Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Forsythe, Harold Bruce
- Abstract:
- Harold Bruce Forsythe was an African-American composer, author, and poet. This collection consists of manuscripts of Forsythe's musical scores, poems, short stories, essays, and a novel from 1903-1997.
- Extent:
- 22.16 Linear Feet (15 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Harold Bruce Forsythe papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Harold Bruce Forsythe papers consists of manuscripts of Forsythe's musical scores, poems, short stories, essays, and a novel. Included in the correspondence are six letters from Forsythe to long-time friend Verna Arvey, who later married composer William Grant Still. Included in the manuscripts are several essays by Forsythe about William Grant Still and about several of Still's works, particularly his ballet "Sahdji." There are also audio cassette tape recordings of the Forsythe program at the Huntington Library, February 1997.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Harold Bruce Forsythe was an African-American composer, author, and poet of the 1920s and 1930s. Born in 1908, he grew up in Los Angeles, attended Manual Arts High School, and later studied classical piano and composition at Julliard Graduate School from 1927 to 1928. He collaborated with composer William Grant Still in composing the operas "The Sorcerer" and "Blue Steel." By 1940, Forsythe's advancing deafness ended his career as a musician and composer. He died in 1976.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Harold Sumner Forsythe, 1995 and 1997.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Rebecca Tuttle, February 2000. In 2020, Gina C Giang created a finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
- Arrangement:
-
Organized in the following series: 1. Manuscript musical scores; 2. Manuscripts; 3. Correspondence; 4. Ephemera.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- African American authors -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
-- Archives
African American composers -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archives
African American musicians -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archives
Composition (Music)
Audiotapes -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Ephemera -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Essays -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Manuscripts for publication -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Novels -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Poems -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Photographs -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century
Scores -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century - Names:
- Arvey, Verna, 1910-1987
Forsythe, Harold Bruce
Still, William Grant, 1895-1978
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
- Terms of access:
-
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Harold Bruce Forsythe papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191