LibGuides: Music Collections of Northeast Ohio: Western Reserve Historical Society

About the WRHS Research Library

The Research Library at the Western Reserve Historical Society contains a variety of materials and collections related to all aspects of Northeast Ohio history, including the arts. One may find the working documents of many arts-related societies, organizations, and individuals. The following list describes a few of their music-related collections (over 100 music-related collections). For a more complete list, consult the WRHS Online Collections Catalog and the OhioLink Finding Aid Respository

Cleveland Opera Association Records
The Cleveland Opera Association was incorporated in 1944 as a non-profit organization to promote and present concerts in Cleveland, Ohio. Collection consists of newspaper clippings, letters, and other materials relating to Giacomo Bernardi; association financial reports; minutes of meetings; and scrapbooks of performances. The scrapbooks contain both programs and newspaper clippings.
Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra Records
The Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1938, by three musicians, Irving Klein, Alfred Zetzer, and Robert Zupnick. Collection consists of histories, articles of incorporation and constitutions, minutes, correspondence, notes, manuals and notebooks, articles, newspaper clippings, publicity materials, financial materials, grant applications, membership lists, reports, programs, and scrapbooks.
Fortnightly Musical Club Records
The Fortnightly Musical Club was established in Cleveland, Ohio, by Mrs. Curtis Webster and other Cleveland women in 1894 to sponsor concerts and cultural programs. It was responsible for bringing to Cleveland many of its early orchestral and musical performances. These papers pertain primarily to the concerts and activities of one of the oldest musical societies in the Cleveland area and to the efforts of women to promote this cultural organization.
Lecture Recital Club Records
The Lecture Recital Club was a Cleveland, Ohio social and cultural club founded in 1908 by Janet Talcott for the purpose of presenting music and literature in lecture-recital. Collection consists of minutes, financial records, reports, correspondence, programs, newsletters, clippings, scrapbooks, club histories, and publicity clippings and souvenirs of prominent club members.
Musical Art Society Records
The Musical Art Society, a women's music club, was founded in 1912 in Cleveland, Ohio. Performance and audition standards were criteria for admission of members; and meetings, held at members' homes, included vocal and instrumental performances and presentation of papers on composers and musical topics. The Society also sponsored musical and cultural events for the public, and offered scholarships to promising young musicians and vocalists in the Cleveland area. Collection consists of constitutions and bylaws, minutes, correspondence, programs, seasonal yearbooks, and scrapbooks.
Shaker Manuscripts
In 1911 Wallace H. Cathcart, Director of the Western Reserve Historical Society, began collecting Shaker memorabilia. Collection consists of covenants, laws, legal records, land records, financial records, membership records, correspondence, diaries, journals, testimonies, biographies, addresses, sermons, essays, inspired writings and drawings (also known as spirit drawings), other writings, music, poetry, recipes, prescriptions, school books, instructional texts, scrapbooks, photographs, and miscellaneous material relating to 20 Shaker communities located in 10 eastern States.

Access

The WRHS welcomes individual researchers and groups. Please contact the Reference Division staff in advance of any group visit.

More information at http://www.wrhs.org/research/library/

Catalogs and Finding Aids

WRHS Online Collections Catalog
OhioLink Finding Aid Repository
The OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository contains descriptions of archival collections from contributing institutions in Ohio. Collection descriptions are fully searchable. Researchers can view brief summaries of collections, or the entire text of finding aids, with search keywords highlighted.

Contact

Website: http://www.wrhs.org/

Contact: 216-721-5722 : info@wrhs.org

Address: 10825 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Music Collections of Northeast Ohio

About the WRHS Research Library

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Catalogs and Finding Aids

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