Guide to the Marcus Hall Papers
Sean Heyliger
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
659 14th Street
Oakland, California 94612
Phone: (510) 637-0198
Fax: (510) 637-0204
Email: aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org
URL: http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/african-american-museum-library-oakland
© 2013
African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Marcus Hall Papers
Collection number: MS 22
African American Museum & Library at Oakland
Oakland, California
- Processed by:
- Sean Heyliger
- Date Completed:
- 02/20/2013
- Encoded by:
- Sean Heyliger
© 2013 African American Museum & Library at Oakland. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Marcus Hall papers
Dates: 1927-1977
Collection number: MS 22
Creator:
Hall, Marcus, 1904-1977
Collection Size:
.5 linear feet
(1 box + 1 oversized box)
Repository:
African American Museum & Library at Oakland (Oakland, Calif.)
Abstract: Baritone singer Marcus Hall (1904-1977) was born on September 8, 1904 in California to William M. and Susie Hall. Papers include
concert programs, correspondence, a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the life and career of baritone
singer Marcus Hall. The papers are organized into five series: concert programs, correspondence, photographs, biographical,
and printed materials.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.
Access Restrictions
Materials are for use in-library only, non-circulating.
Publication Rights
Permission to publish from the Marcus Hall Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Preferred Citation
Marcus Hall papers, MS 22, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library. Oakland, California.
Processing Information
Processed by Sean Heyliger 02/20/2013.
Biography / Administrative History
Baritone singer Marcus Hall (1904-1977) was born on September 8, 1904 in California to William M. and Susie Hall. Hall was
raised in Bakersfield, California until 1923, when the family moved to Berkeley, California where he completed his final year
of high school at San Francisco's Polytechnic High School in 1924. Shortly thereafter he enrolled at the Musical Art Institute
of San Francisco and he began taking voice lessons to become a professional singer. When the famous African American singer
Roland Hayes heard Hall's voice, he made arrangements for him to study with his mentor Sir George Henshell in London, England.
Hall travelled to London in the fall of 1929, where he spent two years as Hayes' protégé and student. Hall was the first African
American singer from California to make his debut in London, and he performed in concerts in England over the next two years.
In 1931, Hall returned to San Francisco, California to continue his singing career and in 1934 joined the theatrical group
The Brown Skin Models, touring the U.S. over the next three years. In 1937, he returned to Berkeley and during World War II
was employed by the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond to sing at the official launching of every ship built in the shipyards between
1943-1945. Following the war, he moved to New York City to further his singing career and opened a voice studio and in 1947
took over Harry T. Burleigh's position as soloist at St. George's Episcopal Church in Stuyvesant Square. The following year
Hall joined Leonard De Paur's Infantry Chorus as a voice coach and over the next five years traveled throughout the U.S.,
Caribbean, and Central and South America. Hall left the chorus in 1953 to return to teaching in his New York City studio and
three year later returned to Berkeley where he continued to sing and was active in several area churches until his death in
1977.
Scope and Content of Collection
Papers include concert programs, correspondence, a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the life and
career of baritone singer Marcus Hall. The papers are organized into five series: concert programs, correspondence, photographs,
biographical, and printed materials. The bulk of the collection are concert programs and photographs related to Hall's career
as a singer and include programs of Hall, Roland Hayes, the 1939 theatrical production of The Swing Mikado, and De Paur's
Infantry Chorus. Most of the photographs in the collection are related to Hall's work as a singer during the launching ceremonies
of newly-built ships at Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. The biographical material includes Hall's passports, newspaper
clippings, his obituary, and a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, correspondence, concert programs and schedules, and
photographs early in his career between 1929-1942. The scrapbook also includes a broadside advertising a concert featuring
Paul Robeson and Lawrence Brown in 1927 at the Maison Gaveau in Paris, France.
Arrangement
Series I. Concert programs
Series II. Correspondence
Series III. Photographs
Series IV. Biographical material
Series V. Printed material
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
De Paur Infantry Chorus.
Kaiser Shipyards (Richmond, Calif.).
African Americans--Music--1930-1950.
Baritones (Singers).
Marcus Hall baritone hall died at 72,
The Independent and Gazette 12 March 1977.
Related Material
Faricita Hall Wyatt Papers, African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Tarea Hall and William Pittman Papers, African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Clarice Isaacs Papers, African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Concert programs
Physical Description: 3 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
Includes programs of concerts given by Marcus Hall, Roland Hayes, Justitia Gordon Davis, a theatrical production of The Swing
Mikado, and De Paur's Infantry Chorus concerts in the U.S. and Latin America.
Box 1:1
De Paur's Infantry Chorus
1948-1965
Box 1:3
Hayes, Roland
circa 1940s
Box 1:3
Davis, Justitia Gordon
circa 1966
Box 1:4
Correspondence
Physical Description: 1 folder
Series Scope and Content Summary
Correspondence related to Hall's singing engagements.
Photographs
Physical Description: 1 folder
Series Scope and Content Summary
Includes photographs of Marcus Hall's various singing engagements, mostly related to ship christening events at the Kaiser
Shipyards during World War II.
Box 1:5
June Hall Saunders, William Pittman, and Tarea Hall Pittman [061]
circa 1970s
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall, 1st occasion that sang in shipyard for M.H. De Young Museum [065]
undated
Box 1:5
Contest in San Francisco [066]
undated
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall singing to crowd [067]
undated
Box 1:5
The launching day of the S.S. ‘Fisk Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [068]
1945
Box 1:5
The launching day of the S.S. ‘Allegheny Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [069]
1945
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall singing [70]
undated
Box 1:5
The launching day of the S.S. ‘Lakeland Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [071]
1945
Box 1:5
The launching day of the S.S. ‘Enid Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [072]
1945
Box 1:5
The launching day of the S.S. ‘Robert S. Abbott Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [073-075, 091]
1944
Box 1:5
This is worth fighting for—Marcus Hall, baritone, Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [076]
1943
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall, our talented baritone, Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number One, Richmond, California [077]
1944
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall—baritone, Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [078]
1943
Box 1:5
Launching day of the S.S. ‘Marine Perch,' Shipyard Number Three of the Kaiser Company, Richmond, California [079]
1945
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall at piano with unidentified person [080]
9145
Box 1:5
Marcus Hall presents hard hat to Elsa Maxwell, Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number One, Richmond, California [081]
1944
Box 1:5
Launching day of the S.S. ‘New World Victory,’ Permanente Metals Corporation, Shipyard Number Two, Richmond, California [082]
1945
Box OM6
Construction of the Matthew B. Brady, Shipway Number Two [083]
circa 1940s
Box OM6
Officials attending ship launching ceremony [?][084]
circa 1940s
Box OM6
Mr. and Mrs. Fulton Lewis Jr. and Mr. Henry J. Kaiser attending the christening of the Matthew B. Brady naval ship [085]
circa 1940s
Box OM6
Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Kaiser and Mrs. Fulton Lewis Jr. attending the christening of the Matthew B. Brady naval ship [086]
circa 1940s
Box OM6
Mrs. Fulton Lewis Jr. christening the Matthew B. Brady naval ship as Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Kaiser look on [087]
circa 1940s
Box OM6
Marcus Hall singing with band, caption: 'Launching day of the S.S. "Berea victory"' [088]
1945-03-03
Box OM6
Fulton Lewis Jr. speaking at microphone at ship christening ceremony [089]
circa 1940s
Box 1:5
Portrait of Marcus Hall [090]
undated
Box 1:5
Portrait of unidentified woman
undated
Box 1:5
Scene from The Swing Mikado [093-094]
circa 1939
Box 1:5
Portrait of Justitia Davis
undated
Biographical material
Physical Description: 4 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
Includes scrapbook with correspondence, programs, and photographs from Hall's time spent in England, newspaper clippings,
passports, and obituary.
Box 1:5
Scrapbook
1927-1945, 1965
Box 1:7
Newspaper clippings
1932-1977
Printed material
Series Scope and Content Summary
Assorted printed items including an African American Bay Area event calendar, History of the Negro Music, and the tour schedule
for the To Be Young, Gifted, and Black tour.
Box 1:10
We: A Monthly Calendar of Bay Area Events, Vol. 1, No. 7,
1958
Box 1:10
History of the Negro in Music
undated
Box 1:10
To Be Young, Gifted, and Black tour schedule
1971
