Abstract American Ballet Theatre (ABT), established in 1940 as Ballet Theatre, is recognized as one of the world's largest and most distinguished dance companies. By act of Congress on April 27, 2006, ABT became America's National Ballet Company. The archive includes music scores, choreographic notes and Benesh dance notation scores, correspondence, business papers, scrapbooks, programs, clippings, photographs, posters, video recordings and films, and prints and drawings, including set and costume...

Abstract Chet Baker was an American jazz trumpeter whose early success in the 1950s was due not only to his musical talents, but also to his model good looks. He rose to prominence as a member of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's quartet and later established himself as acclaimed vocalist during the 1950s. Baker began an on-again, off-again relationship with Diane Vavra in 1970 and was with her during the last years of his life. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, and other items...

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The Edward Beach Collection of Jazz Photographs and Other Iconography consist exclusively of photographs and other iconography, primarily of jazz musicians, but a few notable figures from other musical and artistic disciplines are also represented. Images of particular interest include figures such as Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Bessie Smith, Aaron Copland, Serge Prokofiev, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Vaslav Nijinsky.

Abstract Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a composer and pianist noted for his orchestral works, operas, concertos, film scores, piano music, and chamber music. A musical prodigy, he famously displayed immense talent for both performance and composition. Korngold and his family were part of the exodus of European artists who moved to the United States during the rise of Nazism in Europe. He lived and worked in Hollywood, California, until his death in 1957. The Erich Wolfgang Korngold Collection consists...

Abstract Leonora Jackson McKim was one of the first American female concert violinists to achieve international acclaim. She made her debut in 1896 and was awarded the Mendelssohn State Prize in 1898. She performed for royalty in Britain, Germany, and Sweden and was decorated by Queen Victoria in 1899. In 1915, she married Dr. William Duncan McKim (1855-1935) and they lived in Washington, D.C. The collection contains printed and manuscript music (chiefly for violin and piano), writings,...

Abstract Charles Mingus was a jazz double bassist, band leader, and composer. A prolific recording artist and pioneer in double bass technique, Mingus composed works that often incorporated elements of hard bop and gospel music and featured collective improvisation. The collection includes manuscript and printed music by Mingus; writings; correspondence; business papers; clippings; programs; publicity materials; photographs of Mingus, his family, and colleagues, such as Eric Dolphy, Dannie Richmond,...

Abstract The League of Composers was founded in New York in 1923 to promote American composers and introduce audiences to the best in new music through high quality performances. Its quarterly journal, Modern Music, was published from 1924 to 1946, and edited by Minna Lederman Daniel. It is one of the most distinguished collections of criticism and scholarship concerning early twentieth-century musical arts. The archives contains materials documenting the cessation of...

Abstract Victoria Phillips (formerly Phillips Geduld), a historian and faculty member at Columbia University, specializes in Cold War history, cultural diplomacy, and international relations. The Victoria Phillips Collection includes materials assembled by the scholar during her doctoral research and other curatorial and research projects. Most of the 3,900-plus items are reproductions of newspaper articles, correspondence and financial reports, photographs, publications, interview notes and...

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The Tony Schwartz Collection consists of multiple formats of material documenting Schwartz's work as a media consultant, audio documentarian, author, radio producer, media theorist, and educator.

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This collection consists of works commissioned by the United States Information Agency and other materials related to the organization’s Artistic Ambassador Program. It includes holograph music manuscripts, sketches, performance reviews, biographical materials, and administrative documents.

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The Vaudeville and Minstrel Photograph Collection contains 31 photographs of prominent vaudeville and minstrel acts and performers from the early 1900s through the mid-1930s. Some of these images depict performers in blackface.