Scope and Content Note
The materials in the Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Trust Archive span the years 1895-2012, the bulk of which dates from 1950 to 1993. The Music in the collection chiefly contains full scores and parts used in preparation for and execution of Gershwin Trust cast album recording projects, arrangements made for specific concerts or events, and other individual arrangements of works. Orchestrators and arrangers are noted if known. The Song File, compiled by the Gershwin Trust office, provides reference material for every song written by George and Ira Gershwin. The Sheet Music subseries is not comprehensive, but contains original sheet music in good condition for most Gershwin songs, as well as some original lyric sheets with annotations in the hand of Ira.
The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing letters of George and Ira Gershwin, both personal and professional. Correspondents include prominent songwriters, actors, entertainers, and other professionals in the music, film, and publishing industries. The most extensive correspondence is that with the law office of Ira Gershwin’s attorney, Leonard Saxe.
Photographs documenting the life and work of George, Ira, and Leonore Gershwin span the years 1895-1999. The Gershwin Trust office assembled most of these images, a great number of which are annotated by Lawrence Stewart, into chronologically organized binders. Loose photographs were organized according to production title, subject name, or topic. The series also includes negatives, stereo slides, and albums.
The main body of Scripts and Librettos are comprised of stage and screen musicals to which the brothers contributed, as well as later revisions and revivals of these shows. This series also includes new stage musical projects realized by the Gershwin Trust, as well as scripts that incorporate the Gershwins’ music or focus on the brothers’ biographies. Transcripts of George’s radio show can also be found in this series.
The Programs document George and Ira’s work throughout their lives, including stage and screen musicals and George’s concert works. It also includes programs for later musical revivals, new musical productions, and concerts honoring the brothers’ work, all collected by the Gershwin Trust.
Subject Files document various festivals, concerts, exhibits, and publications related to the life of George and Ira Gershwin. Materials include correspondence, press releases, invitations, reviews, clippings, and essay drafts. Biographical Materials relate predominantly to Ira Gershwin, with a small amount of items related to George and Leonore. Awards, certificates, and plaques recognize the Gershwins’ achievements as songwriters and are accompanied by correspondence, invitations, and programs. The Diaries include autograph manuscript and typescript transcriptions for eight of Ira Gershwin’s volumes, documenting his travels to New York, Europe, and Moscow. Other series materials include address books, calendars, puzzles, membership cards, passports, realia, and travel itineraries.
The bulk of the Business Papers contain contracts and legal papers organized alphabetically by project, organization, or topic. The Library of Congress subseries documents the donations process, as well as collaborative projects between the Library and the Gershwin Trusts, such as concerts and the opening of the Gershwin Gallery exhibit. The Recording Projects subseries documents the process of releasing albums of Gershwin music, mostly restorations of Gershwin musicals under the Roxbury Recordings label. Calendars and Datebooks mainly document appointments and daily activities of Leonore and the Gershwin Trust office after Ira’s death.
The Financial Papers consist of three distinct subseries. The General papers relate almost exclusively to the finances of Ira and Leonore Gershwin. Materials include appraisals, bank statements, charity and donation records, check registers, expense ledgers and statements, financial summaries, income ledgers and statements, royalty statements, securities reports, and tax records. The Royalties subseries includes statements for payments that Ira Gershwin received for songs performed on the radio, album sales, and sheet music sales. This series also includes materials related to the Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust, including estate proceedings and petitions, other legal documents, account summaries, financial statements, royalty statements, and tax returns.
Clippings and Serials relate primarily to George and Ira Gershwin, including domestic and international productions, album and concert reviews, announcements of events and exhibits, and obituaries. Serials primarily contain cover stories and full-length articles about George or Ira Gershwin. Posters and Promotional Materials reveal the many iterations and revivals of Gershwin productions, both foreign and domestic, as well as a few concert appearances.
Original artwork by both George and Ira can be found in the Visual Art series as well as some artwork by others. This series also documents George's interest in collecting art pieces with the assistance of his cousin, painter Henry Botkin. The final series consists of materials under the ownership of Lawrence D. Stewart, Ira's devoted assistant during the 1950s and 1960s. It contains Stewart’s business files, including programs, invitations, clippings, and folders of material for research projects. The series includes a significant amount of Stewart’s professional and personal correspondence with Gershwin family members and friends and various researchers. Also present are sketches, drafts, and notes for published and unpublished writings by Stewart, Ira Gershwin, and others.