Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Bernice Harrison collection
- Dates:
- 1947-1958
- Abstract:
- Scrapbook and ephemera related to the life and career of Bernice Harrison, prima ballerina for the First Negro Classical Ballet, including photographs, clippings, programs, and periodicals.
- Extent:
- 1.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item]. Bernice Harrison collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes a scrapbook with photocopies of programs, photographs, and clippings about the First Negro Classical Ballet Company and productions featuring Bernice Harrison. There is also an oversize portrait of Harrison. Ephemera includes copies of contracts, clippings, publications, and collected programs from other ballets. Photographs are of Harrison and other FNCB dancers, particularly Graham Johnson.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Bernice Harrison was a dancer with the First Negro Classical Ballet Company (FNCB), founded in 1947 in Los Angeles by Joseph Rickard. Rickard founded the company after seeing Harrison's daughter, Angela Harrison, turned away from a ballet school and told that Blacks could not study classical dance. The FNCB was the first ballet school in Los Angeles for Black students. Bernice Harrison enrolled her daughter and also began taking classes at the school, eventually becoming a central presence in the company alongside other older students. She performed in several productions choreographed by Rickard, including Cinderella, Raisin' Cane, and A Little China Figure, and is considered the first Black woman to dance en pointe.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Nareshimah Osei, May 2022.
- Processing information:
-
Processed at the time of accessioning by Kelly Kress in July 2022.
- Arrangement:
-
Arranged by type of material.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-07-27 16:47:06 -0700 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.
- 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]. Bernice Harrison collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
- Location of this collection:
-
1151 Oxford RoadSan Marino, CA 91108, US
- Contact:
- (626) 405-2191