Finding Aids

Biographical Sketch

O. S. [Oliver Stephen] Adams was born in Gates, New York, in about 1844. His father, Rodney L. Adams, was a well-known editor. Oliver began his career as a musician: he studied the piano in New York City, after which he taught music in Fulton and Lockport. Subsequently, Adams served as principal of the Lyons Musical Academy and then as the head of the Music Department of the Foster School. In 1886, soon after the Foster School closed, Adams joined the staff of The Democrat and Chronicle, where he worked successively as night editor, associate editor, music critic, and managing editor until 1910, when he assumed the position of editor-in-chief. He retired from the newspaper in 1921. Adams died on April 29, 1924, at the age of 80.

Provenance

Unknown

Scope and Content

The scrapbook contains mainly newspaper clippings, apparently written by O.S. Adams, on local musical events from 1898-1909.

Associations

The scrapbook has been microfilmed, see Film 897. Watanabe Special Collections holds several local history scrapbooks relating to musical subjects. It also maintains a file of local ephemera relating to music from ca.1850 on.

Restrictions and Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

DESCRIPTION OF SERIES

The series and collection consist of one scrapbook compiled by O.S. Adams, containing mainly clippings on musical subjects from the Democrat & Chronicle. the years covered are 1898-1910. The scrapbook is retained in its original, now very deteriorated, condition.

INVENTORY