African American Music History Marian Anderson San Francisco Opera House Program 1938

Marian Anderson

Pamphlets

Conley, Peter, presenter. Marian Anderson (February 13, 1938) documents the performance career of Marian Anderson during her early national ascent as a leading African American classical musician in the United States. Issued for her appearance at the San Francisco Opera House, the program supports research into African American music history, racial segregation in the performing arts, and the emergence of Black artists on elite concert stages prior to the modern civil rights movement. Produced one year before the widely documented 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert, the pamphlet situates Anderson within a period of increasing national visibility as she performed before integrated audiences despite widespread institutional exclusion.
Conley, Peter, presenter. Marian Anderson. San Francisco: Pisani Printing & Publishing Co., 1938. Octavo. Original printed wrappers. The four-page program features a halftone photographic portrait of Anderson on the front wrapper, depicting her in formal evening attire. Interior content includes performance and management information, noting “Exclusive Management: Hurok Attractions, Inc., 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City” and “Booking Direction: NBC Artists Service,” indicating her affiliation with major national booking and broadcast networks. The layout is minimal, focused on presentation and artist recognition, with typographic emphasis on Anderson’s name and concert billing at the San Francisco Opera House. 4 pages. Original printed wrappers. Octavo format. Light surface toning to wrappers, faint handling marks, and two mild corner curls; no tears; overall very good condition. Issued during a period when African American performers faced restricted access to major venues, the program provides material evidence of Anderson’s expanding concert presence across the United States, contributing to the study of Black participation in classical music and the gradual challenge to segregated cultural institutions in the late 1930s.

Item #22865

Price: $250.00