H. Lawrence Freeman papers, 1870-1982, 2015, bulk 1890-1954

Series I: Musical Scores, 1893-1950, undated

The bulk of the H. Lawrence Freeman Papers consists of his musical scores, including many manuscripts in his own handwriting.

Series II: Performance Documentation, 1905-1964, undated

Programs, fliers, posters, scripts, receipts and other documents chronicling the performance activities of the Freemans make up the bulk of this series. Highlights include 12 exquisite watercolor costume designs by Amos Dickenson for The Martyr, circa 1920, and rare programs from such historic African-American theatres as the Pekin, the New Lincoln, the Anita Bush Stock Company, and others. The folder of receipts from 1920-1924 was removed from an accordion file found in the collection. The original order of the receipts has been preserved, although it is not always chronological. Many expenses relate to the formation of the Negro Grand Opera Company, which occurred during this period. Programs kept by the Freemans for events in which they did not perform, but probably attended, are also included.

Series III: Images, circa 1870-1969

This series is an exceptionally rich gathering of early visual material of African-Americans, including paintings, daguerreotypes, and publicity photographs, and snapshots. Many images portray the Freemans or their colleagues in costume or during performance. There is a large group of 'headshot' photos of performers, many of which are inscribed to various members of the Freeman family: highlights include photographs of Anita Bush, Charles Gilpin, Dorothy Mayner, and the Cole-Johnson brothers. Because of the lack of dates on many images, they are primarily organized by size and medium, with categorization by date or subject where possible. For a list of all identified sitters, please see below.

The following subjects (other than the Freemans) are identified in photographs:

In headshots and publicity photos: Bonn, Hugo; Brice, Carol; Brown, Ann; Brown, Lillyn; Burrell, Louise Mallory; Bush, Anita; Chenault, Lawrence; Christopher, Lillian; Cole, Bob (with Johnson brothers, see below); Criner, J. Lawrence; Decaldwell, Lavinia Mallory; DeSilva, Cecile; Dixon, Dean; Gardner, Marvin; Gilpin, Charles; Gordon, E. Taylor; Hall, Thomas R; Heyliger, Syrenus; Hines, Earle; Horne, Lena; Hubbard, Ivy; Jarbora, Caterina; Johnson, James Weldon, with J. Rosamond Johnson and Bob Cole; Johnson, Momodu; Johnson and Dean; Jones, Sisseretta ; Knight, Evelyn; Mason, Lydia; Mayner, Dorothy; Mills, Florence; Montgomery, Frank, and Florence McClain; Mores, J. Francis; Olden, Charles; Patterson, Masau; Preer, Evelyn; Price, Loys; Rahn, Muriel (in cast photo of The Martyr 1947); Rocca, Louis; Sissle, Noble; Smith, Rollin R.; Stewart, Harrison; Swarz, Lou; "Uncle Rube"; Verwayan, Percy; Walker, Rachael Lenoir; Walker, Aida Overton; Whipper, Leigh; and Woodby, Marie

In cardstock photos: Brawley, Edward Macknight; Brown, Andiaels Linsey; Chislom, F.; Gilpin, Charles; Griend, Brice, Prof.; Hayford, Casley; Kirkpatrick, Sidney; Lee, Arthur Bonneau; Lee, Laura; Martin, Reverend Charles; Singer, Fannie Wise; Thomas, Henry; Thomas, Louis; and Wills, Walter, Jr.

In postcard photos: Foster, Herman; Moss, Ethel; Thomas, Louis; Thomas, W.A.; and "Uncle Walt" (H. Lawrence Freeman's uncle)

In Oversize Photos: Anita Bush Stock Co, production still; and Negro Choral Society

Series IV: Correspondence, 1900-1980, undated

Contained in this series are letters to and from the Freemans over their entire adult lives. Much material survives from the 1920s and 1930s relating to production of H. Lawrence's operas. Other highlights include several letters from Carlotta to Valdo, 1915-1918, when she was touring with a theatrical company, and a letter from H. Lawrence to Edward Hipsher with a wealth of biographical detail to assist Hipsher with his entry on Freeman in his book, American Opera and its Composers, 1933.

Correspondents include (* Indicates outgoing correspondence only): Amato, Pasquale*; Bearden, Bessye*; Bingham, Ralph; Bogen, Hyman; Bourne, St. Claire; Brascher, Nahum; Briglia, J.; Burgoyne, Allie; Burleigh, Harry T.*; Butler, Ewan; Caldwell, Ella Mary; Chamberlin, Clarence; Chotzinoff, Samuel*; Colfer, Jessica; Copley, Richard; Cottman, Dorothella; Cushing, Bartley; Davis, Marita; Delacorte, George T., Jr.; DeMille, Cecil B.*; Downs, W. C.; Finsterwald, Maxine; Ford, Harry; Fowler, Thomas; George, Louis W.; Gregory, Oliver H.; Harris, Arthur*; Harris, George; Henry St Settlement Music School (signature illegible); Hersey, Harold; Horsey, Mabel Laws; Hubbert, James*; Hubbard, Ida Forsyne; Hurley, Edward F.; Jeter, Olyve L.; Johnson, Edward; Johnson, William; Jones, Robert Edmond; Keppel, F.P.; Kuhn, Irene*; Lee, Margurite ; Madison, Hattie*; Mannes, David*; Margetson, Edward*; Matthews, Ralph; Mores, J. Francis; Moss, Paul; Murray, James; Nichols, Col. Richard; Office of Mayor LaGuardia (secretary); Perlis, Vivian; Pitcairn, Fred R.; Polacheck, Charles; Provincetown Players, The; Pryor, Arthur Jr.; Rahn, Muriel; Rathbun, Alan; Ratleffe, S.A.; Rhone, Happy; Ricordi Publishing Co (correspondent signature illegible); Roberson, Nora A.; Roberts, Beverly; Robertson, Edythe*; Robinson, Paul; Roy, L. A.; Salmaggi, Alfredo; Schrab, Mirza Ahmad*; Slonimsky, Nicholas *; Still, William; Solomon, Milton; Tannen, Lilyan; Taylor, Pearl; Theobald, Jacob; Vallee, Rudy*; Voorhees, W. P.; Wagner, Oscar; Watson, James; Weber, Henriette; White House, Secretary to the President; and Wilkinson, Robert, M.D.*

Series V: Writings of H. Lawrence Freeman, 1921-1940s, undated

Freeman's non-musical work, including drafts of his unpublished monograph, The Negro in Classical Music and Opera, a newspaper article on "The Musical Outlook," libretti, several plays, and scenarios for his operas make up this series.

Series VI: Arts Organizations associated with the Freemans, 1920-1982, undated

Material relating to several different arts organizations in which the Freeman family participated is gathered in this series. The material is organized in alphabetical order by group name. Materials from the Aframerican Opera Foundation include cards, letterhead, and contracts for this organization, and a roll book of members for an earlier version of this group, the Aframerican Opera Guild, from the early 1940s. The Friends Amusement Guild folder includes tickets, fliers, a membership card, a newsletter from 1933, a list of members, and a poem by Leo Evans about the group. Valdo Freeman served as Administrative Secretary for the Negro Actors' Guild from the mid-1960s until his death in 1972; during the late 1970s Anita continued her husband's work as chairwoman of various committees. Most of the material related to the Negro Actors' Guild is from Anita's work with the group's assistance program for members who fell on hard times. It also includes a few newsletters from the period of Valdo's work with the organization, including one memorializing him shortly after his death, and a certificate of memorial for H. Lawrence Freeman. One clipping from the organization's newspaper in 1939 is present, but partially deteriorated. Documents from the Negro Grand Opera Company include contracts between the three Freemans and the company, books of stock certificates and records of stock sold, and ephemera including promotional materials about the group, an embossing press, letterhead, and a copperplate block for printing the company's logo. (For more financial records of this organization, please see Series III: Performance Documentation, Box 12, Folder 6, "Financial Documents," many of which relate to the Negro Grand Opera Company.)

Series VII: Audio and Video, 1971-1972, 2015, undated

Series consists of two interviews with Valdo Freeman from the early 1970s, along with two lacquer disc copies of what is presumed to be Mr. H. Lawrence Freeman playing and/or Valdo's repeat of his father's performance. The titles for the lacquer discs below were taken from a separate container found in the AV series. There is also audio and video available for the performance of Voodoo at Miller Theatre in 2015.

Series VIII: Scrapbooks and Clippings, 1898-1954, undated

H. Lawrence Freeman or other family members compiled many scrapbooks during his lifetime— six are extant in this series, several of which overlap in dates. The scrapbooks contain clippings, correspondence, programs, and other ephemera related to the Freeman's careers; some are annotated by H. Lawrence Freeman. This series also includes a file of loose clippings. In addition to articles written by H. Lawrence Freeman or related to his career, he had a collection of clippings—articles and pictures—about African-American performing artists. A few complete issues of periodicals are also included here.

Series IX: Personal, circa 1898-1972, undated

This series contains resumes for H. Lawrence Freeman, invitations and programs for non-professional events he attended and for his funeral, personal documents related to other members of the family, and personal ephemera, including a violin that belonged either to H. Lawrence or Valdo Freeman. There is a folder of documentation about the "Military Boy Scouts," a Harlem group to which Valdo Freeman belonged circa 1910-1918, with some photographs. Also included are the program and menu for a dinner in honor of W.E.B. DuBois, 1924, and program of the Fourth Pan-African Congress, 1927.

Series X: Additions to the Collection