Leonard Bernstein collection, circa 1900-1995 (Library of Congress Finding Aid)

Access restrictions apply.Some or all content stored offsite.

Container	Contents

BOX 199-320	Photographs, 1915-1993
BOX 199-320		17,440 items
		Most of the photographs in the Bernstein Collection are organized in boxes, and arranged chronologically--one to three boxes per year. The content of the photographs can be accessed chronologically, or by using the two alphabetically arranged indexes: an index to names and an index to places, events and activities . A designation (44A/012) may represent either an individual photograph, or a collection of images. When it represents multiple images, it is usually either a collection of snapshots, a group of photographs affixed to a single piece of paper, or even two 8"x10"'s affixed to either side of a piece of paper. In some cases there may be additional copies, often enlarged, of one or more of these individual images included in the group --these all may share the same designation. Designations are primarily in two sections. In most cases, the first two characters represent the year of the photograph(s), i.e. "56" is 1956, and "87" is 1987. In cases where an exact year is unknown, but a decade is either known or assumed, the second character is an "X", i.e. "6X" represents a period between 1960 and 1969. "MD" stands for "Mixed Dates," meaning, photographs that cover a range of years and/or decades and must be kept together (usually because they are affixed in a photo album); and "ND" stands for "No Dates known," meaning that there is not enough information to even determine the likely decade when the photograph(s) was taken. The other "odd" designations are: "HC" for holiday cards, "LB" for a collection of portraits of Bernstein sent out on request, "FB" for a collection of portraits and production shots of Felicia, "10MS" for Mass production shots, "FD" for photographs used or considered for Findings, and "NL" for images used in the Norton Lectures. The third character is usually the letter "A". This signifies that the photograph(s) is/are kept in folders either singly or in a small group with other photographs. When the letter is a "B," "C," "D," or "E" it signifies a photo album. Photo albums are also bolded, and do not have individual numeric designations for each image. When the third letter is an "S," it signifies that the item is in one of the two boxes of slides. The second section --following the slash (/) --is a number representing either a specific image or a group of images. Hence, "73A/027" is the 27th image (or group of images) from the year 1973. "73B" represents any image included in the first photo album from 1973. Some designations have an additional field of information. These include "[Ov]" for "Oversize," "[+Ov]" indicating a photograph that is both included in the regular size photographs and in the oversize photographs, and "[Ov1]," "[Ov2]," etc. representing the various degrees of oversize material. There are two indexes to the photographs: the first is a name index and the second is an index to places, events and activities . These indexes are labelled "Photographs, Index 1: People" and "Photographs, Index 2: Places, Events, and Activities" and can be found at the end of this finding aid. Leonard Bernstein is not listed in the first index as most of the photographs in the collection include him. In the second index, the majority of activities are listed under "Bernstein, Leonard." One activity not included is conducting. On average there are dozens of photographs in every year of Bernstein conducting, so for the researcher wishing conducting shots it is recommended that they determine the year/age they wish the shots for and look through the photographs for that year. Activities are alphabetized by the noun when they exist. For instance, "playing the drums" is alphabetized under "d," whereas "swimming" is alphabetized under "s". A large number of photographs came with identification written on the back, margins, or included with various forms of notes. These were the basis for most of the information in the indexes. However, it must be noted, as useful as this information was, we know that this information is not infallible. For instance, we encountered a number of photographs where copies of the exact same photograph were marked with different dates, different locations, and the identification of the people in the photographs included variant spellings. We made reasonable attempts to determine correct spellings. Many photographs are not represented in either of the indexes simply because there was no identifying information. When one photograph is listed in an index, it is not unusual for there to be other photographs near it that may be from the same venue, but the photographs contained no identifying information so they were not included in the index. So, it may be worth the researcher's time to look at the photographs in surrounding folders to the one you have identified as containing the desired subject matter. In most cases, where a place as noted in the photograph has no identifying features, for instance a portrait taken with a plain background, but notated as having been taken in "St. Louis," that photograph would be unlikely show up in the index under "St. Louis," unless it was within a range of other photographs that included recognizable locations in "St. Louis." Similarly, if a photograph is notated that Bernstein is conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, but no orchestra members are visible in the photograph, the photograph is not likely to appear in the index next to "Vienna Philharmonic." A few folders are empty and are marked "[photo missing]." These are cases where the Library was provided with notebooks of photocopies of photographs for a given year, but the original photograph never turned up in the collection after the Library received it. The assumption is that these photographs were loaned out by the Bernstein organization, but they were not returned by the time the collection was given to the Library. We hope, in time, that these photographs will be found and inserted in their proper place. Until that time, they are not represented in either of the indexes.
		Arranged chronologically.
		Photocopies may be made of photographs for reference purposes only. Before any duplicates or negatives can be made by the Library's Photoduplications Service, we require the written permission of the copyright holder --usually the photographer or their estate. For permission to copy family photos and snapshots, we require the written permission of Amberson, Inc. For other photographs, where no photographer information is provided, or visible (i.e. photographs affixed to paper, in albums, etc.) we require no permissions. Currently, the turnaround time for prints is four to six weeks.
BOX 199/1-78		circa 1915-1942
BOX 199/1-78			-42A/001-90
DF			1920s?, Chile, Felicia Montealegre as a small child and family
DF				Digital content available
DF			circa 1921, Leonard Bernstein at approximately three years of age
DF				Digital content available
DF			circa 1921, Leonard Bernstein with parents, Samuel and Jennie Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			circa 1922, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1929?, Leonard Bernstein, age 11, sitting on a rock with his father
DF				Digital content available
DF			1930s, Dmitri Mitropoulos
DF				Autographed
				Note: Inscribed to Leonard Bernstein, 1937
				Digital content available
DF			circa 1935, Leonard Bernstein with parents, Samuel and Jennie Bernstein, and sister, Shirley Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1936, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1937, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Note: First known photograph of Leonard Bernstein as a conductor; as a camp counselor, he is conducting the Camp Onota Rhythm Band
				Digital content available
DF			1939, Harvard University, Leonard Bernstein at graduation
DF				Photography by Filene's Sons Company, Boston, Massachusetts
				Digital content available
DF			1939, Leonard Bernstein around time of graduation from Harvard University
DF				Note: Inscribed to Helen Coates
				Digital content available
DF			1939?, Harvard University, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1939?, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein with friends
DF				Digital content available
DF			1939?, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein with friends
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein conducts L'histoire du soldat on Serge Koussevitzky's birthday
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein with Serge Koussevitzky
DF				Digital content available
DF			circa 1940, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein conducts Stravinsky's L'histoire du soldat at an informal tea party
DF				Note: The inscription to Helen Coates refers humorously to L'histoire d'un éléve, the tale of the student, August 1940
				Includes: Serge Koussevitzky and his wife Natalie
				Digital content available
DF			1941, Tanglewood, Aaron Copland, Serge Koussevitzky, and Leonard Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Burton Bernstein climbing a tree
DF				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Bernstein, and others at the beach
DF				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Samuel Bernstein
DF				Portrait
				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Samuel and Jennie Bernstein
DF				Portrait
				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Shirley Bernstein
DF				Portrait
				Includes: Note to Leonard Bernstein
				Digital content available
DF			Undated, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein with others
DF				Digital content available
BOX 208/1-34		1940s
BOX 208/1-34			4XA/001-47
DF			1940s, Leonard Bernstein with score
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Leonard Bernstein conducting
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, New York, Leonard Bernstein and Jennie Tourel at a recording session
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, New York, Leonard Bernstein and Jennie Tourel at a recording session
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Tanglewood rehearsal
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Tanglewood, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Serge Koussevitzky
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Adolph Green and Betty Comden
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Samuel Bernstein and friends
DF				Digital content available
DF			1940s, Burton Bernstein going for a swim
DF				Digital content available
BOX 200/1-13		1943
BOX 200/1-13			43A/001-13
DF			1943, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Leonard Bernstein with conductor Artur Rodzinski
DF				Digital content available
DF			1943?, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Photography by Herman Landshoff
				Note: Inscribed by Leonard Bernstein, "To the New York Philharmonic Society in deepest gratitude for giving me my great opportunity / Sincerely, Leonard Bernstein / -2/4/44"
				Note: Published in January 1944 issue of Harper's Bazaar
				Digital content available
BOX 201/1-26		1944
BOX 201/1-26			44A/001-53
DF			1944, Original production of On the Town
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Bruno Walter
DF				Portrait
				Note: With signed message to Leonard Bernstein
				Digital content available
DF			1944, Leonard Bernstein at benefit for Anti-fascist Refugee Committee; Leonard Bernstein at Treasury Fund Concert
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Original production of On the Town
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Original production and cast of On the Town
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Leonard and Shirley Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Leonard Bernstein
DF				Digital content available
DF			1944, Leonard Bernstein in Hollywood
DF				Digital content available
BOX 202/1-63		1945
BOX 202/1-63			45A/001-100
DF			1945, Leonard and Shirley Bernstein at a War Fund Rally
DF				Digital content available
DF			1945, Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York City Symphony
DF				Courtesy of Amberson Enterprises, Inc.
				Digital content available
DF			circa 1945, Felicia Bernstein
DF				Portrait
				Note: Inscribed "Just love and kisses from me (Felicia)"
Next Page »

Leonard Bernstein collection, circa 1900-1995

Contents List