Collection Summary
Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection
1856-1980
(bulk 1902-1980)
1856-1980
(bulk 1902-1980)
ML31.L39
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix, 1899-1979
350 items
4 containers
2 linear feet
English
Collection material in English.
Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Dorothea Dix Lawrence was a successful
opera singer in the 1930s and 1940s who later became a recitalist and folklorist. The
materials in the collection include correspondence, photographs, clippings and other
items that document her career as a singer and interpreter of American folk music. In
addition, the collection includes her articles on American folklore that were published
in various journals, and two copies of her famous Folklore Music
Map of the United States. The collection also includes piano-vocal opera
scores and a large number of American folk songs.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix, 1899-1979--Archives.
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix, 1899-1979.
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix, 1899-1979.
Subjects
Folk music--United States--History and criticism.
Folk songs, English--United States.
Operas--Vocal scores with piano.
Songs, English--United States.
Sopranos (Singers)--United States--Correspondence.
Form/Genre
Clippings (information artifacts).
Correspondence.
Excerpts.
Folk music.
Operas.
Photographic prints.
Songs.
Vocal scores.
Writings (Documents)
Provenance
Gift; Morgan Lawrence, the son of Dorothea Dix Lawrence; 1980.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
The Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection was processed by Jonathan Kulp in August 1993. It
was coded for EAD by George Kipper in 2010. George Kipper added about 120 items to the
collection at the end of 2012.
Transfers
A taped interview with Morgan Lawrence, the son of Dorothea Dix Lawrence, was conducted
on July 1, 1980, by Jon Newson, assistant chief of the Library of Congress Music
Division. The tape had been sealed until July 1, 2005. It was transferred to the Library
of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division where it is
identified as the Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection (MAVIS no. 14048) and is now
accessible to the public.
Copyright Status
Materials from the Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection are governed by the Copyright Law of
the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright
laws.
Access and Restrictions
The Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection is open to research. Researchers are advised to
contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired
materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
[item, date, container number], Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection, Music Division,
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Sketch
Date
Event
1899, Sept. 22
Born in New York City
1929
Made opera debuts: Montreal, Quebec City, Canada
1932
Appeared as Aida with Philadelphia Opera Company, San Carlo Opera
Company
Made concert debuts: Studebaker Theatre, Chicago; Jordan Hall,
Boston
Produced, directed and performed in weekly radio show
Twilight Hour
, Trenton, New Jersey
1939
Appeared in the opening concert of the New York World's Fair
Created
Primer of American Music
for WPEN Philadelphia (27 weekly broadcasts) sponsored by the Board of
Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1946
Published
Folklore Music Map of the United States
Produced, directed and starred in
Folklore Musicana
, an 8-week series on radio station WNYC, New York City
1949
Collaborated with Gloria Swanson in the television production
Design for Living
on WPIX-TV, New York City
1955, Oct. 28
Final concert, Fullerton Hall, Chicago
1959
Published with Walter L. Rosemont
Folklore Songs of the United States
. Plainfield, N.J.: D.D. Lawrence Folklore Society
1970
Retired from public life
1979, May 23
Died in Plainfield, New Jersey
Scope and Content Note
The Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection consists of the correspondence, photographs,
clippings, and writings of this noted operatic singer, recitalist, lecturer, and
folklorist. The collection also includes piano-vocal opera scores and a large number of
American folk songs.
Organization of the Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection
The Dorothea Dix Lawrence Collection is organized into two series:
-
[ Biographical Materials ](bioma)
-
[ Music ](mus)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/2006569269]
Container List
Container
Contents
1, 3
3
Biographical Materials
Contains biographical summaries, correspondence, writings, a radio script,
poster, clippings, photographs, an award certificate, and
Folklore Music Map of the United States
.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material, and chronologically therein.
1/1
Biographical summaries
1/2
Correspondence
1/3
Writings: Folklore Society of Great
Britain
1/4
Writings: Thirtieth International Congress of
Americanists, August 1952
August
1952
1/5
Writings: Periodicals
3/1
Writings:
Folklore Music Map of the United States
; photocopied collages of clippings and concert programs
1/6
Radio (script)
1/7
Clippings 1937-1980
[
see also Biographical Materials (Series).
Writings: Folklore Music Map of the U. S. [Box-Folder 3/1]](Dorothea)
1937-1980
1/8
Concert programs/advertisements
[
see also Biographical Materials (Series).
Writings: Folklore Music Map of the U. S. [Box-Folder 3/1]](Dorothea)
1/9
Photographs: Portraits
1/10
Photographs: Miss Lawrence with
others
1/11
Photographs: miscellaneous
3/2
Photographs: oversize
1/12
Miscellaneous
3/3
Award: New York City - - USO - - Joint War
Appeal. Certificate of Achievement
3/2
Folklore Music Map of the United States
3/2
German concert poster, 1953
1953
2-4
Music
Contains piano-vocal opera scores and other operatic vocal collections, various
art songs and American folk songs.
Arranged by type of music, and alphabetically by composer therein.
2-3
Opera
2/1
Gounod, Charles
Faust
; New York: G. Schirmer, 1902
Printed piano-vocal score; 323 p.
Leather-bound, name embossed on cover.
Annotated.
2/2
Puccini, Giacomo
Tosca
; New York: Boosey and Co., 1905
Printed piano-vocal score; 335 p.
Leather-bound, name embossed on cover.
Annotated.
3/4
Strauss, Richard
Salome
; London: Boosey & Hawkes, 1943
Printed piano-vocal score; 203 p.
Annotated.
2/3
[Various]
Opera songs. The Choicest selection from all of the standard operas
new and old. (Old book 1: soprano)
; Philadelphia: Theodore Presser Co., 1930
Printed piano-vocal score; 234 p.
Leather-bound, name embossed on cover.
Annotated.
2/4
Verdi, Giuseppe
La Traviata
; New York: G. Schirmer, 1926
Printed piano-vocal score; 232 p.
Leather-bound, name embossed on cover.
Annotated.
2-4
Songs
4/16
Anonymous
The Barren pines. Scene II
Ozalid piano-vocal score; pp. 26-28;
bound.
[Used on radio broadcast (?)].
Bucking broncho; Cowboy Jack
Ms. piano-vocal score; 4 p.
Little America (broadcast) Oct. 12,
1940.
4/1
Cadman, Charles Wakefield
The Moon drops low
. New York: Edwin H. Morris, 1909
Printed piano-vocal score; 7 p.
Text by Nelle Richmond Eberhart.
Spring song of the robin woman
. New York: White-Smith Music, 1918
Printed piano-vocal score; 9 p.
Text by Nelle Richmond Eberhart.
Her shadow (Ojibway canoe song)
. New York: White-Smith Music, 1918
Printed piano-vocal score; 5 p.
Words and music by Frederick R. Burton
(rearranged and harmonized by C. Cadman).
2/5
Combs, Josia [ed.]
Schirmer's American folk-song series, Set I: Folk-songs from the
Kentucky highlands
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1939
Printed piano-vocal score; 40 p.
4/16
Endicott, Samuel [arr.]
He stole my tender heart away
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1939
Printed piano-vocal score; 40 p.
4/2
Farwell, Arthur
Bird song dance
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; [2 p.]
Inketunga's Thunder Song
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 3 p.
[Singing exercises written on back
page].
The Sabbath, op. 105, no. 3
.
Ozalid piano-vocal score; 3 p.
Text by Emily Dickinson.
Song of the Deathless Voice
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 4 p.
4/3
Foster, Stephen
Come where my love lies dreaming
. Boston: Oliver Ditson Company, 1906
Printed piano-vocal score; 7 p.
4/16
Gardner, A. T.
I know two eyes, two soft brown eyes
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 2 p.
4/4
Hare, Maude Cuney [arr.]
Six Creole folk songs
. New York: Carl Fisher, 1921
Printed piano-vocal score; 24 p.
2/5
Haubiel, Charles [arr.]
Mother Goose songs. First series
. New York: The Composers Press, 1939
Printed piano-vocal score; 24 p.
4/17
Haubiel, Charles [arr.]
The Dog and the tramps
.
Ozalid piano-vocal score; 1 p.
[incomplete].
Little Bo Peep
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 3 p.
Little Boy Blue
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 4 p.
Little Jack Horner
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 4 p.
Mistress Mary
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 3 p.
4/5
Hopkinson, Francis
Colonial love lyrics: Six songs by Francis Hopkinson
. Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1919
Printed piano-vocal score; 29 p.
Edited and augmented by Harold V.
Milligan.
O'er the hills
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 6 p.
Edited and augmented by Harold V.
Milligan.
My dreams have been so wondrous free
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 3 p.
Edited and augmented by Harold V.
Milligan.
[Songs by Francis Hopkinson: Come fair Rosina, etc.]
.
Ozalid copies of early printing; 11 leaves
[wire brad binding removed]
4/7
Hopkinson, Francis
[Songs by Francis Hopkinson: The Garland, etc.]
.
Ozalid copies of early printing; 5 leaves
[wire brad binding removed]
4/16
Huarte, Julian
Madrigal Español
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1992
Printed piano-vocal score, 6 p.
[incomplete]
3/5-6
Lawrence, Dorothea Dix [compiler]
Folklore-songs of the United States
. New York: The Dorothea Dix Lawrence Folklore Society, U.S.A.,
1959
Printed piano-vocal score; 133
p.
Arrangements by Walter Rosemont.
4/8
MacDowell, Edward
Six selected songs
. Boston: A.P. Schmidt, 1940
Printed piano-vocal score, 18 p.
[incomplete]
4/9
Nelson, Nils A.
Passing
. New York: February 1933
Ozalid copy; 2 p.
Inscribed to Miss Lawrence by the
composer.
2/5
Niles, John Jacob [ed.]
Schirmer's American folk-song series, Set 14: Songs of the
hill-folk (twelve ballads from Kentucky, Virginia, and North
Carolina)
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1934
Printed piano-vocal score; 25 p.
Schirmer's American folk-song series, Set 16: Ten Christmas
carols (from the Southern Appalachian Mountains)
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1935
Printed piano-vocal score; 22 p.
Schirmer's American folk-song series, Set 18: Ballads, carols,
and tragic legends (from the Southern Appalachian Mountains)
. New York: G. Schirmer, 1937
Printed piano-vocal score; 22 p.
4/10
Rodrigo, Joaquin
Villancicos
. Madrid: Edición del autor, 1953
Printed piano-vocal score; 7 p.
Inscribed: "Para Miss Dorothea Dix Lawrence
con toda simpatia" [signature illegible, but likely that of the
composer].
4/11
Rosemont, Walter L.
Ye Olde historic inn
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 3 leaves
On title page: "Written especially for Miss
Dorothea Dix Lawrence for her broadcasts."
The Railroad cars are coming
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 2 p.
Adapted and arranged by Walter L.
Rosemont.
El Zapatero (The Shoemaker)
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 1 leaf
Adapted and arranged by Walter L.
Rosemont.
Invocation to the Sun God: Zuñi Indian mother's prayer,
1950.
Ozalid copy; 2 p.
Adapted and arranged by Walter L.
Rosemont.
4/12
Sullivan, Marian Dix
For Lo! The Winter is past.
Boston, 1856.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 1 p.
The Star-Spangled Banner
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 2 p.
Harmonized and arranged by Thomas Grasso for
Dorothea D. Lawrence.
[Both pieces in same binder].
4/13
Troyer, Carlos [arr.]
Traditional songs of the Zuñi Indians
. Philadelphia: Theo. Presser Co., 1904
Printed piano-vocal scores
Contents:
The Sunrise Call, or Echo song.
Incantation upon a sleeping infant.
Invocation to the Sun God.
Zuñi lover's wooing.
Sunset song.
Hunting song of the Cliff Dwellers.
Two Zuñian melodies.
4/14
Villancicos
. New York: G. Ricordi & Co., Inc., 1922
Printed piano-vocal score; 7 p.
Text by William Alexander Percy.
4/15
The Lonesome dove
.
Ms. piano-vocal score; 4 p.
Text by Arnold Sundgaard.