Music Division Brill Family Collection of Programs

Brill Family Collection of Programs

Collection

Identifier: ML31.B74

Scope and Content Note

The programs and few fliers found in this collection were likely collected by Richard Brill, his older brother Robert, or his parents Maurice and Rhona, primarily in New York City. The material documents concerts, musicals, plays, revues, and variety programs attended by the Brill family between 1921 and 1941. The collection also includes a few programs from motion pictures. A restaurant advertisement from 1933 celebrates the end of Prohibition and is designed to imitate the layout of a theatrical program. Several of the programs between 1926 and 1930 include annotations that record a family member's impressions of the performance and indicate who else attended.

Dates

Creation: 1921-1941
Creation: Majority of material found within 1927-1937

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

Access and Restrictions

The Brill Family Collection of Programs is open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.

Certain restrictions on using or copying materials may apply.

Copyright Status

Materials from the Brill Family Collection of Programs are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.

Biographical Note

The Brill family refers to the immediate relatives of Richard S. Brill (1912-1997). Richard was the second son of Maurice Brill (1869-1951) and Rhona Mayer Brill (1885-1983). In late 1886, Maurice and his brothers Samuel and Max founded a chain of men's clothing stores. In 1930, their store located at 1619 Broadway at the corner of 49th Street in New York City became the site of the Brill Building, an eleven-story structure that served as the offices of several music publishers and related music businesses in the subsequent decades. Richard Brill grew up in and around New York City. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1930s and later enlisted in the armed forces. He married Marie-Louise Joseph (1922-2013) in 1941. The couple moved back to the New York City region before eventually settling in Naples, Florida.

Extent

150 items (approximately)
2 boxes
1 linear foot

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Additional Description

Abstract

The Brill Family Collection of Programs contains ephemera from performances of concerts, motion pictures, musicals, plays, revues, and variety programs attended by Richard S. Brill, his parents Maurice and Rhona, and his brother Robert between 1921 and 1941.

Organization of the Brill Family Collection of Programs

The collection is arranged in one series:

Programs, 1921-1941

Catalog Record

https://lccn.loc.gov/2020570129

Custodial History

Materials were kept by Marie-Louise Brill after the death of her husband Richard S. Brill and given to the Library of Congress by their daughter Kathryn.

Acquisition Information

Gift, Kathryn Brill, 2021

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Other Repositories

New York Historical Society holds a collection of Maurice Brill Albums, 1895-1926, 1960s.

Processing History

Alicia Patterson created the initial inventory for the Brill Family Collection of Programs. Morgen Stevens-Garmon processed the collection and coded the finding aid in November 2021.