A. J. WARNER COLLECTION

SC 1996.22

Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections
Sibley Music Library
Eastman School of Music
University of Rochester

prepared by Ronald J Morgan, Summer 1996
Revised by Gail E. Lowther, Fall 2022

 

A.J. Warner Collection

 

CONTENTS

 

DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

A. J. Warner Collection (1888 – 1971, bulk 1888 – 1937)
Location: M1B 5,2 – M1B 5,5
Extent: 9.25 linear inches

A. J. Warner with Bettina Hall, from press clipping dated March 21, 1933. From A. J. Warner Collection, Box 4, Scrapbook 10.
A. J. Warner with Bettina Hall, from press clipping dated March 21, 1933. From A. J. Warner Collection, Box 4, Scrapbook 10.

Biographical Sketch

Andrew Jackson (Jack) Warner (1884-1965) was the music and drama critic for the Rochester Times-Union from 1918 to 1961 after beginning his career with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, and the Evening Times. In addition to his writings on music and drama, Mr. Warner wrote a column in the Times-Union that was preoccupied with European affairs. In 1932 he interviewed Benito Mussolini and had an audience with Pope Pius XI. A.J. Warner was also sent to Europe by George Eastman to find a conductor for the Eastman Theater Orchestra where he engaged Eugene Goosens. Mr. Warner traveled widely and was a good friend of the Duke of Duchess of Windsor in the 1920s.

Mr. Warner’s father, J. Foster Warner, was born in Rochester and worked as a successful architect in the city. His grandfather was the owner of the Lyceum Theater, a major playhouse in Rochester at the turn of the century. In addition to his father, A.J. Warner’s mother Mary L. Adams and his brother John Adams (J.A.) Warner were musicians. His brother gained some press as an organist and pianist. The Warner’s lived in Rochester at 5 Prince Street.

The following excerpt from a letter to the Times-Union (in this Collection) is presented here as evidence of the appreciation of A.J. Warner by a Times-Union reader:

(To the) Editor, Times-Union:
The musical education of Rochester is making wonderful progress, and an essential part of that musical education lies in the excellent work of Mr. Andrew J. Warner, whose articles appear in your paper. After a concert, it is to his column that our family turns first when we receive your paper. Rochester is fortunate to have and enjoy the services of so able a reviewer. ….. I have never found a musical critic so eminently fair and just in his point of view, so observing of the little touches that the untrained observer may miss, so single-minded in his endeavor to enable us all to see, understand, and appreciate just what the artists are trying to do for us.
Merely as literature, Mr. Warner’s articles are interesting and eminently worth reading. The reviews which he wrote of the work of Mr. Goossens were illuminating in a high degree and written with rare charm. I regret that I did not preserve them, and I hope that the Sibley Music Library has kept them as of historic as well as of musical interest. ……..

Ernest R. Clark

 

Provenance

The materials in this Collection were gathered by A. J. Warner, and were transferred from his estate after his death to the Sibley Music Library.

 

Scope and Content

The Collection includes scrapbooks and papers of A.J. Warner (1884-1965), Rochester Times-Union theater and music critic and journalist from 1918 to 1961. The Collection includes personal scrapbooks of A.J. Warner with clippings from 1923 to 1938 of his Rochester theater and music reviews, and from his “At Random” column on European cultural and political affairs. A significant group of scrapbooks contain programs and reviews (not by A.J. Warner) of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, etc., from theaters in New York City and Rochester around the turn of the century. The Collection also contains a group of loose programs from mostly Rochester and New York City spanning 1911 to 1971. A significant amount of programs are from the Lyceum Theatre in Rochester, owned by A.J. Warner’s grandfather, from the turn of the century.

The Collection holds some of A.J. Warner’s personal correspondence from 1933 to 1935, including letters from his friend Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. There is also a scrapbook of family performances from the turn of the century, and a scrapbook owned by his brother and organist/pianist John Adams Warner. A group of his brother’s manuscripts are also included, comprising mostly of his composition of a musical comedy called “Betsy Abroad” from circa 1911.

The A.J. Warner Collection would be useful in relation to the following topics (non- comprehensive): the life of Times-Union critic A.J. Warner, the history of music and/or drama in Rochester and/or New York, music/dramatic criticism in Rochester and/or New York , American perspective on European affairs in the 1930s, playhouse/music theaters in Rochester and/or New York.

 

Restrictions and Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this Collection.

 

Associations

The Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections holds one other scrapbook belonging to a local music critic and editor, namely that of O. S. Adams, who wrote for the Democrat and Chronicle from 1886–1921. The O. S. Adams Scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, including music reviews and associated programs from events in Rochester, NY, dating from 1898-1910.

RTWSC also holds several scrapbooks that contain concert programs and newspaper clippings relating to local musical events. The Rochester Scrapbooks (1921–79), a series of approximately 200 scrapbooks compiled by Sibley Music Library personnel, overlaps with the time period represented in the A. J. Warner Collection; the Rochester Scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings on local musical events and other articles relating to musical life in the greater Rochester area. Additionally, the Eastman Theatre Scrapbooks contain press clippings related to live performances and motion picture screenings at the Eastman Theatre dating from 1920–1928. The three Local History Scrapbooks, which contain programs and press clippings from Rochester, NY, as well as some materials from New York City and Boston, predate most of the materials in the A. J. Warner Collection (Scrapbook 1, 1904–12; Scrapbook 2, 1900–15; Scrapbook 3, 1871–79). The Tuesday Musicale Collection contains scrapbooks, individual programs, press clippings, and correspondence that document the activities of that amateur music society (ca. 1890–1925). The department also maintains a file of ephemera relating to local musical events in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries (see Local History Ephemera File).

The Warner family is further represented in Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (RBSCP) at Rush Rhees Library in the J. Foster Warner Family Papers, a collection of 65 letters, primarily correspondence between Mary L. Warner and her sons A. J. and John Warner (1906–1912).

 


DESCRIPTION OF SERIES

Series 1: Scrapbooks of A.J. Warner

Sub-series A: Personal scrapbooks of his reviews/articles
Sub-series A consists of 12 personal scrapbooks that were (presumably) kept by A. J. Warner; the scrapbooks contain primarily newspaper clippings dating from 1919 to 1938. Scrapbooks 1 through 3 contain clippings of reviews by various New York and Boston critics (i.e., not by A. J. Warner himself) from assorted newspapers. Scrapbooks 4 through 12 primarily comprise clippings of reviews/columns written by A. J. Warner that were published in the Rochester Times-Union. His clippings include theater and music reviews and articles as well as articles from Warner’s “With a Wayfarer Abroad” and “At Random” columns, which dealt mostly with European cultural and political affairs. Scrapbooks 5 and 8–12 also contain a few clippings concerning Warner’s relatives, particularly his brother John Adams Warner, his sister-in-law Emily Smith Warner, and Emily Warner’s father, Alfred E. Smith (who served four terms as Governor of New York).

Sub-series B: “Play Record” scrapbooks
Sub-series B comprises six scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings (i.e., reviews and cast lists) of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramatic performances and annotated notes on the performance dates and locations (mostly in New York) from 1897 to 1903. A few programs are also present in some of the scrapbooks in this sub-series. The early dates suggest that these scrapbooks originally belonged to someone other than A. J. Warner and that they later came into his possession. These scrapbooks bear a similar format and handwriting to the scrapbooks in Series 1, Sub-series C, which suggests a possible relationship between these items.

Sub-series C: Miscellaneous program/review scrapbooks
The three scrapbooks that comprise Sub-series C contain programs of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramatic productions that are preserved with clippings of associated reviews. The materials in the scrapbooks date from ca. 1890 to 1902. Scrapbook 1, which contains performance programs only and no associated reviews, includes programs from theaters in Rochester, NY, and elsewhere in the US (from Boston to San Francisco), while Scrapbooks 2 and 3 primarily contain programs from Rochester theaters, especially the Lyceum Theatre.

The provenance of these three scrapbooks is unknown, and, like the materials in Sub-series B, they likely originated with someone other than A. J. Warner and came into his possession later. Scrapbook 1 bears markings in the inside margin of page 1 that may indicate the item’s provenance (“3/27/38, J. Fellows, $4.00”). Scrapbook 2 contains a letter to a G. F. Warren, dramatic editor of the Democrat and Chronicle, suggesting the possibility that Scrapbook 2 (or all three scrapbooks in this sub-series) originated with him. Alternatively, given the prominent representation of programs from the Lyceum Theatre in Scrapbooks 2 and 3, these scrapbooks could have also been compiled by A. J. Warner’s grandfather, who owned the Lyceum Theatre.

Sub-series D: “Esther Everest” scrapbooks
Sub-series D is comprised of two scrapbooks, both of which have the name “Esther Everest” written on the inside front cover. The scrapbooks contain programs of plays, comedies, opera, and vaudeville performances at various theaters in California and New York (including Rochester, NY) from ca. 1888 to 1896. Scrapbook 1 contains programs primarily from theaters in San Francisco, CA, and Scrapbook 2 contains programs from the World Fair in Chicago (1893); Riverside, CA; Rochester, NY; and New York City.

 

Series 2: Personal Materials (A.J. Warner and family)

Sub-series A: Personal letters and miscellaneous
Sub-series A includes the personal correspondence of A. J. Warner as well as some letters and telegrams to or from other Warner family members (e.g., his brother John Adams Warner, and their mother Mary L. Adams Warner). The letters, which date from 1931–1941 (bulk 1933–35), include letters from A. J. Warner’s friends Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor), Diana Joan Sackville-West (Lady Romilly), and Charles John and Anne Sackville-West (Lord and Lady Sackville). The series of correspondence is accompanied by a few newspaper clippings and other ephemera (e.g., ocean liner booklets). Photocopies of obituaries for A. J. Warner and his brother John A. Warner have been added to the Collection by Sibley Library personnel (see Box 11/15).

 Sub-series B: Scrapbook of family performances
Sub-series B is comprised on one scrapbook containing programs from plays, vaudeville performances, and music concerts from Rochester theaters and venues (mostly the Lyceum Theatre) from 1900 to 1903. Notes on each performance indicate that members of the Warner family attended the performances. One such indication names “Jack” (a common nickname for A. J.—Andrew Jackson—Warner), which suggests that the scrapbook was likely owned by his brother John.

 Sub-series C: Scrapbook of John Adams (J. A.) Warner
Sub-series C consists of one scrapbook, which preserves programs from recitals and performances by John A. Warner as well as associated reviews and advertisements for his recitals. The scrapbook also contains programs from various other concerts, ticket stubs, and correspondence (including calling cards and invitations to various events). The materials in the scrapbook date from ca. 1903 to 1913 and are mostly from Rochester, NY, and Cambridge, MA.

Sub-series D: Manuscripts and scores of John Adams (J. A.) Warner
Sub-series D contains manuscript sketches and scores by John Adams Warner as well as manuscript copies of scores by other composers and a few published scores, presumably from John A. Warner’s personal library. Included are several sketches and drafts of numbers from the musical comedy “Betsey Abroad” (ca. 1911) with music by John A. Warner and text by Elizabeth Granger Hollister. Some of the songs from “Betsey Abroad” were originally used in J. A. Warner’s earlier musical “The Builders of Babylon” (1909), with text by H. W. H. Powel, Jr. Many of the other sketches in this sub-series are untitled and otherwise unidentified. A few loose documents, including press clippings, recital programs, and a set of architectural drawings, are included in this sub-series as these items were originally interleaved among the music sketches and scores.

 

Series 3: Loose Theatre Programs 

Series 3 is comprised of loose programs of plays, pictures, vaudeville, comedies, music, and dance performances from Rochester theaters dating from 1904 to 1971. The programs have been arranged into four sub-series according to location; within each sub-series or folder, the programs are arranged chronologically.

Sub-series A: Rochester theater programs
Sub-series B: Lyceum Theatre (Rochester, NY) programs
Sub-series C: New York City theater programs
Sub-series D: Out-of-town theater programs

 

Series 4: Miscellaneous

Series 4 contains two pocket notebooks, a notebook of physics notes from John A. Warner’s studies at Rochester High School, and a framed photograph of famed operatic baritone Pasquale Amato (inscribed “To Master William Rosenberg”).

 

Series 5: Oversized

This series has been created for ease of filing and is comprised of documents that, due to their physical dimensions, require oversized storage containers. The individual folder entries are annotated with respect to the series and folder from which the given documents were separated.

 


INVENTORY

Series 1: Scrapbooks of A.J. Warner

Subseries A: Personal Scrapbooks of his reviews/articles

Box 1

Folder 1 Scrapbook 1 (1919–1922).
Scrapbook, missing front cover. 9.25” x 11”. 25 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains music reviews from various New York papers by multiple writers/critics (none by A. J. Warner).
Folder 2 Scrapbook 2 (1922).
Bound scrapbook. 9.25” x 11”. 25 leaves with newspaper clippings; 1 concert program interleaved. Accompanied by blank pages for index (8 pp.).
Contains music reviews from various New York papers by multiple writers/critics (none by A. J. Warner) and 1 concert program (Cleveland Orchestra at Eastman Theatre, April 2, 1924).
Folder 3 Scrapbook 3 (1923 A).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “New York papers and Boston Herald clippings.” 9.125” x 11.5”. 22 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains music reviews from various New York and Boston papers by multiple writers/critics (none by A. J. Warner).
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner interleaved in front of scrapbook.
Folder 4 Scrapbook 4 (1923 B).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Jack 1923.” 9.125” x 11.5”. 27 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains newspaper clipping with photograph of A. J. Warner (s.d.); music, theater, and dance reviews and articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union; and 1 letter from Ernest R. Clark to the Times-Union editor.

Box 2

Folder 1 Scrapbook 5 (1928).
Bound scrapbook, labeled (on inside front cover) “Rochester Times-Union 1928.” 9.25” x 11.5”. 26 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains music, theater, and dance reviews and articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union; articles by Warner about his European voyage published as the Times-Union column “With a Wayfarer Abroad”; clippings with photographs of Mrs. Emily (Smith) Warner and her father Governor Al Smith; and clippings from The Living Church.
Also in folder: loose clipping from Warner’s “With a Wayfarer Abroad” column (duplicate copy) (1 p.).
Folder 2 Scrapbook 6 (1932).
Bound scrapbook. 9.25” x 11.5”. 8 leaves with newspaper clippings (and 18 blank leaves). Accompanied by blank pages for index (8 pp.).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner from his “At Random” column (primarily dealing with European political affairs) writing as a Times-Union correspondent in Europe as well as articles by A. J. Warner concerning his interview with Mussolini and Pope Pius XI.
Duplicate (loose) copies of several clippings from Scrapbook 6 separated to Box 17/4.
Folder 3 Scrapbook 7 (1932–1934).
Bound scrapbook. 10.5” x 12”. 23 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by blank pages for index (8 pp.).
Contains music, theater, dance reviews and articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union, including articles from his “At Random” column, which deal mostly with European political affairs.
Folder 4 Scrapbook 8 (1933).
Bound scrapbook. 9.25” x 11.5”. 26 leaves with newspaper clippings. Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner from his “At Random” column in the Rochester Times-Union; theater review by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union; and articles concerning relatives of A. J. Warner from various newspapers.

Box 3

Folder 1 Scrapbook 9 (1933–34).
Bound scrapbook. 9.25” x 11.5”. 12 leaves with newspaper clippings (and 13 blank leaves). Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner, primarily from his “At Random” column in the Rochester Times-Union; and articles concerning relatives of A. J. Warner from various newspapers.
Folder 2 Scrapbook 10 (1934–35).
Bound scrapbook. 10.5” x 12”. 21 leaves with newspaper clippings (and 3 blank leaves). Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union, including his article “Leafs from Rochester Music History: Before the Eastman School and Since”; music, theater, and dance reviews and articles; and articles from his “At Random” column describing events and news from his London trip (May–July 1935). Also contains 3 articles (not by A. J. Warner) concerning his relatives.
Folder 3 Scrapbook 11 (1930–37, bulk 1936–37).
Bound scrapbook. 9.25” x 11.5”. 32 leaves with newspaper clippings and 1 concert program (and 2 blank leaves).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union, including music, theater, and dance reviews and articles from his “At Random” column; articles by various writers on the Wallis Simpson/King Edward crisis (not by A. J. Warner); and articles concerning Warner’s relatives.
Loose clippings separated to Box 17/5.
Folder 4 Scrapbook 12 (1938).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “1938.” 10.5” x 12”. 26 leaves with newspaper clippings and 1 concert program (and 2 blank leaves). Accompanied by handwritten index (8 pp.).
Contains articles by A. J. Warner from the Rochester Times-Union, including music, theater, and dance reviews and articles from his “At Random” column; articles concerning Warner’s relatives (not by A. J. Warner), including material on a performance by John Adams (J. A.) Warner; and 1 article on local news (unattributed).
Loose documents (3 letters, 1 clipping) separated to Box 17/2.

Sub-Series B: “Play Record” Scrapbooks

Box 4

Folder 1 Scrapbook 1 (1897–98).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Play Record ‘97–’98.” 7.5” x 12”. 52 leaves with newspaper clippings and handwritten notes.
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performance dates and locations.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for A. J. W. [Warner] interleaved in front of scrapbook.
May 11, 1872, issue of the Rochester Times-Union (originally interleaved in scrapbook) separated to Box 17/6.
Folder 2 Scrapbook 2 (1898–99).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Play Record ‘98–’99.” 7.5” x 12”. 126 leaves with newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and programs.
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performances; handwritten list of new foreign plays included on pp. 245–252.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner interleaved in front of scrapbook.
Folder 3 Scrapbook 3 (1899–1900).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Play Record Nov/99 to April 1900.” 7.5” x 12”. 76 leaves with newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and programs.
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performances; handwritten list of plays included on pp. 149–153.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner interleaved in front of scrapbook.
July 27, 1872, issue of Saturday Night (story paper published by Davis & Elverson) (originally interleaved in scrapbook) separated to Box 17/7.

 

Box 5

Folder 1 Scrapbook 4 (1900–01).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Play Record April 1900.” 7.5” x 12”. 153 leaves with newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and programs.
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performances; handwritten list of new foreign plays included on pp. 298–307.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner and article “What is a Good Play?” by Walter Prichard Eaton (The American Magazine, pp. 615–624) interleaved in front of scrapbook.
Folder 2 Scrapbook 5 (1901–02).
Bound scrapbook. 7.5” x 12”. 150 leaves with newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and programs.
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performances; handwritten list of new foreign plays included on pp. 286–300.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner interleaved in front of scrapbook.

Box 6

Folder 1 Scrapbook 6 (1902–03).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “6.” 7.5” x 12”. 64 leaves with newspaper clippings, handwritten notes, and programs (and 86 blank leaves).
Contains newspaper clippings (including cast lists) of performances of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas (mostly in New York), with handwritten notes in the margins about each work, cast changes, and performances; handwritten list of new foreign plays included on pp. 285–286.
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner interleaved in front of scrapbook.

Sub-Series C: Miscellaneous Program/Review Scrapbooks

Box 7

Item 1 Scrapbook 1 (1890–1895).
Bound scrapbook. 11” x 13”. 146 leaves with program clippings (and 6 blank leaves). Accompanied by handwritten index (bound separately).
Contains clippings from programs of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas from various theaters (no associated clippings of reviews); includes 5 pp. of clippings with photos of prominent actors (pp. 288–292).
Includes programs from theaters in New York City, New York state (e.g., Rochester, Binghamton, Olean), Philadelphia, Boston, St. Louis, Sandusky (OH), San Francisco, and Toronto. Many programs lack an indication of the theater or location.
Binding fragile; front cover unattached.
Loose leaves from The Standard and Fashions separated to Box 17/3

 

Box 8

Folder 1 Index to Scrapbook 2.
Originally interleaved in front of Scrapbook 2.
Typescript index. 6 pp.
Item 2 Scrapbook 2 (ca. 1896–1898).
Bound scrapbook. 9.75” x 10.25”. 85 leaves with program and newspaper clippings. Also contains 8 letters to Mr. G. F. Warren.
Contains clippings from programs of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, and other dramas from various theaters (primarily at the Lyceum Theatre in Rochester, NY), accompanied by associated reviews. Also includes 8 letters to Mr. G. F. Warren (Dramatic Editor at the Democrat and Chronicle).
Blank leaf of personal stationery for Andrew J. Warner and article “How a Play is Produced” by Arthur Hornblow (from an unidentified publication) interleaved in front of scrapbook.
Binding fragile.

Box 9

Item 1 Scrapbook 3 (1900–1902).
Bound scrapbook. 9” x 12”. 126 leaves with program and newspaper clippings.
Contains clippings from programs of plays, melo-dramas, comic operas, other dramas, and music concerts from Rochester theaters (primarily the Lyceum Theatre), accompanied by associated reviews.
Includes programs from the Lyceum Theatre, Baker Theater, and Cook’s Opera House as well as a souvenir program from the opening performance of the National Theatre in Rochester (1902).
Binding fragile; back cover unattached.

Sub-Series D: “Esther Everest” Scrapbooks

Box 10

Folder 1 Scrapbook 1 (ca. 1888–1889).
Bound scrapbook; written on inside front cover: “Esther Everest / September 1892.” 7.5” x 9.5”. 28 leaves with program clippings.
Contains programs from plays, comedies, and vaudeville performances from various theaters (primarily in San Francisco, CA).
Includes programs from theaters in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Rochester, NY.
Folder 2 Scrapbook 2 (ca. 1890–1896).
Bound scrapbook; written on inside front cover: “Esther Everest / July 1893.” 7.5” x 9.5”. 51 leaves with programs (and 14 blank leaves).
Contains programs from plays, comedies, opera comique, and vaudeville performances from various theaters as well as music concerts. Several leaves have annotations written in the margins.
Includes programs from events in Chicago (World’s Fair, 1893); Riverside, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Rochester, NY; and New York City.
Loose programs (originally housed in envelopes affixed to scrapbook pages) separated to Box 17/1.

 

Series 2: Personal Materials (A.J. Warner and family)

Sub-Series A: Personal letters and Miscellaneous

Box 11

Folder 1 Warner family correspondence (1933–1934).
Telegrams and letters to/from Warner family members (i.e., A. J. Warner, his brother John Adams Warner, their mother Mary L. Adams Warner [Mrs. J. Foster Warner], and John’s father-in-law Alfred E. Smith); dated January 1933–June 1934, 2 undated. 11 items.
Also in folder: Catholic Congress membership card for Andrew J. Warner; fable written by John A. Warner (1898; 2 pp.), and notes on a recital by violinist Paul Kochanski and tenor Mario Chamblee (2 pp.). 3 items.
Folder 2 Personal correspondence to A. J. Warner (1931–1933).
Letters, postcards, and telegrams addressed to A. J. Warner; dated July 1931–December 1933. 29 items.
Folder 3 Personal correspondence to A. J. Warner (1934–1935).
Letters and telegrams addressed to A. J. Warner; dated February 1934–July 1935. 13 items.
Folder 4 Personal correspondence to A. J. Warner (undated).
Letters, postcards, telegrams, and invitations addressed to A. J. Warner; undated. 8 items.
Folder 5 Bass Brewery brochure and letter (1935).
Bass: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Ale. Burton-on-Trent: Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton, [s.d.]. 38 pp. Inside front cover has wax seal from Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton and inscription to A. J. Warner from Edwin D. Bloom (April 1935).
Accompanied by letter from N. Wainwright (Manager, Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton) to E. D. Bloom; dated March 16, 1935. 1 p.
Folder 6 Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) to A. J. Warner (1933–41).
Letters, cards, and telegrams from Wallis Simpson to A. J. Warner; dated May 1933–April 1941. 6 items.
Newspaper clippings concerning Edward, Duke of Windsor, and Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor). 4 items.
Folder 7 Correspondence related to Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) (1933–42).
Letters and telegram to A. J. Warner or Mrs. Mary Warner (contents relate to Wallis Simpson; e.g., visits or arrangements for gifts); dated May 1933–November 1942. 6 items.
Folder 8 Diana Joan Sackville-West (Lady Romilly) to A. J. Warner (1933–40) and related correspondence.
[1] Letters and cards from Diana Sackville-West to A. J. Warner; dated February 1933–December 1940. 9 items.
[2] Betty Butler to A. J. Warner (mentions Knole Castle). 1 letter; dated February 16, 1933. 1 item.
[3] Michael Culme-Seymour (Baronet) to A. J. Warner. 1 letter and 1 card; dated December 1933 and January 1941. 2 items.
Folder 9 Charles John Sackville-West (4th Baron Sackville) to A. J. Warner (1933).
Letters from [Charles John] Sackville-West to A. J. Warner; dated April–October 1933. 4 items.
Also in folder: blank stationery from Knole (home of the Sackvilles), January 1935 issue of Modern Motoring (with feature article on Knole and the Sackvilles), and photocopy of the family tree for the 5th Earl De La Warr (2 copies).
Folder 10 Anne (Meredith) Sackville-West (Lady Sackville) to A. J. Warner (1933–41).
Letters, postcard, and telegram from Anne Sackville-West to A. J. Warner; dated February 1933–June 1941, 1 undated. 23 items.
Folder 11 Correspondence related to Lord and Lady Sackville (1933).
Postcards, letters, and invoices to A. J. Warner (contents relate to the Sackvilles; e.g., visits or arrangements for gifts); dated February–December 1933. 10 items.
Folder 12 Article drafts [by A. J. Warner].
Typescript drafts of articles [by A. J. Warner] with corrections in pencil and ink, with pencil notes (undated). 3 items (8 pp.).
Includes article on A. J. Warner meeting Benito Mussolini and article on César Franck’s Variations Symphoniques.
Folder 13 Loose newspaper clippings by A. J. Warner.
2 newspaper clippings (on meeting Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI); dated 1932. 2 items.
Folder 14 Ocean liner booklets.
[1] Photographic Impressions of the White Star Liner Homeric. New York: One Broadway, [s.d.]. [32] pp.
[2] Noordam Zaandam, Holland-America Line. Amsterdam: Plantin Press, [s.d.]. [16] pp.
Folder 15 Notable press and obituaries.
Items added by Sibley Music Library personnel.
Photocopies of (1) article on A. J. Warner visiting the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (1954); (2) two obituaries of A. J. Warner from Rochester newspapers (1965); and (3) obituary of John A. Warner (1963). 4 pp.
Folder 16 Blank stationery of A. J. Warner and Mary L. [Mrs. J. Foster] Warner.
Blank stationery and envelopes for A. J. Warner. 12 items.
*** Oversized newspaper clippings.
Separated to Box 17/8.

 

Sub-Series B: Scrapbook of family performances

Box 10 [cont.]

Folder 3 Scrapbook 1 (1900–1903).
Bound scrapbook, labeled “Theatre Record.” 6.25” x 9.25”. 41 leaves with programs and handwritten annotations.
Contains programs from plays, vaudeville performances, and music concerts from Rochester theaters/venues (primarily the Lyceum Theatre) as well as 1 program from an organ recital by John Warner (s.d.).
Includes annotations indicating that the scrapbook owner attended certain performances with various Warner family members. One indication lists “Jack” (common nickname for A. J. Warner), which suggests that the scrapbook was more probably owned by his brother John Adams Warner.
Blank leaf of stationery with address of A. J. Warner (5 Prince St.) interleaved in front of scrapbook.

Sub-Series C: Scrapbook of  John Adams (J.A.) Warner

Box 12

Folder 1 Loose items from Scrapbook 1.
Originally housed in inside front cover of Scrapbook 1.
Wooden sign (“John Warner the organist will play this afternoon”), duplicate copies of 2 recital programs, poem (“Farewell Betsy we must leave you…”), and torn newspaper clipping.
Item 2 Scrapbook 1 (ca. 1903–1913).
Bound scrapbook. 10” x 12.25”. 52 leaves with programs, correspondence, press clippings, tickets, and other memorabilia (and 27 blank leaves).
Contains programs from recitals and performances by John Adams Warner; programs and tickets from music concerts, plays, vaudeville performances, and other events (attended by J. A. Warner); correspondence, including calling cards and invitations; and press clippings (primarily announcements and reviews of performances by J. A. Warner).
Materials primarily from Rochester, NY, and Cambridge, MA.

Sub-Series D: Manuscripts and scores of A.J. Warner’s brother John Adams (J.A.) Warner

Box 13

Folder 1 Loose items from Scrapbook 1.
Originally housed in inside front cover of Scrapbook 1.
Wooden sign (“John Warner the organist will play this afternoon”), duplicate copies of 2 recital programs, poem (“Farewell Betsy we must leave you…”), and torn newspaper clipping.
Item 2 Scrapbook 1 (ca. 1903–1913).
Bound scrapbook. 10” x 12.25”. 52 leaves with programs, correspondence, press clippings, tickets, and other memorabilia (and 27 blank leaves).
Contains programs from recitals and performances by John Adams Warner; programs and tickets from music concerts, plays, vaudeville performances, and other events (attended by J. A. Warner); correspondence, including calling cards and invitations; and press clippings (primarily announcements and reviews of performances by J. A. Warner).
Materials primarily from Rochester, NY, and Cambridge, MA.

 

Folder 1 “Betsey Abroad,” Act I sketches (ca. 1911). Text by Elizabeth Granger Hollister.
Manuscript sketches and drafts of piano-vocal score. Pencil and ink; includes published song “It Pays to Advertise” (music by J. A. Warner; lyrics by H. W. H. Powel, Jr.) with new lyrics added in ink. 41 leaves.
Song “It Pays to Advertise” is from The Builders of Babylon, the 1909 Hasty Pudding Club play [social club for Harvard students]. [Boston: J. A. Warner, ©1909.] Pl. no. H.P.54.
Folder 2 “Betsey Abroad,” Act II sketches (ca. 1911). Text by Elizabeth Granger Hollister.
Manuscript sketches and drafts of piano-vocal score. Pencil and ink; includes two published songs “The Musical Show” and “Boston” (music by J. A. Warner; lyrics by H. W. H. Powel, Jr.) with new lyrics added in ink or pencil. 51 leaves.
Published songs are from The Builders of Babylon, the 1909 Hasty Pudding Club play. [Boston: J. A. Warner, ©1909.] Pl. no. H.P.54.
Folder 3 “Betsey Abroad,” Act III sketches (ca. 1911). Text by Elizabeth Granger Hollister.
Manuscript sketches and drafts of piano-vocal score. Pencil and ink; includes published song “The Language of Love” (music by J. A. Warner; lyrics by H. W. H. Powel, Jr.) with new lyrics added in ink or pencil. 22 leaves.
Published song from The Builders of Babylon, the 1909 Hasty Pudding Club play. [Boston: J. A. Warner, ©1909.] Pl. no. H.P.54.
Folder 4 Libretto of “Betsey Abroad” (by Elizabeth Granger Hollister) (1911).
Sketches and drafts of libretto (1911). Includes 3 pp. manuscript notes (pencil and ink) and typescript drafts. 130 pp.
Folder 5 Sketches for [The Builders of Babylon] musical with text by H. W. H. Powel, Jr. [1909].
Sketches and drafts of “The Musical Show,” “Hem and Haw,” and “Trio.” Pencil and ink. 8 leaves.
Folder 6 Sketches by John A. Warner (1911/undated).
Manuscript sketches, most untitled. Pencil and ink. 69 leaves.
Folder 7 Notebook with counterpoint exercises [ca. 1902–1906]).
Bound notebook with music manuscript paper containing counterpoint exercises, some graded; on cover: “John A. Warner / 45 Hampden Hall” [dormitory at Harvard University]. Ink. 26 pp. with exercises (and 34 blank pages).
Likely dates from John A. Warner’s studies at Harvard University (ca. 1902–1906).
Folder 8 Manuscript scores (works by other composers).
[1] Draper, Paul. “John Anderson, My Jo, John,” op. 3, no. 1. Words by Robert Burns. Title page only. Ink MS. 4 pp. (folio).
[2] Haufstaaugh. “Unterbliche Liebe: Waltz.” For voice and piano. Text by H. W. H Powel, Jr. Ink MS. 4 pp.
[3] Hampstaaugh. “Waltz.” For piano, with text written above treble staff [possibly for piano and speaker]. Ink MS. 3 pp.
[4] Reinecke, Carl. „Zum ersten Satze des Konzertes für 2 Pianoforte No. 10 (Es dur) v. Mozart,“ op. 87, no. 12. 2nd piano part. Ink MS. 3 pp.
[4] Reinecke, Carl. „Zum letzten Satze des Konzertes für 2 Pianoforte No. 10 (Es dur) v. Mozart,“ op. 87, no. 13. 2nd piano part. Ink MS. 4 pp.
Folder 9 Published scores and parts (works by other composers).
[1] Brahms, Johannes. Two Hungarian Dances. Arranged for orchestra by A. Parlow; arranged for small orchestra by Theo Moses. New York: Carl Fischer, ©1884. Pl. no. 1346-30. 3 parts only: 1st violin, 1st clarinet, 2nd clarinet. 6 pp., total.
[2] Buck, Dudley. “The Holy Night (Noël).” No. 3 in Four Tone Pictures Composed for the Organ. New York: G. Schirmer, ©1891. Pl. no. 10038. Copy consists of page 9 only (cover and pp. 1–8 missing).
[3] Rivé King, Julie. Bubbling Spring. For solo piano. St. Louis: Kunkel Bros., 1879. 11 pp. Front cover has composer’s autograph and inscription to John Adams Warner (1903).
[4] Salvini, A. Carillon: Intermezzo–Fox Trot. Parts for violin obbligato, cello, and basso. [s.l.: s.n., s.d.]. 3 pp.
Folder 10 Chittenden, Kate S. Manuscript Music Book. Elementary Harmony, Part I.
From The Synthetic Method for the Pianoforte by Albert Ross Parsons, arranged and developed by Kate S. Chittenden. New York: Silver, Burdett & Co., ©1896. 72 pp.
Assignments on pp. 1–15 completed in pencil.
Folder 11 Blank manuscript paper.
16 leaves of blank manuscript paper, originally interleaved among manuscript sketches by John A. Warner (see Box 13/6).
Folder 12 Loose documents (press clippings, recital programs, etc.).
Items originally interleaved among manuscript sketches by John A. Warner (see Box 13/6).
[1] “Holliday’s List.” Typescript. 3 pp.
Contains commentary on “Holliday’s List” [apparently a list of book recommendations], including notes on the included novels and authors.
[2] Press clippings, including advertisement for recent publications for piano, newspaper with announcement of organ concert by John Adams Warner (1912), and page from The Etude. 3 items.
[3] Programs from recitals by John Adams Warner (1914) and the Hambourg Trio (including John A. Warner, piano; 1915). 2 programs (multiple copies of each).
Folder 13 Architectural drawings.
Items originally interleaved among manuscript sketches by John A. Warner (see Box 13/6).
Sketches of floor plans and architectural elements (e.g., column details). Pencil and ink. 3 pp. (and 4 blank pp.).

Series 3: Theatre Programs (loose)

Sub-series A: Rochester theater programs

Box 14

Folder 1 Auditorium Theatre programs.
14 programs (and 1 newspaper clipping); dated March 1935–November 1972.
Folder 2 Baker Theatre programs.
5 programs; undated.
Folder 3 Sam S. Shubert Theatre programs.
12 programs; dated October 1911–April 1913, 7 undated.
Folder 4 Other Rochester, NY, programs.
3 programs.
3 theaters represented: Eastman Theatre [1972], Masonic Temple Auditorium (1935), and Rochester Theatre [1928].

 

Sub-series B: Lyceum theater programs

Box 14[cont.]

Folder 5 Lyceum Theatre programs: December 1904–April 1912.
10 programs.
Folder 6 Lyceum Theatre programs: September–October 1912.
16 programs.
Folder 7 Lyceum Theatre programs: November–December 1912.
10 programs.
Folder 8 Lyceum Theatre programs: January–February 1913.
10 programs.
Folder 9 Lyceum Theatre programs: March–May 1913.
9 programs.

Box 15

Folder 1 Lyceum Theatre programs: October 1914–September 1915.
13 programs.
Folder 2 Lyceum Theatre programs: February–October 1924.
11 programs.
Folder 3 Lyceum Theatre programs: December 1924–July 1925.
7 programs.
Folder 4 Lyceum Theatre programs: March 1927–June 1928.
10 programs.
Folder 5  Lyceum Theatre programs: 1933–.
2 programs.

 

Sub-series C: New York City theater programs: A-C

Box 15[cont.]

Folder 6 New York City theater programs: A–C.
6 programs.
4 theaters represented: Alvin Theatre (1934), Belmont Theatre (1922), Century Theatre (1926–1927), and Children’s Theatre (undated).
Folder 7 New York City theater programs: E–J.
7 programs.
6 theaters represented: Eltinge Theatre (1916), The Frolic (1923), Gallo Theatre (1928), George M. Cohan’s Theatre (1914), Hudson Theatre (1913), and Jolson’s Theatre (1926, 1929).
Folder 8 New York City theater programs: K–L.
7 programs.
4 theaters represented: Knickerbocker Theatre [ca. 1913], Liberty Theatre (1912–1913), Little Theatre (1912–1913 season), and Lyric Theatre (1915).
Folder 9 New York City theater programs: M–N.
8 programs.
5 theaters represented: Manhattan Opera House (1912, 1921, 1923), Martin Beck Theatre (1934), Music Box (1934), New Amsterdam Theatre (1912), and New York Hippodrome (undated).
Folder 10  New York City theater programs: P–S.
7 programs.
7 theaters represented: The Playhouse (1913), Republic Theatre (1913), Royale Theatre (1927), Sam H. Harris Theatre (1924), Sam S. Shubert Theatre (1922), Selwyn Theatre (1922), and St. James Theatre (undated).

 

Sub-series D: Out-of-town theater programs

Box 15[cont.]

Folder 11 Out-of-town theater programs.
3 programs.
3 theaters represented: Lyceum Theatre (New London, CT; 1917), National Theatre (Washington, DC; 1943), Nixon’s Apollo Theatre (Atlantic City, NJ; undated).

 

Series 4: Miscellaneous

Box 16

Folder 1 Pocket notebooks.
[1] Pocket notebook, labeled “Sam Toons.” Contains lyrics of 19 songs (author unidentified). 3.5” x 5.75”. [36] pp.
[2] Pocket notebook, labeled “Twinklestar Club.” Contains membership lists (1879–1881) and list of expenses and disbursements. 4” x 6.5”. 40 pp.
Folder 2 Physics notebook of John A. Warner.
“Rochester High School: Physics Notes.” Bound course notebook containing experiment notes and results. [156] pp.
Folder 3 Framed photograph of Pasquale Amato.
1 black and white photograph, [attributed to John Wallace Gillies, NY], 4.5” x 6.5”; framed, 8.75” x 11.5”.
Inscription in ink under photograph: “To Master William Rosenberg / with all the best wishes / Pasquale Amato / Boston 1916.”

Series 5: Oversized

Box 17

Folder 1 Series 1/D, Scrapbook 2: Programs.
Separated from Box 10/2.
5 programs from comic operas, plays, and vaudeville performances from various theaters (April–December 1896).
3 theaters represented: Broadway Theatre (New York City), Lyceum Theatre (Rochester, NY), and Wonderland [Theater] (Rochester, NY).
Folder 2 Series 1/A, Scrapbook 12: Loose documents.
Separated from Box 3/4.
[1] 3 letters to A. J. Warner from readers expressing appreciation for his articles and reviews; dated May–June 1938. 3 pp.
[2] 2 newspaper clippings by A. J. Warner; dated 1938, 1 undated. 2 items.
Folder 3 Series 1/C, Scrapbook 1: Loose documents.
Separated from Box 7/1.
[1] Fred. Barnard, “Henry Irving in All His Principal Characters, 1866–1891,” Fashions (s.d.): 88–89.
[2] Pages from unidentified issue of The Standard (with photographs and drawings of various actors) (s.d.), pp. 5–6, 8–12. 6 pp., total.
Folder 4 Series 1/A, Scrapbook 6: Duplicate (loose) clippings.
Separated from Box 2/2.
22 newspaper clippings; dated December 1932–January 1933.
Comprises articles by A. J. Warner from his “At Random” column (primarily dealing with European political affairs) writing as a Times-Union correspondent in Europe as well as articles by A. J. Warner concerning his interview with Mussolini and Pope Pius XI.
Folder 5 Series 1/A, Scrapbook 11: Loose clippings.
Separated from Box 3/3.
13 newspaper clippings; dated June–August 1937, 2 undated.
Comprises articles by A. J. Warner from his “At Random” column (primarily dealing with European political affairs).
Folder 6 Series 1/B, Scrapbook 1: Rochester Times-Union issue (May 11, 1872).
Separated from Box 4/1.
Newspaper. 4 pp.
Folder 7 Series 1/B, Scrapbook 3: Saturday Night issue (July 27, 1872).
Separated from Box 4/3.
Newspaper [story paper published by Davis & Elverson]. 8 pp.
Folder 8 Series 2/A: Oversized newspaper clippings.
[1] Obituary for A. J. Warner [from the Rochester Times Union, October 25, 1965]. 1 p.
[2] “‘Betsey Abroad’ Again” [article on performances of J. A. Warner’s musical at the Lyceum Theatre], The Post Express (November 11, 1911): 13. 1 p.
[3] Rochester Times-Union issue (August 1, 1934). 24 pp.
[4] New York Times, “Rotogravure Picture Section” (January 26, 1936). 8 pp. Includes photospread on Edward VIII, pp. [4–5].

 

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