If you follow the line of tape on the floor through the basement of Severance Hall you will find the first of a set of four rooms that house the Orchestra Archives.
Far from being just a collection of dusty old program books and ancient notes, the archive is home to many unusual and amazing items. Guest books signed by every artist who has performed with the Orchestra since the Hall’s dedication in 1931, including Igor Stravinsky, are gently wrapped in tissue paper inside of archival boxes.
Another box holds gifts given to the Orchestra in 1998 from China during the tour including an embroidered silk panda bear in a delicate wooden frame and a picture depicting The Great Wall in bronze. George Szell’s cap and gown from his Honorary Doctorate awarded to him by Oberlin College find their home in a box next to the jeweled baton used by Wagner to conduct Beethoven 9 Symphony in Vienna in 1843.
Deborah Hefling, the Orchestra’s Archivist, describes the collection as
being three archives in one; The Cleveland Orchestra archive includes items such as posters, photographs, over 6360 sound recordings, performance artifacts and a small collection of personal papers from Adella Prentiss Hughes (founder and first manager of the Orchestra); The Musical Arts Association archive comprised primarily of business documents includes a nearly complete set of minutes form the Board of Trustees (1915 – present); and the Severance Hall collection which includes items that pertain to the building itself, such as architectural drawings and plans.
During the 2009-10 season the Green Room, just off the Main Hall, will become host to several exhibits that will showcase some of the interesting archival history of the Orchestra. The first is a collection of photographs of the Orchestra titled The Unseen View – Images of Music by Peter Hastings. As The Cleveland Orchestra Photographer from 1963 through 1987, Hastings captured images from the perspective of an observer on the stage or behind the scenes. The exhibit is free and open to patrons one half hour prior to all scheduled performances, and during intermission.
The Archives are open to researchers by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Access to the Sound Archives, which is governed by the Orchestra’s Trade Agreement, is highly restricted. Inquires may be directed to the Archivist by clicking here.
Far from being just a collection of dusty old program books and ancient notes, the archive is home to many unusual and amazing items. Guest books signed by every artist who has performed with the Orchestra since the Hall’s dedication in 1931, including Igor Stravinsky, are gently wrapped in tissue paper inside of archival boxes.
Another box holds gifts given to the Orchestra in 1998 from China during the tour including an embroidered silk panda bear in a delicate wooden frame and a picture depicting The Great Wall in bronze. George Szell’s cap and gown from his Honorary Doctorate awarded to him by Oberlin College find their home in a box next to the jeweled baton used by Wagner to conduct Beethoven 9 Symphony in Vienna in 1843.Deborah Hefling, the Orchestra’s Archivist, describes the collection as
being three archives in one; The Cleveland Orchestra archive includes items such as posters, photographs, over 6360 sound recordings, performance artifacts and a small collection of personal papers from Adella Prentiss Hughes (founder and first manager of the Orchestra); The Musical Arts Association archive comprised primarily of business documents includes a nearly complete set of minutes form the Board of Trustees (1915 – present); and the Severance Hall collection which includes items that pertain to the building itself, such as architectural drawings and plans.During the 2009-10 season the Green Room, just off the Main Hall, will become host to several exhibits that will showcase some of the interesting archival history of the Orchestra. The first is a collection of photographs of the Orchestra titled The Unseen View – Images of Music by Peter Hastings. As The Cleveland Orchestra Photographer from 1963 through 1987, Hastings captured images from the perspective of an observer on the stage or behind the scenes. The exhibit is free and open to patrons one half hour prior to all scheduled performances, and during intermission.
The Archives are open to researchers by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Access to the Sound Archives, which is governed by the Orchestra’s Trade Agreement, is highly restricted. Inquires may be directed to the Archivist by clicking here.
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