Manuscript Resources on The History of Music, Drama, and Other Performing Arts
This guide describes manuscript resources in the Louisiana and Lower Mississippi Valley Collections that document performing arts history. Most of the collections relate to music, with smaller numbers dealing with theater, and a few dealing with dance. Geographically, most of the collections center around Louisiana, with many reflecting the rich cultural history of New Orleans and its diverse French and American cultural streams. Baton Rouge and other cities and towns are documented to a lesser degree. The cultural life of rural Louisiana is reflected in plantation collections containing sheet music, playbills, and other evidence of cultural activity.
The collections include papers of music and drama teachers, composers and writers, and performers. They also contain papers of those who sat in the audiences of musical and other performances and commented on them in letters and diaries, or compiled collections of programs and other ephemera dealing with the performances they witnessed. Finally, they contain papers of researchers who wrote about music and theater history.
Though extensive, the resources listed in this guide form a small part of the totality of materials documenting performing arts history in LSU's Special Collections. An exhaustive search of available inventories of manuscript collections would turn up additional important documentation. The Rare Book Collections contain a wide variety of relevant imprints, and include an extensive database of uncataloged sheet music. Similarly, the Louisiana Collection contains additional imprints on the performing arts, specifically related to Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Valley. A folder containing several music history finding aids in addition to this one is available at the Special Collections reference desk.
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Peytavin, John Ludger, b. 1859. Papers, 1806-1937. 342 items, 43 vols. Location: C:27-29, O:17, OS:P, 99:P. Attorney, author, composer, and planter of Ancient Domain Plantation in St. James Parish, Louisiana, and of New Orleans. Business and professional papers concern the operation of Peytavin's plantation and law practice. Personal papers include correspondence, manuscript copies of poems, songs, speeches, and historical sketches. Collection also includes programs for New Orleans theater, opera, and concert performances. Most of the legal papers before 1843 are in French, as is some of the post-1885 correspondence. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 465, 1067, 1071, 1072. Referenced in Guides: Plantations, New Orleans to 1861, Performing arts, New Orleans 1866-, French, Literature
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Peytavin, John Ludger, b. 1859. Papers, 1852-1915. 102 items. Location: UU:84. Attorney, author, composer, and planter of Ancient Domain Plantation in St. James Parish, Louisiana, and of New Orleans. Collection includes letters, bills and receipts, and photographs, chiefly of Jefferson College in Convent, Louisiana, which Peytavin attended. A brochure describes the residents and history of Jefferson and several other parishes. Included are two family photograph albums, a volume of music composed by Peytavin, and two bound volumes of published sheet music. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 1447. |
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Philharmonic Society of St. James Parish. Records, 1875-1876. 10 items, 1 ms. vol. Location: Misc.:P, M:19. Journal contains miscellaneous records of the Society including a copy of the constitution. Loose items consist of bills and receipts in French, and a list of subscribers. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 345. Referenced in Guides: Performing arts, French
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Pirrie, James. Papers, 1803-circa 1830. 0.2 linear ft. Location: UU:104. Member of a Scottish family, an alcalde under the Spanish, and owner of Oakley Plantation in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Papers include documents related to plantation and business matters, cotton marketing, and legal affairs of the family. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 1382. Referenced in Guides: Plantations, New Orleans to 1861, Performing arts, Women, Business, African Americans
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Playmakers of Baton Rouge. Programs, 1985-1991. .1 linear ft. Location: E:38. Professional theater company for young audiences organized in Baton Rouge, circa 1982. Programs of performances and benefit galas. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 4612. Referenced in Guides: Performing arts, Baton Rouge
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Poetry scrapbooks and blacksmith ledger, 1833-1883. 2 vols. Location: C:26. Clippings from New Orleans newspapers, including presidential campaign songs, poetry, and Confederate lyrics. Vol. 1 was originally a blacksmith ledger and contains blacksmith entries. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 2297. Referenced in Guides: New Orleans to 1861, Performing arts, New Orleans in the Civil War, New Orleans 1866-, Civil War, Literature
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Post, Lauren Chester. Papers, 1899-1977. 10 linear ft. Location: 7:11-22, 65:, W:10, OS:P. Native of Rayne, Louisiana, professor of geography at San Diego State University, and author of "Cajun Sketches" (1974) and "Louisiana As It Is" (1969). Correspondence, an autobiography, research materials, published and unpublished works, newspaper clippings, recordings of folk music, interviews, photos, and other material related to Post's books and research on Cajun folk-life and other topics. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 2854. |
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Presidential campaign songs, 1876, 1884. 4 items. Location: OS:P. Sheet music for political campaign songs for Rutherford B. Hayes, Governor Samuel J. Tilden, and James G. Blaine. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 2600-73. Referenced in Guides: Politics, Performing arts
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Randall, Lizzie. Letter, circa 1851. 1 item. Location: Misc.:R. Letter to a friend in Connecticut describing New Orleans social life, including visits to the opera, art museums, and concert halls. Randall writes about performances by Rosa Devries and Jenny Lind. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 1326. |
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Reed, Mary. Collection, 1937-1968, undated. 102 items. Location: U:144. Playbills for theatrical and musical performances, dramatic readings, opera, ballet, and vaudeville, principally in New York City. For further information, see online catalog. Mss. 2474. Referenced in Guides: Performing arts, Literature
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