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Guide to the Wuest/Schumann-Heink Papers
MS 33
MS 33
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Title: Wuest/Schumann-Heink Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MS 33
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.25 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1919-1936
Abstract: This collection contains personal papers of opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink and the Wuest family in San Diego in the
1920s and 1930s.
creator:
Wuest, Albert
Biographical / Historical Notes
Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861-1936) arrived in the United States in 1898, following a career as an opera singer in Europe.
Upon her arrival, Schumann-Heink signed as a singer with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. After five seasons with
the Metropolitan, Schumann-Heink returned briefly to Germany. Her stay in Germany was brief, and she soon returned to the
United States. Shortly after her return, her second husband, Paul Schumann died. In 1905, Schumann-Heink was married to her
secretary, William Rapp, from whom she was divorced in 1914.
After arriving in San Diego in 1910 for a concert at the Garrick Theater, Schumann-Heink decided to make San Diego her home.
She purchased property in the Grossmont area and constructed a home in what later came to be known as a “Colony for Artists.”
Among those who later came to reside in the “colony” were the poet Carrie Jacobs Bond, and authors Owen Wister and John Vance
Cheney.
Schumann-Heink was active during the years of the First World War, raising money for the armed services. Her singing to the
soldiers gave her a special place in their hearts. In 1928, Schumann-Heink donated her Grossmont home to the Disabled Veterans
of Minneapolis for use as a retirement home. Due to financial difficulties, however, ownership reverted to Schumann-Heink
in 1932. Madame Schumann-Heink died in Hollywood, California, in November of 1936. A plaque in her memory was dedicated on
Memorial Day, 1938, in the organ pavilion of Balboa Park.
This collection contains personal papers of opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink and the Wuest family in San Diego in the
1920s and 1930s. Materials consist of correspondence, telegrams, and some concert programs. The correspondence in this collection
pertains primarily to Schumann-Heink’s property in San Diego, although some letters do refer to her children. This is little
information on her singing activities, outside of the programs. The letterheads do indicate the wide variety of places where
she toured.
This collection is arranged by material type.
SB 118 Ernestine Schumann-Heink Scrapbook Collection
Wuest / Schumann-Heink Papers, MS 33, San Diego History Center Document Archives, San Diego, CA.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Collection processed by Samantha Mills on January 11, 2017.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Schumann-Heink, Ernestine, 1861-1936
Correspondence
Real property