Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Birmingham, Alma
- Language:
- English.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Clippings, correspondence, photos, programs, publicity, scrapbooks, posters, postcards and posters concerning the career of Lillian Birmingham and her daughter Alma Birmingham.
The Lillian Birmingham Collection is arranged in chronological order of the events in the lives of Lillian Birmingham and her daughter, Alma Birmingham. The collection was arranged originally in that manner by Alma Birmingham, the donor. The California State Library staff has endeavored to keep that arrangement intact with other minor changes to correct obvious mistakes, to include data present, but unlisted, and to clarify wordings which appeared confusing. The original inventory lists prepared by Ms. Birmingham to complement the arrangement have been augmented by a detailed description of the actual items in each listing. (For the original inventories see Box No. 942.)
Alma Birmingham also prepared an index, year by year, of various persons and events in her mothers life. This index includes listings of performers, composers, music teachers, conductors, agents, recitals, concerts, conventions, and the like. The index lists these people and events by the year in which material related to them is dated and in which they are grouped within the collection. The index is located on the original collection folders prepared by Alma Birmingham which are grouped in Box No. 942.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Lillian Birmingham, nee Kraft, was born in 1871 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She possessed a deep, rich contralto voice and began singing during her teens . In 1889 she moved to San Francisco and was married there in 1890 to J.E. Birmingham, a jeweler. During her long singing career, she studied in London and Paris, and performed in San Francisco, other California cities, London, New York, and Hamilton, Canada. Her last public performance was in San Francisco in 1932, but she remained active and influential in California music, both as a member and leader of numerous musical organizations and events, and as a teacher of voice. In March, 1942, she suffered a severe stroke and died a few days later. That same year, the Lillian Birmingham Scholarship fund was established by her family in memorial of her.
- Physical description:
- 9 boxes
Access and use
- Location of this collection:
-
900 N Street, Room 200, P.O. Box 942837Sacramento, CA 94237-0001, US
- Contact:
- (916) 654-0176