Guide to the Collection on Anna Pavlova
Processed by Cyndi Shein; machine-readable finding aid created by Cyndi Shein
Special Collections and Archives
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Phone: (949) 824-3947
Fax: (949) 824-2472
Email: spcoll@uci.edu
URL: http://special.lib.uci.edu
© 2007
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Collection on Anna Pavlova
Date: 1911-1981,
Date (bulk): bulk 1912-1931
Collection Number: MS-P050
Extent:
0.8 linear feet
(2 boxes)
Languages: The collection is primarily in English, with some materials in French, German, and Spanish.
Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.
Irvine, California 92623-9557
Abstract: The collection comprises dance programs, photographs, postcards, clippings, and tributes assembled by the University of California,
Irvine, Special Collections and Archives to document the career of Anna Pavlova, a ballerina who was renowned for her inspiring
performances and for generating world-wide interest in ballet through her tours of the Americas and the Far East. The collection
also contains papers from Pavlova's private student Beatrice Griffiths, documenting Griffiths' dance lessons and participation
in Pavlova's dance company and including a typed letter of recommendation signed by Pavlova.
Important Information for Researchers
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Printed materials created before 1923 are in the public domain.
For other materials, literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce
or to publish other materials, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Collection on Anna Pavlova. MS-P050. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
Acquisition Information
Acquired, 1985, 2001.
Processing History
Processed by Cyndi Shein 2007.
Biography
Between 1898 and 1930, Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova was one of the most celebrated dancers in the world and generated world-wide
interest in classical ballet. Her dance style was renowned for its artistry and grace in an era dominated by strength and
academic technique. She danced professionally for over twenty years and tirelessly brought ballet to people who had never
before had the opportunity to experience it. Sometime after 1912 she formed her own company and traveled with her troupe
to six continents, dancing in small provinces as well as big cities. She incorporated multi-cultural dances into her repertoire
and brought dances from East Asia and Mexico to central Europe and North America. Pavlova choreographed solos for herself
and created a short ballet called
Autumn Leaves. Her signature dance was
Le Cygne (The Swan), which combined very traditional footwork with less formal, expressive arm movements. Through
Le Cygne, Pavlova touched audiences deeply by communicating the fragility of life. She portrayed a dying swan by dancing passionately
en point through the entire dance and leaving her toes only in surrender to death at the very end.
Professionally, Pavlova was ever in the spotlight, but she managed to keep much of her personal life private. The claim that
she was married to her manager Victor Dandré is unsubstantiated, though they were domestic partners for many years. She had
no children of her own, but following the devastation of World War I, Pavlova established a home for Russian orphans at St.
Cloud near Paris. At her home in London,
Ivy House, Pavlova kept many pets, including a pair of white swans.
Throughout her life, Pavlova maintained an exhausting pace of traveling and tours and is reputed to never have missed a scheduled
performance. On a cold December night in 1930, while en route to the Netherlands, the train on which Pavlova was traveling
broke down, stranding her in the cold for hours. She caught a chill, which developed into pneumonia and then pleurisy. For
the first time in her career, Anna Pavlova cancelled a show. She died January 23, 1931.
Biography/Organization History
Chronology
| 1881 January 31 |
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia to mother Lyubov Fyodorovna Pavlova. (Date of birth given as February 12, 1881 in some sources.) |
| 1892 |
Admitted to the Imperial Ballet School, St. Petersburg. |
| 1898 |
Made official stage début at the Maryinsky. |
| 1899 April |
Graduated form the Imperial Ballet School, St. Petersburg. |
| 1905 |
Began to study with Enrico Cecchetti. |
| 1907 December |
First danced
Le Cygne (The Swan).
|
| 1908 |
Toured Riga, Helsingfors, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. |
| 1909 Spring |
Toured Leipzig, Prague, and Vienna. |
| 1909 Summer |
Toured Paris, France with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and appeared with Nijinsky. Danced
Le Cygne in London for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
|
| 1910 April 18 |
Opened at the Palace Theatre in London. |
| 1910 |
Made her American debut performing Coppelia with Michel Mordkin at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. |
| 1911 |
Engaged Laurent Novikoff as dance partner. Toured London with the Ballets Russe. Appeared in St. Petersburg. |
| 1912 |
Took up residence at
Ivy House at the edge of Hampstead Heath and made London her home.
|
| 1913 |
Toured Germany. Appeared in St. Petersburg. |
| 1914 |
Engaged Alexandre Volinine as her dance partner. Toured North America. Purchased
Ivy House.
|
| 1915 |
Toured the United States. Presented her own interpretation of
The Sleeping Beauty.
|
| 1916 |
Appeared in the Hollywood motion picture
The Dumb Girl of Portici.
|
| 1917 |
Toured Havana, Cuba. |
| 1918 |
Toured Mexico and South America. |
| 1920-21 |
Solicited funds and established an orphanage in Paris, France for Russian refugee children. |
| 1922-23 |
Toured the Far East. |
| 1925 |
Toured the European continent. |
| 1926-27 |
Toured South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. |
| 1927 |
Toured England, Germany, and Italy. |
| 1928-29 |
Embarked on her last world tour, which included South America, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Java, Burma, and Australia. Engaged
Pierre Vladimiroff as her dance partner.
|
| 1930 December 13 |
Final appearance at Golders Green, London, dancing
Giselle.
|
| 1931 January 23 |
Died of pleurisy at The Hague, Netherlands. Cremated and buried at Golders Green, London. |
Bibliography
Frank, A. H. (ed.).
Pavlova, a Biography. Bath, England: Pitman Press, 1956.
Magriel, Paul.
Pavlova, an Illustrated Monograph. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1947.
Money, Keith.
Anna Pavlova, Her Life and Art. New York : A. A. Knopf, 1982.
Pritchard, Jane. "Pavlova, Anna Pavlovna (1881–1931)." In
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37836 (accessed July 27, 2007).
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The collection comprises dance programs, photographs, postcards, clippings, and tributes assembled by the University of California,
Irvine Special Collections and Archives to document the career of Anna Pavlova, a ballerina who was renowned for her inspiring
performances and for generating world-wide interest in ballet through her tours of the Americas and the Far East. The collection
also contains papers from Pavlova's private student Beatrice Griffiths, documenting Griffiths' dance lessons and participation
in Pavlova's dance company and including a typed letter of recommendation signed by Pavlova.
The term "event program" is used to describe materials printed for particular performances and include the names of participants
or performing arts organizations. Event programs often contain specific times, dates, and ticket information. The term "souvenir
program" is used to describe materials that were issued annually or seasonally. Souvenir programs usually contain descriptions
of selected dances and images of featured performers but often lack specific information about performance titles, times,
and dates.
Collection Arrangement
This collection is arranged alphabetically by format. Within each format, items are arranged alphabetically or chronologically
as appropriate.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Pavlova, Anna, 1881-1931 -- Archives.
Griffiths, Beatrice -- Archives.
Ballets russes -- History -- Sources.
Ballet -- History -- Sources.
Genres and Formats of Materials
Dance programs -- 20th century.
Souvenir programs -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- 20th century.
Postcards -- 20th century.
Occupations
Ballet dancers.
Collection Contents
Beatrice Griffiths papers related to Anna Pavlova
Biography/Organization History
Beatrice Griffiths was one of only seven private pupils that Anna Pavlova taught during her lifetime. Griffiths received lessons
from Pavlova in London and traveled the world with Pavlova's company. By 1926 Griffiths established her own school, The School
of Operatic Dancing, at Gloworm Studios.
Box : Folder 1 : 1
Correspondence
1912-1922
Scope and Content Note
Includes letters from Daniel Mayer, Victor Dandré, and [Marjorie ?] Ford to Beatrice and her mother Edith Griffiths concerning
Beatrice's dance lessons and invitations to perform.
Box : Folder 1 : 2
Pavlova Company identification card, postcard, and clippings
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 3
Letter of recommendation (typescript) for Griffiths signed by Pavlova
1920
Box : Folder 1 : 4
Receipts concerning payment for dance lessons
1912-1913
Box : Folder 1 : 5
Articles
1932-1972,
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 6
Event programs
1916,
undated
Box : Folder FB 22 : 6
Oversized news sheets
1930,
undated
Dance programs and tributes
Box : Folder 1 : 9
Saison Russe, "Special engagement of Mlle. Pavlova, Russia's acknowledged greatest Dancer and the famous Leader of the Imperial
Russian Ballet M. Morkin" (Palace Theatre), April 17, 1911, event program
1911
Box : Folder 1 : 10
"Mlle. Pavlowa's 1914-15 American Tour," souvenir program
1914
Box : Folder 1 : 11
"Anna Pavlowa and her Ballet Russe" (Medinah Temple, Chicago), event and souvenir programs
1920
Physical Description: 2 items
Box : Folder FB 22 : 6
"Anna Pavlova et les principaux artistes de sa troupe: A. Volinine, Hilda Butzova" (Palais du Trocadéro), souvenir program
1921
Box : Folder FB 22 : 6
"Grand Gala Pavlova, Fête de nuit à bagatelle, Un Cygne sur le Lac. Paris, 21 Juin 1921," souvenir program
1921
Box : Folder FB 22 : 6
"Soirée de Gala, 8 Juin 1925, Palais du Trocadéro - Paris," souvenir program
1925
Box : Folder 1 : 12
"Anna Pavlova supported by Laurent Novikoff [and] Alexandre Volinine" (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), souvenir program
1925?
Box : Folder 1 : 13
"Anna Pavlova supported by Laurent Novikoff [and] Alexandre Volinine" (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), souvenir program
1927?
Box : Folder 1 : 14
"Pavlova supported by Laurent Novikoff" (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden) souvenir program
1927?
Box : Folder 1 : 15
"Anna Pavlova, Special performance to establish a perpetual memorial to the great dancer," event program and flier
1931
Physical Description: 2 items
Box : Folder 1 : 16
"Anna Pawlowa," souvenir program
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 17
"Empire Theatre Calcutta, Programme," program of upcoming performances
undated
Box : Folder FB 22 : 6
"Homage to Pavlova," tribute
undated
Physical Description: 12x12 inches, 19 pages with photographs
Scope and Content Note
Designed as a record insert to accompany recording of Richard Bonygne conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Collection
does not include the recording.
Box : Folder 1 : 18
"Homenaje a Ana Pavlova, por André Levinson," tribute (Spanish)
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 19
"Mlle. Anna Pavlova," souvenir program
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 20
"Palace Theatre W. Saison Russe, Mlle. Anna Pavlova" (First production in England of "Les Preludes"), souvenir program
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 21
"Palace Theatre W. Saison Russe, Mlle. Anna Pavlova" (selected divertissments), souvenir program
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 22
"Pavlowa," souvenir program with Malvina Hoffman sculpture on cover
undated
Physical Description: Sepia-toned, tied with string
Box : Folder 1 : 23
"Pavlowa," souvenir program with Malvina Hoffman sculpture on cover
undated
Physical Description: Stapled, 2 items
Box : Folder 1 : 24
Untitled souvenir program
undated
Box : Folder 1 : 25
Artwork depicting Pavlova
undated
Scope and Content Note
Contains 1 photograph of Sir John Lavery's painting
La mort du cygnet: Anna Pavlova and 6 photographs of a plaster cast of Pavlova's head.
Box : Folder 1 :26-27
Pavlova at leisure
undated
Physical Description: 11 photographs, various sizes (5 x 8 to 9 x 12 inches)
Scope and Content Note
Contains black-and-white and sepia-toned photographs of Pavlova playing croquet and posing outdoors. Pavlova appears alone
in some photographs and with friends or pets in others.
Box : Folder 1 :28-29
Pavlova in costume
undated
Physical Description: 31 photographs, various sizes (5 x 7 to 8 x 10 inches)
Scope and Content Note
Contains black-and-white and sepia-toned photographs of Pavlova posing in various costumes from her many performances. Supporting
cast members appear in some of the photographs with Pavlova.
Postcards and greeting card
Box : Folder 2 : 1
General
undated
Physical Description: 1 greeting card, 19 postcards
Box : Folder 2 : 2
Leningrad exhibition
1981
Scope and Content Note
Set of 12 postcards with introduction in Russian.
Box : Folder 2 : 3
Anna Pavlova: Catalogue of the Commemorative Exhibition organised by the London Museum in association with the Anna Pavlova
Commemorative Committee
(London: 1956)
1956
Box : Folder 2 : 4
Art and Archaeology (September 1928, Vol. 26, No. 3)
1928
Box : Folder 2 : 5
Coppelia: Grand Ballet in Three Acts by Charles Nuitter and A. Saint-Leon (New York: Charles E. Burden, n.d.)
undated
Box : Folder 2 : 6
Dance Magazine (January 1956)
1956
Box : Folder 2 : 7
Stage Pictorial (December 1913, Vol. 2, No. 10)
1913
Box : Folder 2 : 8
Sunset, the Pacific Monthly (January 1916)
1916
