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Leonard Bernstein collection, circa 1900-1995

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BOX 505-604 Press Materials, 1930-1994, undated
BOX 505-541 Magazines
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 505 1945-1946
BOX 506 1947
BOX 507 1948-1949
BOX 508 1950, 1954-1955
BOX 509 1956-1957
BOX 510 1958
BOX 511 1959
BOX 512 1960
BOX 513 1961
BOX 514 1962-1964
BOX 515 1965-1968
BOX 516 1970-1971
BOX 517 1972
BOX 518 1973
BOX 519 1974
BOX 520 1978-1979
BOX 521 1980-1981
BOX 522 1982-1983
BOX 523 1984
BOX 524 1985
BOX 525 1986-1987
BOX 526 1988 February-July
BOX 527 1988 August
BOX 528 1988 September and Fall
BOX 529 1988 October-December
BOX 530 1989 January-October
BOX 531 1989 November-December
BOX 532 1990 January-September
BOX 533 1990 October-November
BOX 534 1990 December
BOX 535 1991 January-June
BOX 536 1991 July-December
BOX 537 1992
BOX 538 1993 January-May
BOX 539 1993 June-December
BOX 540 Prelude, Fugue & Riffs, 1991-1994
BOX 541 Oversize, 1945, 1986
BOX 542-583 Clippings by Year
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 542 1930-1972
BOX 543 1973-1984
BOX 544 1985-1986 June
BOX 545 1986 July-1987 June
BOX 546 1987 July-September
BOX 547 1987 October-1988 April
BOX 548 1988 May-June
BOX 549 1988 July-August 24
BOX 550 1988 August 25-September
BOX 551 1988 October-November
BOX 552 1988 December-1989 January
BOX 553 1989 February-March
BOX 554 1989 April-May
BOX 555 1989 June-July
BOX 556 1989 August-October
BOX 557 1989 November-December
BOX 558 1990 January-March
BOX 559 1990 April-June
BOX 560 1990 July-September
BOX 561 1990 October 1-16
BOX 562 1990 October 17-31
BOX 563 1990 November
BOX 564 1990 December
BOX 565 1991 January-February
BOX 566 1991 March-April
BOX 567 1991 May-June
BOX 568 1991 July-August
BOX 569 1991 September-October
BOX 570 1991 November-December
BOX 571 1992 January-February
BOX 572 1992 March-April
BOX 573 1992 May-July
BOX 574 1992 August-1993 February
BOX 575 1993 March-September; undated
BOX 576 Oversize, 1941-1972
BOX 577 Oversize, 1973-1983
BOX 578 Oversize, 1984-1988 July
BOX 579 Oversize, 1988 August-December
BOX 580 Oversize, 1989
BOX 581 Oversize, 1990 January-October 16
BOX 582 Oversize, 1990 October 18-1991
BOX 583 Oversize, 1992-1993 August; undated
BOX 584-588 Clippings by Subject
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
BOX 584 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue--Grammy nomination
BOX 585 Israel Festival--Leonard Bernstein scores to New York Philharmonic
BOX 586 Leonard Bernstein tributes--Orchestras (Leonard Bernstein conducting)
BOX 587 Paris: Orchestre national de France--Rouse, Christopher
BOX 588 Songfest--Young People's Concerts
BOX 589-592 Clippings--Television and Radio Transcripts of News Items
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 589 1982-1988
BOX 590 1989 January-1990 September
BOX 591 1990 October
BOX 592 1990 November-1993 September
BOX 593-598 Clippings--Press Books
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 593 Bound, 1971-1981
BOX 594 Bound, 1983
BOX 595 Bound, 1983-1984
BOX 596 Bound, 1984-1991
BOX 597 Unbound, 1966-1985
BOX 598 Unbound, 1985-1992
BOX 599-604 Press Kits and Miscellany
Arranged chronologically.
BOX 599 Press kits, 1975
BOX 600 Press kits, 1976-1980
BOX 601 Press kits, 1981-1992
BOX 602 Miscellaneous press kits, newsletters, biographical sketches, sales and advertising
BOX 603 Miscellaneous booklets and brochures
BOX 604 Miscellaneous oversize press kit and liner notes
BOX 605-1041 Business Papers, 1944-1994
The Business Papers series is divided into two subseries that reflect their arrangement upon receipt by the Library of Congress: the Personal Business Papers, and the Amberson Business Papers. The distinction between the two subseries is not always clear. The Personal Business Papers reflect Bernstein’s business dealings chiefly beginning in 1944 (and perhaps a bit earlier) and continuing through the early 1970s when the Amberson Corporation increasingly took over aspects of that work.

Amberson Enterprises, Inc., Bernstein’s management company, was founded February 20, 1959, with Helen Coates, Abraham Friedman (Bernstein’s lawyer) and H. Gordon Freeman (Bernstein’s accountant) as directors. The company was named Amberson after the German word Bernstein which means "amber." The materials in the Amberson Business Papers reflect most of Bernstein’s business dealings starting in 1959, and continuing slightly beyond Bernstein’s death in 1990. However, between 1958 and 1969, the New York Philharmonic, where Bernstein was music director, managed many of Bernstein’s business dealings. It wasn’t until 1969 that Amberson began to take on significantly larger duties and responsibilities, and the two sets of business papers began to be thought of as separate entities.

Schuyler Chapin was appointed executive producer of Amberson Productions, an affiliate of Amberson Enterprises, Inc., in September 1969. Chapin left Amberson in 1971 to become general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, but remained on the board of trustees. Harry Kraut (previously Tanglewood’s manager) was named executive vice president of Amberson Enterprises, Inc. in January 1972. The company’s name was changed to Amberson, Inc. in 1989. In 1995 it was renamed the Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc./Amberson Holdings LLC.

The Amberson Business Papers reflect activities of several companies and related subsidiaries, some of whose names have changed over the years. During Leonard Bernstein’s lifetime, various Bernstein group companies were formed for music publishing and concert/video production purposes. These include: Mozart Films, Inc. (1966), which became Amberson Video, Inc. (1972); Amberson Pictures Corp. (1969) renamed Amberson Productions, Inc., the same year; Amberson Festivals, Inc. (date unknown) which became Video Music Education, Inc. (1973); Video Music Inc. (also known as VMI); Video Music Productions, Inc. (also known as VMP); La Boheme, Inc. (1986); Jalni Publications, Inc. (1978) and Jalni Enterprises, Inc. ("Jalni" was derived from the initial letters of Bernstein’s children—Jamie, Alexander and Nina); and Springate. This list is not considered complete, nor does it indicate all the mergings.

The Amberson Business Papers were originally arranged in groupings according to date ranges. As file space ran out, old files would be placed in storage to make room for current and new files. The Amberson Business Papers series in the Leonard Bernstein Collection is arranged in one alphabetical sequence with materials arranged chronologically therein. In some cases, various names for files that are obviously of the same type and subject were regularized under the same name. Later additions to the series have been boxed separately at the end, but are interfiled alphabetically within the finding aid series.

There is an additional grouping at the end of the Amberson Business Papers called the Coates, Gottlieb, Harmon and Proskauer Files. It reflects the papers of the following individuals who worked for Amberson: Helen G. Coates, Bernstein’s childhood piano teacher, became Bernstein's secretary at the beginning of his career and served in that capacity until her death in 1989. She began, annotated and maintained Leonard Bernstein’s personal and professional archives; Jack Gottlieb was Bernstein’s assistant at the New York Philharmonic from 1958 through 1966. He joined Amberson’s staff in the 1970s, working as editor and director of publications, and later as a consultant on all matters musical and archival; Charlie Harmon (same as Richard Charles Harmon) joined Amberson as personal assistant to Bernstein in 1982. He later served as archivist, then music editor; "Proskauer," represents the law firm Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn. Beginning around 1975, member Paul H. Epstein became counsel to Bernstein and Amberson.
BOX 605-951, 952 OV-976 OV, 979-981, 644A, 1038-1041, Map Case 3 Amberson Business Papers, 1949-1994 , bulk 1969-1990
Arranged alphabetically by name or subject.
BOX 605 20th century composers book
BOX 605 60 Minutes
(2 folders)
BOX 605 895 Park Avenue
BOX 605 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
(3 folders)
BOX 605 ABC [VMI]
BOX 605 Abell, David
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