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From:  sopran@a...
sopran@a...
Date:  Tue Dec 11, 2001  4:00 am
Subject:  An unexpected find!


I don't know whether any of you Vocalisters are aware, but I am active in
historic preservation. Today I got a call from our city's property
disposition manager about an old Victorian home that is about to be
demolished but contains two pianos--big old uprights. I told him that I'd go
take a look to see if they were salvageable (sadly they are in very bad
shape) but decided to look through the house to see if there were any
treasures that had been overlooked by the hordes of people who have already
gone through it.

In the attic I found a lot of old papers and some old music from the late
1800s--I took some of it, but much was moldy and it was starting to make even
non-allergic me sneeze. I also found some old opera recordings (nothing that
appeared terribly valuable) lots of personal and business correspondence,
some patent documents, checks and ledgers, and lots of old engravings (many
of which I brought home).

I was on my way out when I decided to check into one of the back bedrooms.
There, below a window, in a pile on the floor, were scads of old playbills,
concert programs and a bunch of old Metropolitan Opera programs from the
early 30's--all in near mint condition. Some have written comments about the
performances by Flagstad, Ponselle (who had her sister Carmela singing with
her that day), Lucrezia Bori, Frieda Leider, Lotte Lehmann, Ezio Pinza,
Lauritz Melchior, and other greats to numerous to mention. I even found some
autographs--Gladys Swarthout and Lawrence Tibbet, for example. The
performances were at the old Met, of course, and Gatti-Casazza was General
Manager. No particularly distinguished conductors are listed. There is a
layout of the old Met and a list of who occupies what box. And of course the
ads are a scream--did you know that smoking Camels is good for your digestion?

The playbills list the likes of Albert Lunt & Lynn Fontanne (sp?), Ruth
Gordon, Vincent Price, Helen Hayes etc. And there is a promotional flyer for
a fundraiser that featured Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Cardini, and many many o
thers, emceed by none other than Major Bowes (of Amateur Hour fame).

There is also a volume that is someone's bound sheet music, most of it dated
1851-1853. It's all printed on very heavy rag paper and is in pretty good
condition, considering. There is an early printing (very possibly the first
edition) of a Stephen Foster song, Maggie by my Side, in the volume. I wonder
what that might be worth.

Any way, I thought that it was a very interesting find! I think I'll have the
autographed programs framed and hang them in my office.

Judy


  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
15890 Re: An unexpected find! Kevin Hollis   Tue  12/11/2001   2 KB
15891 Re: An unexpected find! PJ. Garner   Tue  12/11/2001   6 KB
15894 Re: An unexpected find! sopran@a...   Tue  12/11/2001   2 KB
15895 ATF set... David Grogan   Tue  12/11/2001   2 KB
15897 Firearm Songs Karen Mercedes   Tue  12/11/2001   3 KB
15899 Re: An unexpected find! Terry Mitchell   Tue  12/11/2001   2 KB

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