Collection context
Summary
Background
- Scope and content:
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The Emma Nevada collection consists of Nevada family personal objects and ephemera as well as research materials for the projected book on Emma Nevada to be entitled The Miner’s Canary (never published). Series 1, Nevada Family Papers, contains original ephemera and objects from the 18th – 20th centuries, belonging to Emma or Mignon Nevada. Subseries 1 contains personal and family papers, correspondence, and manuscript notes; Subseries 2 contains programs, press extracts, professional biographies, and news clippings (both series arranged by category and date); Subseries 3 contains photographs of Emma Nevada, painted family portraits and ephemera. Series 2, Research Materials, consists of Ruth Hermann’s research for a biography of Emma Nevada (never published). It contains Ruth Hermann’s notes from newspapers, official records and other sources and from her trips to sites, photocopies of newspaper articles, photographic copies of original photographs, and modern snapshots of people, places and monuments. Inventory available by request.
- Biographical / historical:
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Emma Wixom was born on February 7, 1859 in the Alpha mining camp near Nevada City in California. Her father, Dr. William Wallace Wixon, moved the family overland to recently opened silver mine in Austin, Nevada. Emma spent the remainder of her childhood in Nevada and participated in many local musical events. Already a gifted linguist, Emma studied Spanish, Italian, French and German at Mills College, and took classes with vocal teacher Alfred Kelleher. Mrs. Susan Mills enabled Emma to travel to Europe to continue her training. She became the pupil of famous vocal teacher Mathilde Marchesi and after three years of Marchesi’s strong influece, Emma made her debut at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, under the stage name "Nevada," inspired by both the city she was born near and later the state she spent her childhood in. She toured Europe and the United States for nearly 30 years before retiring and devoting herself to vocal teaching. Emma Nevada died in 1940 in Liverpool, England.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by Victor Hermann in July 1998
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Mills College -- Alumni and alumnae.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
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Contact the Special Collections Curator, F.W. Olin Library, Mills College, for copyright information and permission to publish.
- Preferred citation:
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Emma Nevada Collection. Northeastern University (Oakland)
- Location of this collection:
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Special Collections, F. W. Olin Library5000 MacArthur Blvd.Oakland, CA 94613, US
- Contact:
- 510.430.2047