Max Rabinoff papers, 1908-1961

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Series I: Cataloged Correspondence

The series contains the cataloged correspondence of Max Rabinoff, and is organized by last name of correspondent. Contracts, news articles, calling cards, and photographs of or about the correspondent are included . Correspondents include Lee de Forest, Otto Kahn, Leopold Stokowsky, and Vera Tchaikovsky.



Box 1 Folder 1 Bernstein, Leonard To: Max Rabinoff, [n.p.], 2 October 1947, t.l.s., 1p.


Box 1 Folder 1 Coolidge, Calvin To: Mary Belle King Sherman (Mrs. John D. Sherman); Alice Ames Winter (Mrs. Thomas G. Winter), [n.p.], 7 Jan. 1924; 26 Dec. 1923; 18 Feb. 1925, t.l.s.

[A series of letters reprinted as a presidential endorsment ofThe American Institute of Operatic Art]


Box 1 Folder 1 de Forest, Lee To: Max Rabinoff, Los Angeles, 28 October 1936, 2p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 1 de Forest, Lee To: Max Rabinoff, [n.p.], 15 February 1938, 1p. t.l.s.

[clipping is missing]


Box 1 Folder 1 de Forest, Lee To: Max Rabinoff, [n.p.], 20 February 1939, 1p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 1 Diaghilev, Sergei Pavlovich & M.V. Gulok Drafts of contracts in Russian, St. Petersburg, Russia, 10 February 1911, a.d. and t.d


Box 1 Folder 1 Dreiser, Theodore To: Max Rabinoff, New York, 11 April 1929, 1p. a.l.s. photostat


Box 1 Folder 1 Eastman, George To: Max Rabinoff, Rochester, NY., 18 June 1923, 1p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 1 Ezekiel, Mordecai To: Max Rabinoff, [n.p.], 14 September 1933, 1p. t.l.s. photostat


Box 1 Folder 1 Farley, James A. To: John J. Hearne, New York, 10 September 1951, 1p. t.l.s. photostat


Box 1 Folder 1 Fisher, Irving To: C.P. Franchot, New Haven, Connecticut, 5 September 1933, 1p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 1 Mary Steele (secretary to Oscar Hammerstein 2nd.) To: Max Rabinoff, New York, 27 July 1951, 1p. t.l.s.

[Included is a carbon of agreement for sale of the Philidelphia Opera House dated 26 April 1910]


Box 1 Folder 1 Jones, Jesse Holman To: Max Rabinoff, Washington, D.C., 14 September 1933, 1p. t.l.s with photostat of original


Box 1 Folder 1 Jones, Jesse Holman To Max Rabinoff, Washington, D.C., 3 September 1935, 1p. t.l.s

[Says photostat on the folio, but appears to be original]


Box 1 Folder 2 Kahn, Otto Hermann To: Max Rabinoff, New York, Bar Harbor, Chicago, Waterford, London, Biarritz and others, 9 August 1910 - 4 January 1934, 30 t.l.s. or cables

[On various subjects ranging from the opera to U.S. Soviet trade]


Box 1 Folder 3 Melba, Nellie To: Max Max Rabinoff, Burlingame, Ca., 2 April 1917, 1p. telegram

[Max Rabinoff telegram to Nellie Melba is missing]


Box 1 Folder 3 Morris, Newbold To: V. Clement Jenkins, New York, 24 March 1943, 1p. t.l. (typescript copy of a signed note


Box 1 Folder 3 Morros, Boris Mihailovitch To: Max Rabinoff, Hollywood, Ca., 28 October 1936, 1p. t.l.s.

[ WithNYTclipping on Morros]


Box 1 Folder 3 Rabinoff, Max To: Herman Bernstein, New York, 27 May 1926, 1p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Rabinoff, Max Memorandum on the late president Wilson, New York, [n.d.], 1p. m.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Rabinoff, Max contract with government of Mexico, Mexico City, 19 July 1910, 3p. t.d. carbon copy


Box 1 Folder 3 Stokowski, Leopold To: Max Rabinoff, New York; Connecticut; Beverley Hills, 1941-1950, 10 t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Strauss, Lewis L. To: Max Rabinoff, Washington, 29 March 1955, 1p. t.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Tchaikovsky, Vera To: [Max Rabinoff]; Max Rabinoff, [n.p.] [Paris] London, n.d., 3 a.l.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Tchaikovsky, Vera To: Max Rabinoff, Paris, November 1919, 2 calling cards; inscribed photo, 1p. a.n.s.


Box 1 Folder 3 Tchaikovsky, Vera To: Max Rabinoff, Paris, 26 March 1921, 1p. marconigram


Box 1 Folder 3 Tree, Sir Herbert Bearbohm Incomplete draft of contract with Max Rabinoff for an American tour, [n.p.], 1912


Box 1 Folder 3 Tynan, Brandon Contract to appear in the play The Mandarin signed by Herman Bernstein and Brandon Tynan with related letter and photograph, New York, 21 September 1920, 1p. t.l.s., 1p. contract

Series II: Arranged Correspondence

The series contains correspondence arranged in alphabetical order by last name of correspondent. The series includes letters to Rabinoff from Lyn Stiebel-Hunt (professionally known as "Saharah") and New York Times music critic Howard Taubman.



Box 4 A-Z, [v.p.], 1916-1960

Series III: Artifacts/Ephemera

The series contains material related to Rabinoff's activities as a music impresario. It is arranged chronologically and consists of correspondence, musical programs, photographs, and clippings.



Box 1 Folder 4 Contains information on Rabinoff's struggle to institute Sunday concerts in Chicago, on the Chicago auditorium, on performances for the Mexican government (1910), and on Rabinoff's wife, the soprano Marie La Salle, [n.p.], 1908-1916


Box 1 Folder 5 Contains information on Rabinoff's opera companies and protégés, [n.p.], 1917-1960


Box 1 Folder 6 Contains material from Rabinoff's scrapbook, some of which repeats the previous two files. Information is present on the performances for the Mexican government (1910), the production of The Miracle (1914), Marie La Salle, the US appearances of the Ukrainian National Chorus, the Imperial Balalaika Orchestra, and the American Institute of Operatic Arts at Stony Brook (1920s), [n.p.], 1910-1960


Box 1 Folder 7 Includes information on the Cosmopolitan Opera Company and Rabinoff's protégés, [n.p.], 1931-1961


Box 1 Folder 8 Chicago Grand Opera Company, [n.p.], 1908-1910



Box 2 Folder 1 Mexican National Opera, [n.p.], 1910-1944


Box 2 Folder 2 & 3 Boston Opera Company, [n.p.], 1910-1934


Box 2 Folder 4 Anna Pavlova


Box 2 Folder 5 & 6 American Institute of Operatic Art


Box 2 Folder 7 Cosmopolitan Opera Association, [n.p.], 1932-1943


Box 2 Folder 8 Photographs and biographical material

Series IV: Business

The series contains clippings, correspondence, speeches, and photostats relating to Rabinoff's work as economic adviser to Estonia and Georgia, and as a promoter of trade with Russia.



Box 3 Folder 1 Documents and letters on Rabinoff's role as economic adviser to Estonia and Georgia, [n.p.], 1901-1950s


Box 3 Folder 2-4 Material relating to Rabinoff's efforts to promote trade with Russia, 1920-1950