Call Number:

92.024

Repository:

African American Museum in Philadelphia

Extent:

4.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1920-1992 (bulk) and 1850-1994 (inclusive)

Creator:

McGlinn, Frank Cresson Potts, 1914-2000

Abstract:

The Frank McGlinn collection on African American theater, 1850-1994 (bulk 1920-1992), richly documents Philadelphia's theatrical past through the performances of African Americans. It consists largely of posters, programs, broadsides, clippings and advertisements. There are small amounts of photographs and correspondence (mostly in the form of invitations received). The collection is mainly about 20th century plays, performers, musicals and films.

Philadelphia was the first important center of theater in the United States. The earliest documented performances date to 1749. By the 20th century, Philadelphia had been replaced by New York as the center of American theatre, but it still remained an important theatrical city.

Frank C. P. McGlinn (1914-2000) was a lawyer, corporate executive, humanitarian, museum trustee, and patron of the performing arts. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He served in the military during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart in 1944. After the war, he worked as a legal counselor, a marketing executive for several banks, and a consultant for over 40 years. He was active in various community organizations, but especially those associated with theater, throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. Among other institutions, he served on the boards for Walnut Street Theater, Theater of the Living Arts, Philadelphia Free Library, William Penn Foundation, Temple University, and Afro American Historical & Cultural Museum (African American Museum in Philadelphia).

Bibliography:

Keating, Douglas J. "F. McGlinn, Theater Supporter" Philadelphia Inquirer, June 16, 2000. Accessed February 24, 2014. http://articles.philly.com/2000-06-16/news/25601758_1_advisory-boards-theater-walnut-street-theatre.

Covering a period of 142 years (1850-1992), the Frank McGlinn Collection richly documents Philadelphia's theatrical past through the performances of African Americans. It consists largely of posters, programs, broadsides, clippings and advertisements. There are smaller amounts of photographs and correspondence (mostly in the form of invitations received). The collection is mainly about 20th century plays, performers, musicals and films. The earliest document, a broadside about the performance of the celebrated "Nightingale Ethiopian Serenaders" at Temperance Hall, April 8, 1850, supports theater historian Gerald Bordman's claim that Philadelphia was the last important bastion of minstrelsy. ( The Concise Oxford Companion to Theatre, p. 334). Nothing is known about the Nightingale Ethiopian Serenaders and information is difficult to obtain because minstrel groups changed their names frequently. The only other item from the 19th century is a broadside for the Creole Burlesque Company at the South Street Theatre, dating from probably the 1870s. Other early items include a program for Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Chestnut Street Opera House, 1904 and a broadside for the 1916, Ziegfeld Follies which starred Black comedian Bert Williams.

The Harlem Renaissance is well represented in the Frank McGlinn Collection. There are programs or broadsides for "All God's Children Got Wings," 1928; "Porgy," 1928 original play; "Connie's Hot Chocolate," 1929; "Runnin' Wild," 1924; "In Abraham's Bosom," 1928; "Deep River," 1926; and "Dixie to Broadway." For many theatrical and musical productions, documentation is from the Philadelphia production or appearance of the show. Many shows, however, are New York based.

The Philadelphia focus of Frank McGlinn's collection is visible in the documents concerning three Philadelphia/Delaware Valley African Americans. The concert career of Philadelphia-born Marian Anderson is represented by several concert programs, advertisements, invitations and a poster. The latter is most likely a poster of a concert in the 1960s.

The theatre and film career of Chester, Pennsylvania native Ethel Waters is represented by clippings of obituaries, a photo and advertisements of shows, including Cabin in the Sky.

A substantial portion of the Frank McGlinn Collection is devoted to the career and legacy of Paul Robeson, 1898-1976. While Robeson was not a native of Philadelphia, he lived in the city during the last ten years of his life. The Paul Robeson materials span four decades of his life and consist of programs and clippings. They cover performances during Robeson's lifetime and criticism and commemorative events after his death. There is a program from the 1928 London production of "All God's Children Got Wings." Robeson had earlier starred in the 1924 American production of the play. A booklet on the motion picture, Borderline dates from 1930. It is the only item in the collection relating to Robeson's film career; it features advertisements for Robeson's records as well. The 1940s were a productive decade for Robeson, theatrically and politically. There are several programs of concerts Robeson gave in Philadelphia at this time. Also, programs for John Henry and Othello are available. As a reaction to his political activism, the United States State Department canceled Robeson's passport in 1950. His performing career in theater and film came to a stop, but Robeson continued to give concerts and to speak out on human rights. In 1958, Robeson won back his American passport and was able to travel overseas. A concert program in the collection from the Royal Albert Hall, London, dated August 10, 1958, represents this period of Robeson's life.

Paul Robeson moved to Philadelphia in 1966 to live with his sister Marian in West Philadelphia. He died in Philadelphia on January 23, 1976. The Frank McGlinn Collection, unfortunately, has no information pertaining to these last years of Robeson's life.

There are more than a dozen clippings of theater reviews or editorials about the play Paul Robeson, by Philip Hayes Dean, which premiered in 1977. The play, conceived as a dramatic interpretation of Robeson's life, was nonetheless perceived as a documentary and sparked controversy. Members of Robeson's family and his friends said the play was inaccurate. Writer James Baldwin went so far as to accuse Dean of portraying Robeson as a "chocolate John Wayne." The clippings cover the period 1977-1991 and include reviews of performances by James Earl Jones and Avery Brooks who played the title role in different productions of the play.

The collection includes autographed photographs of Gregory Hines, Robert Guillaume, James Earl Jones, Lena Horne, and Oprah Winfrey. There are also numerous critical and historical articles about African American performers.