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United Singers of Philadelphia records, 1880-1926 (bulk) 1880-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:

8.0 linear feet (27 boxes + 8 oversize folders)

Abstract:

The collection comprises the records of the umbrella organization United Singers of Philadelphia (Vereinigte Sänger von Philadelphia) from its founding, in 1881, until 1926, with some scattered ephemera dating as late as 2006; included are the records of several regional singing festivals held in Philadelphia (in 1882, 1897, 1912, and 1926) under the auspices of the Nordöstlicher Sängerbund, an alliance of singing societies in the Mid-Atlantic region. The collection includes minute books, financial records, correspondence, membership lists, scrapbooks, three newspaper issues related to Saengerfests (1897, 1912), and ephemera, including souvenir programs, admission tickets, fliers, and singers' badges. Also included are manuscripts in the hand of William A. Haussmann, of essays written for a souvenir program of 1912, and the rehearsal attendance list of the Ladies' Chorus, dated 1925.

Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]

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German Society of Pennsylvania institutional records, 1764-1968 (bulk) 1764-1998 (inclusive)

Extent:

27.4 linear feet

Abstract:

The German Society of Pennsylvania, founded in Philadelphia in 1764, directed its early efforts to assisting new German immigrants, especially those forced into indentured servitude when they were unable to pay their sea fare. Throughout the late 18th and 19th centuries, the Society was very visible in the thriving German-American community in Philadelphia, boasting just over one thousand members at the peak of its growth, in the late 1870s. In the 20th century, the Society’s scope and prominence was affected by the two World Wars, which created suspicion and criticism of Germanic culture. That suspicion and government scrutiny played a role in the dwindling membership of the Society. In the post-World War II era the Society channeled its overseas relief activities through a Quaker-based aid society. In the second half of the century, the neighborhood was also changing, as it became predominantly African-American, rather than German, and more impoverished. But the Society pressed...(see more)

Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]