores, music manuscripts and printed music, personal and general correspondence, business files, personal files, writings and research by and about Boas, clippings, iconography, miscellaneous items, and audio-visual materials. Please note: the contents list is not an index.
The choreographic scores include original labanotation scores of both Boas choreography and unidentified choreography, as well as printed scores of works by others. Many of the scores are in fragile condition; check with a reference librarian to determine the status of their condition.
The music series consists of music manuscripts for works by Franziska Boas and others, some with accompanying movement notation. The series also includes original scores by others for Boas choreography and untitled works as well. Printed music is also included in this series.
The correspondence series consists of drafts and copies of letters to Boas, divided between personal and subject correspondence with subseries defined. The arrangement is alphabetical. Significant correspondents have been listed by name.
The business files are arranged by subject and include a variety of materials: information relating to professional associations; teaching and other school files; Boas Dance Group business records; calendars and datebooks; card files; programs, arranged alphabetically; publicity files; other school-related roll books and record book. Shorter College materials include Shorter College Dance Club programs arranged by date, yearbooks, and other material related to performance programs all arranged by date.
The personal files are arranged by subject and include information specifically relating to Franz Boas, financial and legal documents, records relating to livestock and animals Boas raised during her retirement, a manuscript of Nicolas Michelson's book, and Boas' college yearbooks.
The writings and research series consists of manuscripts for articles by Boas and others, including her father, anthropologist Franz Boas; manuscript and material relating to the Boas publication The Function of Dance; dance-related books; notes for classes by Boas; printed publications by Boas and others; writings on dance therapy and children; miscellaneous notes for articles, choreography and demonstrations; notes on the history of dance and the history of theatre; magazine clippings; and selected reprints of journal articles.
The iconography in the collection includes photos, slides and negatives arranged by subject; a variety of artwork by Boas; oversized iconographic materials; and iconography specifically relating to the Shorter College Dance Club.
The series of miscellaneous materials consists of greeting cards, photostats of movement drawings, items relating to animals, a scrapbook and other miscellany.
The audio-visual materials in the collection include audio recording tapes by Boas and others, and films documenting the choreography of Boas, Shorter College performances, as well as rare footage of unstaged Kwakuitl Indian dance performance. All audio-visual materials are located in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division (MBRS) of the Library of Congress and are subject to that Division's policies for use and reproduction.
Binders, covers, frames, and other supports have been removed from most items because of their condition. Any identification they contained has been noted. Wherever possible, the original order of the materials has been maintained.
Mary E. Edsall, Dance Archivist, October 1996