Emma Josephine Brazier theater and opera scrapbooks, 1858-1918. Box 2: Opera scrapbook, 1884-1909.

Name:

Brazier, Emma Josephine, 1867-1953

Timespan:

20th century; 19th century

Date:

1858/1918

Description:

The Emma Josephine Brazier theater and opera scrapbooks consists of three volumes that date between 1858 and 1918. They contain playbills and advertisements from theaters and opera houses primarily in Philadelphia and New York, as well as cards and photographs of the actors and actresses that performed in them. The second scrapbook, which is untitled, primarily focuses on opera in Philadelphia and New York City, with an emphasis on its relationship with opera in London and Paris and dates from 1884 to 1909. It houses dozens of photographs of opera singers, including Marcella Sembrich, Emil Fischer, Marie Van Zandt, Zelie de Lussan, Emma Nevada, Emma Eames, Victor Maurel, and Nellie Melba. It also contains numerous playbills from the Metropolitan Opera, an opera house in which all of the above listed singers performed. In addition to that commonality, these singers all spent part of their careers in either London or Paris as well as in either Philadelphia or New York City. One letter addressed to Emma Josephine Brazier indicates that she dined with Dr. R. and Emma Nevada Palmer in 1895. All three scrapbooks in the set contain playbills and advertisements from theaters and opera houses; clippings from newspapers, magazines, and theatrical publications; collectible cards from theaters; and cabinet cards (some of which are hand-colored and a few of which are signed by the actors or actresses). In many cases, information about a specific actor or actress is grouped together, so that a researcher may find photographs, clippings, biographical sketches, and even writings by actors or actresses on several adjacent pages.

Language:

English

Relation:

Finding aid: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/pacscl/UPENN_RBML_PUSpMsColl1149; https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3gx45w78: Digital facsimile for browsing (Colenda): box 1 scrapbook; https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3086467r: Digital facsimile for browsing (Colenda): box 3 scrapbook

Subject:

Academy of Music (Philadelphia, Pa.); Arch Street Theatre (Philadelphia, Pa.); Chestnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia, Pa.); Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia, Pa.); Actors; Musical theater; Opera; Theater -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- 19th century; Theater -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- 20th century; Theater -- United States -- 19th century; Theater -- United States -- 20th century; Theater

Form/Genre:

Manuscripts, American; cabinet photographs; clippings (information artifacts); scrapbooks

Physical Description:

Box 2 of 3

Geographic Subject:

United States; Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

Rights:

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/

Notes:

Emma Josephine Brazier was born on August 15, 1867 to Joseph Harrison and Ellen Kemball Bartol Brazier. She, her parents, and her brother lived in Philadelphia where her father was employed by the jewelry firm, J.E. Caldwell & Co. of Philadelphia. Her brother, Henry Bartol Brazier, appears to have been an inventor of automobile components. Little is known of Emma Josephine Brazier except that she was apparently an ardent fan of theater and opera. She appears to have attended many plays and operas in Philadelphia and New York and to have followed the actors and actresses closely. She may have traveled to Europe in 1909. There is no indication that she ever married. She died in Massachusetts on November 14, 1953, at the age of 86.; Primarily in English, with some French.

Physical Location:

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Coll. 1149