Special Collections Finding Aids

Tuesday Musicale Collection - Ephemera

Accession: SC1998.7

Location: M2A 3,3-4

Size: 3.5 feet

Biography: The Tuesday Musicale was a major amateur musical society in turn-of-the-century Rochester. The idea originated with Mrs. J.W. Whitbeck in 1890, and the society began to present concerts in 1891. At first the society's presentations were limited to performances by its own members, but soon it began to sponsor concerts by professional performing artists, including many outstanding ones. The society continued to operate into the 1920's, but its activity came during the early 20th century. After World War I, the society's concerts diminish significantly. The foundation of the Eastman School of Music in 1921 may have provided the final death-blow for the society, usurping its place as the main promoter of classical music in the city. The final season appears to have been 1925/26.

Provenance: The collection was clearly generated by the Tuesday Musicale as a record of its activities. Barbara Duncan, the first librarian of Sibley Music Library, apparently assumed a major function for the society at some time during the 1920's, which accounts for how the collection passed ultimately to Sibley Library.

Scope and Content: The collection represents an outstanding documentation of the musical life of turn-of-the-century Rochester. As such it is an important record of the environment that ultimately produced and supported the founding of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Eastman School of Music in the early 1920's. The collection also presents evidence of the provincial tours of major concert artists. The small amount of correspondence and publicity flyers in the collection gives interesting evidence as to contractual arrangements and fees.

Associations: Watanabe Special Collections holds several scrapbooks relating to local music history as well as other special collections such as those of Ludwig Schenck and Herman Dossenbach, which relate to the same period. The department also maintains a file of ephemera relating to local musical events.

Restrictions: none

Series: 1

Series Name: Ephemera

Series Description: This series includes scrapbooks and individual programs. The scrapbooks cover nearly the entire history of the society from 1891 to 1926 and are in their original form, chronologically arranged. The first scrapbook may originate from a different source because it is contemporaneous with the earliest scrapbooks in the series, overlaps them, and bears the name John Little. One other scrapbook is distinctive in apparently documenting the activities of a student group sponsored by the society. The scrapbooks appear to have double as secretary's minute books, and so contain valuable information as to the meetings and operations of the society. The individual programs are arranged by calendar year. The society's consitution and by-laws are also included here.