Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Tivoli / Valerga Collection
991.49  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Biography/Administrative History
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Indexing Terms
  • Additional collection guides

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Tivoli / Valerga Collection
    Dates: 1869-1939
    Collection Number: 991.49
    Creator/Collector: Valerga
    Extent: 16 Boxes. 13.3 linear feet.
    Repository: Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
    San Francisco, California 94124
    Abstract: In 1849, Antoinetta Damonte and Bartolomeo Valerga left their native Genoa and eloped on a ship bound for Boston. After several years, during which they had four children, the couple decided to move to California, eventually settling in San Francisco in 1854. Music was a way of life in the Valerga home perched atop Russian Hill, and later on an Oakland ranch where the family had a theater constructed. All the children were taught to paint, sing opera, and play piano. Nine of their eleven children went on to dominate San Francisco playbills from 1870 until the 1930’s; the next generation, in turn, populated the ranks of the region’s composers, vocalists, actresses, screenwriters and artists. Many were stars at the Tivoli Opera House and Francis “Frank” Valerga (1854-1904) among others founded the Valerga Opera Company. This collection documents the lives and careers of various members of the Valerga Family from 1869 through 1939. The collection is divided into five different sections, the first four designated to materials relating to individual members of the family (Ida, Frank, Kate and Tillie) and the last to related materials. Materials in the collection include clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs, vocal scores, drawings, a scrapbook, photo albums, costumes, and miscellaneous ephemera.
    Language of Material: English

    Access

    Entire Collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    Reproduction of these materials can occur only if the copying falls within the provisions of the doctrine of fair use. Copyright varies by item.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item]. Tivoli / Valerga Collection. Collection Number: 991.49. Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library

    Acquisition Information

    The Tivoli/Valerga Collection was given to the Museum of Performance & Design by Robert Commanday in May of 1991. Commanday received the collection from Mrs. Lulu Stock; a descendant of the Valerga Family.

    Biography/Administrative History

    In 1849, Antoinetta Damonte and Bartolomeo Valerga left their native Genoa and eloped on a ship bound for Boston. After several years, during which they had four children, the couple was lured by tales of gold-filled rivers running through the California Mountains; they left Boston in 1853, tried their luck in the gold country and settled in San Francisco in 1854. Antoinetta taught each of her children (eleven in all) to paint, to sing opera, and to accompany each other on the piano, enabling them to become cultural assets to the burgeoning community. Music was a way of life in the Valerga home perched atop Russian Hill, and later on an Oakland ranch where the family had a theater constructed. Bartolomeo, the patriarch of the clan, died in 1906. Nine of their eleven children went on to dominate San Francisco playbills from 1870 until the 1930’s; the next generation, in turn, populated the ranks of the region’s composers, vocalists, actresses, screenwriters and artists. These include: Bartolomeo Valerga (1825-1906) patriarch of the Valerga Family, Domenico Riccardo “Dick” Valerga (b.1849), a leading baritone at the Tivoli Opera House, Ida Valerga (b.1851), the most famous member of the Valerga family who sang at La Scala when she was 22 and performed before the Tsar, for Kaiser Wilhelm and at Queen Victoria’s Silver Jubilee, Mathilde “Tillie” Valerga Apel (b.1853), a Tivoli Opera singer called “The Moon” due to her renowned beauty and lilting light opera voice, Francis “Frank” Valerga (1854-1904), a founder of the Valerga Opera Company who took members of his company to Africa to perform at diamond camps during the diamond rush (called “The Tenor of San Francisco”), Eda and Nina Valerga, sisters, both of whom performed at the Tivoli Opera House, Kate Valerga Marchi (b.1857), a fabled salon singer and Tivoli Opera performer, Robert Valerga (1872-1900), a French horn player and member of an early symphony orchestra in San Francisco, Johnny Valerga, a clarinetist who performed with both the orchestra and the Valerga Opera Company, Thomas Valerga (d.1955), a celebrated cornet player who played with the John Philip Sousa Band, the early symphony and the Valerga Opera Company, and Richard “Peter” Valerga (d. 1958), a pianist who performed with both the San Francisco Symphony and the Valerga Opera Company. This is not the entire roster of Valerga’s who have performed, but it does encompass the beginnings of the family whose presence had a major impact on the San Francisco arts community. Some descendants of the Valerga Family still live in the Bay Area and continue to play active roles in the arts.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    The Tivoli / Valerga Collection documents the lives and careers of various members of the Valerga Family from 1869 through 1939. The collection is divided into five different sections, the first four designated to materials relating to individual members of the family (Ida, Frank, Kate and Tillie) and the last to related materials. Maria Ida Valerga’s materials include clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs from the Tivoli Opera House, The Liverpool Seaman’s Orphan Institute and Teatro Alvarez, vocal scores signed by Ida and miscellaneous materials including a sewing box, photo album and two photographic die. Frank Valerga’s materials include clippings, correspondence, drawings by Frank, photographs and a vocal score from Pagliacci. Kate Valerga Marchi’s materials include photographs and vocal scores signed by Kate. Mathilde “Tillie” Valerga’s materials include clippings, photographs, and programs from the Tivoli Opera House and Platts Hall and vocal scores signed by Mathilde. Photographs and clippings of family members are included; along with programs and vocal scores; a large scrapbook belonging to one of the Valerga Family and three photo albums. The oversize collection contains programs, sheet music and costumes from various Valerga family members. The collection, in addition to these items contains photographs, clippings and vocal scores of Adelina Patti, Alice Nielson and Emille Telle.

    Indexing Terms

    Actors and actresses
    Composers
    Opera
    Musicians
    Screenwriters
    Singers
    Damonte, Antoinetta
    Marchi, Kate Valerga
    Nielson, Alice, 1876-
    Patti, Adelina, 1843-1919
    Telle, Emille
    Valerga, Bartolomeo
    Valerga, Domenico Riccardo
    Valerga, Eda
    Valerga, Frank
    Valerga, Ida
    Valerga, Johnny
    Valerga, Maria Ida
    Valerga, Mathilde
    Valerga, Nina
    Valerga, Richard
    Valerga, Robert
    Valerga, Thomas
    John Philip Sousa Band
    La Scala
    Liverpool Seaman’s Orphan Institute
    Platts Hall
    San Francisco Symphony
    Teatro Alvarez
    Tivoli Opera House (San Francisco, Calif.)

    Additional collection guides