Scope and Content Note
The Arthur Schwartz Papers span the years 1900-1983 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1931 to 1983. The collection includes music manuscripts, lyric sheets, scripts, correspondence, publicity materials, photographs, business papers, and other items that document Schwartz's life and career. The materials provide evidence for his musical growth and highlight the popularity of his songs, such as "Dancing in the Dark." The collection includes materials from the numerous musicals, revues, films, radio programs, and television series that Schwartz worked on. It also covers other aspects of Schwartz's career, including his contributions to ASCAP and the League of New York Theaters. In addition, scripts by George S. Kaufman, and Dorothy and Herbert Fields, as well as hundreds of lyric sheets by Howard Dietz, offer insights into the cultural history of American theater in the 20th century.
The Music series consists of manuscript and published scores, lead sheets, sketches, and lyric sheets for Schwartz's Broadway musicals, revues, films, and television and radio series, including The Band Wagon, The Gay Life, Inside U.S.A., The Gibson Family, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, as well as numerous unfinished projects. Many shows include unused or cut songs. Of particular interest are materials for the hit song, "Dancing in the Dark", one of the few titles in the collection to boast a complete set of scores and instrumental parts. Manuscript materials and annotations are mostly in Schwartz's hand.
Non-music materials associated with productions can be found in the Project Files series which is arranged alphabetically by project or show title. These contain scripts, miscellaneous lyric sheets, clippings, publicity materials, correspondence, financial and legal documents, photographs, and other items related to Schwartz's projects for which he composed music, acted as producer, or was otherwise involved. Several projects, most notably Jennie, feature substantial script revisions that span multiple boxes. Also included are a variety of scripts by George S. Kaufman, Sidney Sheldon, Herman Wouk, Herbert and Dorothy Fields, and other playwrights and screenwriters who collaborated with Schwartz on various projects.
The Correspondence series contains personal and professional letters to and from family members, collaborators, and other show business luminaries. Notable personalities include Howard Dietz, Dorothy Fields, Irving Berlin, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Richard Rodgers. In addition, the series contains Schwartz's communications with ASCAP, the American Guild of Authors and Composers, and other performing arts organizations. Photographs of Schwartz in the Photographs series date chiefly from the 1940s-1950s, although very few have descriptive captions of any kind. Most are professional portraits and shots of Schwartz at rehearsals or recording sessions. Photographs pertaining to stage or film productions are located within their corresponding project files.
The remaining collection items are consolidated into the Biographical Materials series. These include awards, published and unpublished writings, notebooks, business papers, legal documents, publicity materials, and other items. Writings consist mostly of interviews with Schwartz, short pieces about Schwartz's own music and that of other composers, writings by his son, Jonathan Schwartz, and miscellaneous essays and autobiographical texts. The business papers contain materials related to ASCAP, a handful of Schwartz's tax returns, contracts and legal documents, business correspondence, royalties, and other materials. Most intriguing, however, are fifteen notebooks featuring a variety of contents: drafts of correspondence and lyrics, musical sketches, and miscellaneous notes related to Schwartz's professional engagements. Additional biographical materials include clippings about Schwartz and articles about members of his family, lyricist Howard Dietz, the League of New York Theaters, and other topics.