Archives & Manuscripts - Guide to the Collections
The collections of the Birmingham Public Library Archives contain more than 400,000 photographs and 30,000,000 documents, including government records, business records, maps, letters, diaries, scrapbooks and architectural drawings.
Music, Drama and Theater
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The Collections
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Adler, Bertha Marx
Scrapbook, 1888-1889
AR373
Bertha Marx Adler was the daughter of Birmingham merchant Samuel Marx, one of the founders of Temple Emanu-El. In 1892 she married Samuel M. Adler, a Birmingham businessman and investor. This scrapbook is an atlas that Bertha Marx, then a young woman, converted to a scrapbook by pasting items over the pages. The scrapbook primarily contains programs from Birmingham theater productions, but also contains a few programs from Birmingham High School and an order of service from the 1889 dedication of Temple Emanu-El.
Size : 1 flat box
Collection Guide Available : No
Alabama Symphony Association
Records, 1933-
AR400
Certificate of incorporation, by-laws and minutes of the annual meetings of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee.
Size : ¼ linear foot (1 reel microfilm)
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Birmingham Civic Symphony
Scrapbooks and Programs, 1925-1959
AR1058
This collection contains three scrapbooks of newspaper clippings for the period 1925 to1958 and programs from performances from the period 1932 to 1959.
Size : 1¼ linear feet (4 boxes)
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Birmingham Conservatory of Music
Scrapbooks, 1912-1960
AR940
Clippings and other material documenting the history of the conservatory, now a part of the Birmingham-Southern College Department of Fine Arts.
Size : ½ linear foot (1 flat boxes)
Collection Guide Available : No
Birmingham Festival of Arts Association
Records, 1950-1980s
AR825
The Birmingham Festival of Arts was established in 1951 by the Women’s Committee of the Birmingham Symphony. The annual event highlighted the history, culture and arts of a country and featured musical performances, dance, craft demonstrations, booths selling arts and souvenirs and visits from dignitaries. In 1998 the event was renamed the Birmingham International Festival. The collection includes correspondence and publications, educational material, newspaper clippings and other material.
Size : 30 linear feet, 37 flat boxes
Collection Guide Available : Partial
Birmingham Little Theater
Scrapbook, 1923-World War II
AR459
Newspaper clippings documenting the theater’s history and activities from it’s founding until it was disbanded during World War II.
Size : 1 reel microfilm
Collection Guide Available : No
Birmingham Music Club
Records, 1899-1982
AR130
Constitution, minutes of meetings and annual reports for 1920-1960, yearbooks for 1909-1933, concert programs for 1899-1982, scrapbooks and newspaper clippings for 1927-1947 and 1970-1982.
Size : 6 boxes
Collection Guide Available : Yes (online)
Birmingham Opera Guild
Records, 1951-1961
AR509
The Birmingham Opera Guild’s primary activity was to sponsor Metropolitan Opera performances in Birmingham. The records include minutes of meetings, programs, newspaper clippings about performances and related social activities, a few financial reports and a small amount of correspondence.
Size : 1 box
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Grambs, Fred L.
Scrapbooks, 1882-1938
AR571
Fred L. Grambs was a music pioneer in early Birmingham, serving as director of his own band and as musical director at O’Brien’s Opera House and various religious institutions. These scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and other material relating to Grambs and music in nineteenth and early twentieth century Birmingham.
Size : 12 boxes
Collection Guide Available : No
Grieb, Herbert
Manuscript Compositions for Organ and/or Voice
AR304
Size : 1 box
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Hannas, Ruth
Papers
AR3
Ruth Hannas served as Professor of Music and Head of the Department of Music Theory at the Women’s College of the University of North Carolina. The papers include correspondence with musicians, composer and teachers; published and unpublished articles written by Hannas; recital and lecture programs; and other documents.
Size : ½ linear foot (1 box)
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Hanson, Roger and Bette Lee
Papers, 1955-1981
AR1619
This collection includes material relating to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, radio and film, and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Size : 2¼ linear feet (3 boxes)
Collection Guide Available : No
Little Theater
Photographs and Programs of Productions, 1927-1942
AR876
Size : 2 boxes
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Lowe, J. L.
Photographs Documenting Birmingham's Black Jazz Musicians
AR842
This collection, compiled by Birmingham musician and educator J. L. Lowe, contains photographs of individuals, musical groups and some school groups. The collection also includes one interview and newspaper clippings.
Size : 120 photographs
Collection Guide Available : Yes
Lowe, Sammy
Autobiography
AR1137
This collection contains a rough draft of an autobiography written by Jazz musician Sammy Lowe.
Size : ¼ linear foot (1 box)
Collection Guide Available : No
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