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Olcott-Bickford (Vahdah) Collection
IGRA.VOB  
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  • Biographical Information:
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement of Materials:
  • Electronic Format:
  • Conditions Governing Access:
  • Conditions Governing Use:
  • Immediate Source of Acquisition
  • Preferred Citation:
  • Processing Information:

  • Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives
    Title: Vahdah Olcott-Bickford Collection
    Creator: Olcott-Bickford, Vahdah, 1885-1980
    Identifier/Call Number: IGRA.VOB
    Extent: 88.71 linear feet
    Date (inclusive): 1800-2008
    Date (bulk): 1923-1979
    Abstract: Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, née Ethel Lucretia Olcott, was an professional teacher of the Guitar, most well known for her influential Guitar Method, Op. 25, and the Advanced Course , Op. 116. She also wrote numerous articles about the guitar, and corresponded with other musicians and enthusiasts about the instrument throughout her long career. The Vahdah Olcott-Bickford Collection documents Olcott-Bickford's professional life as a classical guitarist, an avid member of various organizations in the United States, her work with guitarists around the world, and her personal life. The collection includes scores, letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, receipts, articles, lecture notes, and guest books, and dates from 1874-1980.
    Language of Material: English, French, German, Spanish; Castilian, Italian, Portuguese

    Biographical Information:

    Ethel Lucretia Olcott was born on October 17, 1885 in Norwalk, Ohio. She was three years old when she and her parents moved to Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight she started guitar lessons with George Lindsay, a well-known classic guitarist. From 1903-1904 she lived in Berkeley with Manuel Y. Ferrer, where she expanded her repertoire to include European guitar techniques. In 1914 she moved to New York where she gave concerts and lessons, and assisted Philip J. Bone with the publication of his book The Guitar and Mandolin.
    She married Myron Bickford (Zarh), a well-known mandolinist and astrology enthusiast, in 1915. Once married, they both changed their names to Vahdah and Zarh Bickford. Vahdah was well known in the world of astrology. Astrological enthusiasts from various parts of the country would request astrology readings from her.
    When she returned to Los Angeles in 1923, Vahdah, along with other local guitarists, started the American Guitar Society (AGS), then known as the Los Angeles Guitar Society. She was a major contributor to the AGS and The Crescendo ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­magazine, and was the secretary and Musical Director of the AGS for many years. As secretary she would receive personal and professional correspondence from all over the world. As a passionate contributor of AGS, Olcott-Bickford and her husband combined their names to make the Zarvah Publishing Company. Zarvah Publishing Company worked together with AGS to provide new and renewing members with published music every year.
    An avid teacher of the Guitar, Olcott-Bickford is well known for her influential Guitar Method, Op. 25, and the Advanced Course , Op. 116. Olcott-Bickford also wrote numerous articles about the guitar, and corresponded with other musicians and enthusiasts about the instrument.
    She continued to live in Los Angeles, and when Zarh Bickford passed away in 1961, she was devastated. She later remarried Robert Revere, once again changing her name to Vahdah Olcott-Bickford Revere. Olcott-Bickford played guitar, and was associated with the AGS and the Astrological Society until her death in 1980. Over the course of her long and prominent career, her work influenced guitarists around the world.

    Scope and Contents

    The Vahdah Olcott-Bickford Collection documents Olcott-Bickford's professional life as a classical guitarist, an avid member of various organizations in the United States, her work with guitarists around the world, and her personal life.  The collection includes scores, letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, receipts, articles, lecture notes, and guest books, and dates from 1874-1980, with the bulk of materials from 1923-1979. It is divided into seven series: Scores (1800-2008), Correspondence (1884-1987), Personal and Subject Files (1882-1994), Periodicals (1893-2004), American Guitar Society Files (1924-1980), Photographic Material (1892-1970), and Sound Recordings.
    Series I, Scores (1800-2008), consists of approximately 7,000 music scores of varied instrumentation, almost always including a guitar, written by a wide variety of composers. They date primarily from the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of these scores are referenced in the correspondence, especially when Olcott-Bickford received them in the mail. Some are signed by Olcott-Bickford, possibly to show her ownership, and others include personal notes. The scores were published in various parts of the world including Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and are filed by identification number.
    Series II, Correspondence (1884-1987), is sorted in three subseries: Personal, Musicians and Music Organizations, and Astrological. These documents date between the early 1900s and late 1970s. The Personal subseries documents Olcott-Bickford's relationships with friends and family not affiliated with the guitar. The Musicians and Music Organizations subseries documents Olcott-Bickford's interactions with other professionals, and includes commentary about performances, programs, and other music-related topics. The Astrological correspondence documents Olcott-Bickford's interest in astrological matters, and includes correspondence between famous astrologers and friends. Many of these friends were guitarists who were also interested in astrology.  Each subseries is arranged alphabetically.
    Series III, Personal and Subject Files (1874-1994), documents the broad scope of Olcott-Bickford's professional and personal interests. It contains drafts, lectures, speeches, newspaper clippings, programs, catalogs, family records, ephemera, and other notes created for Olcott-Bickford and her husband's various professional and personal obligations as musicians, composers, arrangers, guitar historians, teachers, and astrologers. These materials date across her entire career as a guitarist and astrologer, and include personal notes and unrecorded lectures which provide a view into her life as a teacher. A few records of the Zarvah Publishing Company are included in this series, as well as some Robert Revere and Zarh Bickford's personal correspondence and other materials. The series is filed alphabetically.
    Series IV, Periodicals (1893-2004), includes serial publications about the guitar that Olcott-Bickford collected throughout her life. This series consists of two sub-series Complete Issues and Loose Articles. Complete Issues contain periodicals, dating from 1893-2004, which are closely related to guitar, banjo other plucked instruments. Loose Articles are clippings or tear outs from periodicals or newspapers dating from 1887-1994; they are articles highlighting the guitar or guitarists that Olcott-Bickford enjoyed reading about. Olcott-Bickford consistently and regularly added to her collection, and frequently wrote to magazines and periodicals that have since been discontinued. This series includes some articles that are specifically referred to in the Correspondence series. Periodicals range in date from the late 19 th to late 20 th century. Materials are filed alphabetically.
    Series V, American Guitar Society Files (1924-1980), consists of items that Olcott-Bickford collected during her work founding and leading the AGS, which includes correspondence, minutes, programs, catalogs, and guest books. All of these items demonstrate the growth and development of AGS from a small organization in Los Angeles to a large society with international associations. Materials in the series date from a time when Olcott-Bickford was an active member in the early 1920s, serving as the Secretary and Musical Director of the Society, until the late 1960s.
    Series VI, Photographic Material (1892-1970), contains personal and professional photographs of Olcott-Bickford, as well as photographs of people who corresponded with her and guitars. It is divided into two subseries: Loose Photographs and Albums and Scrapbooks. The series includes photographic prints, slides, negatives, photo albums, and scrapbooks. Each subseries is arranged alphabetically by file title.
    Series VII, Sound Recordings, consists of recordings that Olcott-Bickford personally collected or were given to her. Some of these sound recordings include items that have a label indicating they are from the Zarvah Publishing Co., and the rest are from Olcott-Bickford and Bickford's personal collection of sound recordings. They are dated approximately early to mid-20 th century. Many recordings have not been identified because they are unlabeled. Sound recording are filed by identification number.

    Arrangement of Materials:

    Series I: Scores, 1800-2008
    Series II: Correspondence, 1884-1987
        Subseries A: Personal, 1884-1969
        Subseries B: Musicians and Music Organizations, 1891-1987
        Subseries C: Astrological, 1915-1961
    Series III: Personal and Subject Files, 1874-1994
    Series IV: Periodicals, 1893-2004
    Series V: American Guitar Society Files, 1924-1980
        Subseries A: Correspondence, 1924-1980
        Subseries B: Minutes, 1935-1965
        Subseries C: Programs and Other Files, 1926-1980
    Series VI: Photographic Material, 1892-1970
        Subseries A: Loose Photographs, 1892-1968
        Subseries B: Albums and Scrapbooks, 1937-1970
        Subseries C: Copper Plates
    Series VII: Sound Recordings

    Electronic Format:

    Digital reproductions of selected items in this collection are available electronically as a part of the Vahdah Olcott-Bickford Correspondence (IGRA)  project, the International Guitar Research Archives Score Catalog,  the IGRA Guitar Scores,  and the International Guitar Research Archives Discography.  

    Conditions Governing Access:

    The collection is open for research use.

    Conditions Governing Use:

    Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

    Immediate Source of Acquisition

    Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, 1976

    Preferred Citation:

    For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materials  guide.

    Processing Information:

    Julieta Garcia, 2012

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Albums (Books)
    Documents
    Photographs
    Scrapbooks
    Audiovisual materials