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Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia records

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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
Ms. Coll. 90
Repository:
University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Extent:
126 box(es)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia records, circa 1820-1994, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania
Date:
circa 1820-1994 (inclusive)
Creator:
Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia
Form:
Audiovisual materials, Financial records, Memorabilia, Photographs, Legal documents, Correspondence, and Concert programs
Abstract:
The correspondence and business records of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia contain minutes of its earliest meetings; the membership, repertoire, and organization of its orchestra and chorus; information regarding financial relief afforded to its professional members and their families; programs and other materials related to the history of Musical Fund Hall (1848-1982); committee files; financial records; photographs of portraits painted by John Clarendon Darley, Thomas Sully, Rembrandt Peale, Charles Willson Peale, and others; and administrative records for the Musical Fund Society Foundation, a separate corporation formed in 1983.

The Society

In his memoirs John K. Kane (1795-1858), a lawyer and Judge for the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, has left us an engaging account of the beginnings of the Musical Fund Society. Kane, an amateur musician, founded the Musical Fund Society in company with his friends, Dr. Robert M. Patterson, Dr. William P. DeWees, and a number of noted professional musicians in Philadelphia.

In 1820, Dr. Patterson, Dr. DeWees, and myself gathered together the better sort from among the Musicians of Philadelphia, and organized the Musical Fund. Old Ben Carr, the kind and simple-hearted, - queer George Schetky, with his one eye and one wig, both fiery, - Charles Hupfeldt [sic], who was up to that time the Solo Violin of Philadelphia, for all except some Gramsetral variations that Gillingham used to play delightfully as often as he could get a concert of hearers, - Gilles, a violoncello, fresh from the Conservatoire, - Load [sic, Thomas Loud] and Ben Cross the elder, deputies of Carr, - these made the staple of the Society. (Autobiography of the Honorable John K. Kane, pp. 63-64.) John K. Kane served as the first secretary of the Musical Fund Society from 1820 to 1821, was vice-president from 1829 to 1834, and was its third president from 1854 to 1856. The first president was Dr. William P. DeWees from 1820 to 1838, followed by Kane's friend Dr. Robert M. Patterson from 1838 to 1853. Conductors Benjamin Carr and his business partner George Schetky both served as Directors of the Music and Managers of the Fund for the Society.

The purposes of the Musical Fund Society were two (as stated in the Charter): "the relief of decayed musicians and their families, and the cultivation of skill and diffusion of taste in music." In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Musical Fund performed some of the functions of a beneficial and protective association, providing monetary relief to professional members who were sick, payment for funeral expenses, and payments to surviving widows and children of professional members. After 1938 no new members were admitted to the former professional membership category, and, therefore, the provision of relief for members and their families has gradually diminished: only two widows were receiving relief in 1994.

The "cultivation of skill and diffusion of taste in music" was provided for by performances given by the orchestra and chorus of the Musical Fund Society, conducted by Benjamin Carr (1768-1831), Benjamin Cross (1786-1857), George Schetky (1776-1831), Charles F. Hupfeld (1787-1864), Thomas Loud (1752-1833), and Peter Gilles, violoncellist and composer. At the inception of the Society, both men and women were admitted as amateur and professional members. Benjamin Carr came to America from England with his family in 1792, and established businesses as a music dealer in Philadelphia and New York, while his father Joseph and brother Thomas operated the family music publishing firm in Baltimore. Carr was a publisher, actor, singer, organist (at St. Peter's and at St. Augustine's in Philadelphia), pianist, composer, and conductor both in New York and Philadelphia. Many of Benjamin Carr's compositions and arrangements have been collected (and cataloged) in the Keffer Collection of Sheet Music, part of the library of the Musical Fund Society. Carr's death in 1831 was a blow to the Musical Fund Society, but his work was carried on by one of his former students, Benjamin Cross, one of the principal leaders of the Society until 1857. The Musical Fund Society voted funds to erect a memorial, designed by William Strickland, to Benjamin Carr at his grave in St. Peter's cemetery in Philadelphia.

Many notable performers and performances were presented under the auspices of the Musical Fund Society, from its first concert in 1821 throughout the nineteenth century. Haydn's oratorio The Creation was given its first performance in Philadelphia in 1822 by the Musical Fund Society, featuring the highly praised singing of Mrs. French, a pupil of Benjamin Carr. Haydn's The Seasons was performed in 1835 and again in 1839. The Musical Fund Society gave the first performance in the United States of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in 1841.

Following the death of conductor Benjamin Cross in 1857, the Society's concerts were directed by Leopold Meignen. The Germania Orchestra was reorganized in 1856 and played weekly "public rehearsals" in Musical Fund Hall until 1868. Later, just before the turn of the cenntury, in 1896-1897, members of the Germania Orchestra conducted by Henry Gordon Thunder gave a series of performances in Musical Fund Hall, subsidized by the Musical Fund Society. This orchestra was the core group of musicians that were to form the Philadelphia Orchestra, founded in 1900 under conductor Fritz Scheel. Encouraged by the Musical Fund Society, the Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsed in Musical Fund Hall in 1900 and 1901 and on a number of occasions thereafter. The Musical Fund Society also supported the Philadelphia Orchestra by helping to raise funds for the Orchestra during a financial crisis in 1919 and by helping financially to establish its summer concerts in Robin Hood Dell in the 1930s.

Thomas Sully (1783-1872), the noted Philadelphia painter, was a member of the Musical Fund Society, served as vice-president, and painted portraits of many of its founders and presidents. These paintings along with other portraits of Musical Fund Society presidents by artists John Clarendon Darley, Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860), Wayman Adams (1883-1959), and Leopold G. Seyffert were dispersed during the 1940s and 1950s (some were given to family members of past-presidents of the Society). A photographic record of these portraits can be found in Box 64.

Musical Fund Hall

All the historical and anecdotal descriptions of Musical Fund Hall praise the building for its unsurpassed acoustics. Located on the 800 block of Locust Street near Washington Square in Philadelphia, the building was constructed in 1824, just a few years after the founding of the Society, with plans developed by William Strickland (1787-1854), the eminent American architect and civil engineer. John K. Kane recalled his part in building Musical Fund Hall: It [the Musical Fund Society] met, and made bad music for a year or two in the third story of Dufief's bookstore, - then hired the hall of the Carpenters' Company, and gave its concerts in the Washington Hall, - till that burnt down, - and then in a moment of lucky delirium we determined to build a hall for ourselves. I bought the ground of Alexander Henry, a church of premature dilapidation, and its graveyard [the Fifth Presbyterian Church]. The Congregation had balked Henry of his ground rent, and Presbyterian Elder and U.S. bankman as he was, he would trust no Corporation. We dug up the dead, such as the living would pay us for removing; and Strickland built us our Hall, over the bones of the others, the doors and windows and everything else that his ingenuity could make convertible being transferred without modification to the new structure. Even the old pew backs, worthless for all purposes else, made our platform for the Orchestra; They were dry enough to vibrate well. Strangely enough, our room, limited in dimensions, proportion, and style by the condition of our treasury, was and is the best music room in the country, and unless all the musicians lie, in the world. (Autobiography of the Honorable John K. Kane, p. 64)

The expenses for the building of the Hall were indeed modest, $23,547.08 for the property, building, and furnishings. From its start the Musical Fund Hall was an enormous success; General Lafayette attended a concert there held in his honor in 1825. Rossini's oratorio Moses in Egypt was performed in 1833. Donizetti's La Favorita made its Philadelphia premiere in the 1830s. Among the famous musicians who performed during the nineteenth century were singers Marie Malibran (in 1826 and 1831); Caradori Allen; Jenny Lind; Adelina Patti; Anna Bishop, wife of the distinguished composer, Sir Henry Bishop; Henriette Sontag; Giulietta Grisi; Erminia Frezzolini; and members of the Italian Opera Company and the Havana Opera Company. The extraordinary Norwegian violinist Ole Bull (1810-1880) appeared in recital in 1843, and in 1844 Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881) gave his first recital there on a date (4 May 1844) which unfortunately coincided with the native American riots in Kensington. Camillo Sivori, Paganini's student and successor, performed in the Hall in the 1840s. The Musical Fund Hall had achieved a world-wide reputation for its acoustics, and performers making tours to the United States made special arrangements to perform in this Hall. Jenny Lind (1820-1887) gave eight concerts at Musical Fund Hall in the fall of 1850. Prominent American performers included Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869), composer and pianist, and Musical Fund Society board member Septimus Winner (1827-1902), composer of "Listen to the Mocking Bird."

Throughout most of the nineteenth century, the Musical Fund Hall provided a steady rental income, which did much to place the organization on a sound financial footing. In addition to the musical performances sponsored by the Musical Fund Society, the Hall was used for political meetings. The Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention met there for ninety days in 1837. The first convention of the national Republican Party was held there in 1856. There were frequent lectures by many distinguished individuals, including Horace Mann, Samuel Lover, Edward Everett, William Makepeace Thackeray, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William H. Furness, Horace Greeley, Henry Ward Beecher, and Conan Doyle.

The completion of Philadelphia's grand opera hall, the Academy of Music, in 1857 affected the primacy of Musical Fund Hall as a venue for classical music performances. Operas with full staging at the Academy proved more attractive than the concerts held in the Hall. However, the Hall was still in demand for balls, meetings, lectures, weddings, and commencement exercises for a number of distinguished music schools. The University of Pennsylvania held commencements there, with faculty, trustees, degree candidates, judges, United States Senators and Representatives, the mayor, and aldermen of the city all marching in the procession to the Hall. Commemorative exercises at the fiftieth anniversary of the Franklin Institute were held there in 1874. In the latter part of the century meetings of the Pennsylvania Rail Road were held in the Hall, as were the state medical examinations for doctors and dentists. The Musical Fund Hall underwent two major renovations in the nineteenth century. In 1847 two members of the Society, architect Napoleon Le Brun (1821-1901) (who later was the architect for the Academy of Music) and artist Franklin Peale planned the alterations, which included an enlargement of the Hall to increase its seating capacity to 1500. The stage was moved from the north end of the building to the south end. A Ladies' Bazaar was held to raise money for the renovations (a great success), and a grand Bazaar Ball was held on 23 December 1847 to celebrate. In 1891 the Hall again underwent a major renovation, removing the wings that had been constructed on the stage and completely changing the facade of the building.

By the turn of the century the Musical Fund Hall had become a venue for widely diverse performances. The Hall's fine acoustics and historic reputation meant that it continued to be booked for classical music performances and pupils' recitals for many of the major musical academies in Philadelphia, particularly the Combs Broad Street Conservatory of Music, the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, the Philadelphia Musical Academy, the Hyperion School of Music, the Leefson-Hille Conservatory of Music, as well as a number of others. The Musical Fund Hall was used for minstrel shows and vaudeville, for boxing matches, basketball games, political meetings, and services for the Jewish holidays. Annie Besant (1847-1933) lectured in the Musical Fund Hall for the Theosophical Society in 1906. The Greek Orthodox Church, which shares the block with the Musical Fund Hall, engaged the hall for meetings and parties, as did Frank Palumbo, who operated a second restaurant nearby (in addition to his South Philadelphia location).

Noted African-American poets and musicians performed in the Musical Fund Hall. Paul Laurence Dunbar gave a reading there on 17 November 1897. Contralto Marian Anderson (1897-1993) gave a number of performances there, at first as a chorus member of the People's Choral Society and the following year (1916) as soloist (with Roland W. Hayes singing tenor) in the People's Choral Society performance of Handel's Messiah. Programs from some of Marian Anderson's earliest performances in Philadelphia are in the Musical Fund Society Records. Roland Hayes gave several performances in the Hall, often for the benefit of charitable causes. Another important African-American musician was Carl Rossini Diton (1886-1962), organist at St. Thomas's African Episcopal Church in Philadelphia and a noted classical pianist, composer, and arranger: he gave concerts at Musical Fund Hall on a number of occasions. The Italian-American community in Philadelphia used Musical Fund Hall extensively for parish fundraisers, balls, and parties and for benefit concerts to aid victims of earthquakes in Italy. They brought a number of prominent Italian singers to the stage of the Hall. In 1906 the Verdi Italian Orchestral Society directed by Ettore Martini began an annual season of performances in Musical Fund Hall. Many Irish and Jewish fraternal and charitable organizations used the Hall as well, the programs that document these events and organizations (Ms. Coll. 90, Boxes 40-52) contain much material of interest to social historians of Philadelphia.

The Musical Fund Society began to consider selling the Musical Fund Hall in 1918, but the sale was not completed until 1924. There were a number of reasons for the Musical Fund Society to sell the Hall, which required expensive maintenance and repairs in addition to the salary and wages of the superintendent and a number of workers. The rentals of the Hall fell off considerably during the years of World War I and had been up and down over the previous thirty years. The income from rentals no longer covered the expenses of maintaining the Hall, but perhaps the most important reason for the sale was the perception that the Hall and its surrounding neighborhood had lost its former "status."

The sale of Musical Fund Hall to the Philadelphia Labor Institute in 1924 meant that the Society had to find new locations for office space, meetings, and storage for the music library and portraits. The Society had offices at 407 Sansom Street and 400 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia before moving to the Public Ledger Building, where it was situated until 1952. During the time that the Philadelphia Labor Institute was headquartered in the Musical Fund Hall, many more distinguished speakers graced its stage as part of the Labor Institute English Forum. They included Bertrand Russell, Clarence Darrow, James Weldon Johnson, Rabbi W. H. Fineshriber, Arthur Garfield Hayes, and W.E.B. DuBois. The Institute also ran a Yiddish Forum along the same lines as its English Forum, and a Yiddish studio for theater as part of its Drama Guild. There was a Labor Institute Chorus with classes in music theory, harmony and voice culture, and chamber music concerts presented by Shreibman's trio, along with appearances by the best artists from the Jewish stages of Philadelphia and New York.

With the onset of the Depression in the early 1930s, the Philadelphia Labor Institute was not able to make the mortgage payments or pay taxes on the property: the mortgage was foreclosed, and the Musical Fund Hall again became the responsibility of the Musical Fund Society in 1934. It was eventually leased in 1937 to James Toppi, a boxing promoter, and was used mainly for athletic events. In 1945 the building was sold to Yahn & McDonnell, and it became a storage warehouse for tobacco products. The building was acquired by the City of Philadelphia's Redevelopment Authority in 1964, and a number of plans and studies were undertaken to restore the Hall as a musical performance space, cultural center, or museum.

Several members of the Musical Fund Society--notably George E. Nitzsche (1874-1961), Samuel L. Singer, and Sol Schoenbach--were strong advocates for restoring the Hall to its former functions and dignity. The matter was studied for a number of years by Musical Fund Society's Plans and Scope Committee. The building was designated a National Registered Landmark by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The money, however, to operate the Hall as a venue for musical events was not forthcoming, and in 1982 the building was renovated for luxury condominiums. As most of the building's original integrity has been compromised, landmark designation for the Musical Fund Hall was withdrawn on January 13, 1989. Music Library of the Musical Fund Society

From its inception, the Society appropriated money for the purchase of scores and parts, sheet music, and musical instruments. By 1879 when a catalog of the printed music owned by the Musical Fund was published, the music library numbered 304 pieces and included overtures with full orchestral parts, opera, oratorios, sacred music, symphonies, and chamber music. In 1931 the Society purchased a collection of music known as the Newland-Zeuner Collection—music that had been collected by Charles Zeuner and augmented by William A. Newland near the end of the nineteenth century. In 1933 Dr. Edward I. Keffer donated his large collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sheet music to the Musical Fund Society. Together with its other acquisitions this Library is a valuable record of the repertoire of early music in the United States.

In 1936 the Musical Fund Society entered into an agreement with the Free Library of Philadelphia to house the entire music library of the Society, with ownership retained by the Musical Fund Society. In 1991, when the Musical Fund Society donated its archive to the University of Pennsylvania Library (to be housed in its Rare Book and Manuscript Library), the music library was transferred from the Free Library of Philadelphia to the University of Pennsylvania's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.

Musical Fund Society Competitions for the Composition of New Music

In 1925 the Society announced $10,000 in prizes in a world-wide chamber music contest designed to encourage composers of new music. After long deliberation by the judges, prizes were awarded in 1928: Béla Bartók's Third String Quartet (dedicated to the Musical Fund Society) shared the first prize with Alfred Casella's Serenata. The second prize was shared by H. Waldo Warner and Carlo Jachino. Bartók's string quartet was first performed in Philadelphia at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel to mixed reviews.

On 30 July 1925, "The Edward Garrett McCollin Memorial Fund for the Encouragement of Creative Work in the Higher Forms of Music" was established by the Musical Fund Society with a Trust created by the widow of McCollin. McCollin had been president of the Musical Fund Society from 1910 to 1923 and was one of the key figures in supporting the founding of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The winning composition in 1931 was written by the Catalonian composer, Josep Valls, and is now included in the papers of Edward G. McCollin, held in the University Archives and Records Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The McCollin com¬petitions have been held periodically, whenever sufficient funds have accumulated in the Trust.

Current Activities of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia

Throughout the twentieth century the Musical Fund Society has continued as an active organization sponsoring music and musicians. In the 1930s the Musical Fund Quartet performed the complete chamber music of Brahms in cooperation with the Curtis String Quartet and co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Art Alliance. The Society sponsored a free chamber music series at the Free Library of Philadelphia for most of this century, and has offered many concerts featuring music by Philadelphia and American composers. Over the years the Musical Fund Society has given a number of scholarships to music students and recently began a program to foster the careers of emerging young artists and ensembles through professional counseling by master musicians; by offering debut recitals in New York, Philadelphia, and other cities; through grants toward the purchase of concert quality musical instruments; and by hosting seminars on the ongoing professional and business aspects of musical careers.

In addition to this program that aids individual musicians, the Society gives annual grants to worthy non-profit organizations that carry on the goals of the Musical Fund Society through their own work. In 1983 the Society established a fully tax-exempt foundation, called the Musical Fund Society Foundation, which accepts gifts to further the Society's goals and programs.

Bibliography

Kane, John K. Autobiography of the Honorable John K. Kane 1795-1858. Philadelphia: Privately printed, 1949.

Mactier, William L. A Sketch of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1885.

Madeira, Louis C. Annals of Music in Philadelphia and History of the Musical Fund Society from its organization in 1820 to the year 1858. Edited by Philip H. Goepp. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1896.

Nitzsche, George E. "The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia," Philadelphia History 4, No. 6, 1960.

150th Anniversary of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: 1970.

The Records and Music Library of the Musical Fund Society were maintained in the Society's offices in Musical Fund Hall until the sale of the Hall in 1924. Since that time several different arrangements have been made for the preservation of these historic documents. In December 1936 an agreement was made with the Free Library of Philadelphia to house the Music Library of the Society, with ownership to the materials retained by the Society. In 1991 these materials were donated by the Musical Fund Society to the University of Pennsylvania Library. The musical scores, parts, and sheet music are now housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Van Pelt Library; many have already been individually cataloged. The minute books, engagement books, and other archival materials of the Musical Fund Society were kept in the Society's offices in Philadelphia and in a bank vault. In December 1952, when the Society gave up its offices in the Public Ledger building, some of the historic correspondence and many engagement books and scrapbooks were deposited with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Most of the minute books, receipt books, the engagement books for Musical Fund Hall from 1883 to 1918, and some memorabilia were retained by the Society in a bank vault until the Fall of 1986, when a trunk and several tin boxes of records were moved to the Free Library.

This history of transfers of the records of the Musical Fund Society accounts for the limited scope of the correspondence remaining in the collection at the University of Pennsylvania. Most of it dates from 1946 to 1980, the post World War II years, and comprises routine correspondence relating to membership matters, concerts, grants, or to the business of the officers of the Society. There is some important correspondence from the 1920s and 1930s, including the Free Library of Philadelphia correspondence about the deposit of the Music Library and access to it by scholars, as well as the correspondence of Edward I. Keffer and Henry S. Drinker, Jr.

A few nineteenth-century items of correspondence include a note from E. Ives, ca. 1833, requesting the loan of the Messiah orchestra parts for a rehearsal that he was conducting. There is a single letter dated 1867 from Thomas Sully, an active member and officer of the Society.

The series of minutes of the Musical Fund Society is fairly complete up through the end of the bound volumes (ca. 1955). Engagement books for Musical Fund Hall cover the period from 1883 to 1918, a time period when the Hall was used much more frequently for balls, cotillions, union meetings, political meetings, religious services, vaudeville acts, and sporting events than it was for concerts produced by the Musical Fund Society itself. As such, these books document a particularly vibrant time in the life of the ethnically diverse neighborhood of South Philadelphia, near where the Hall was located.

The remaining series are categorized according to the administrative functions of the Society: Board of Directors, Committee on the Music (programs and music competitions), Committee on Relief, Committee on Admissions, Committee of the Fund (including all financial records), and Special Committees. Minutes, records, and committee reports are not complete for the years later than those recorded in the bound minute books; scattered records exist for the 1950s to the early 1980s and more complete records from approximately 1987 to 1993. Related collections

Supplementary to this collection are additional records acquired in a 2004 transfer from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania:

* Ms. Coll. 513. Musical Fund Society Supplementary Records, ca. 1820-2004.

The following collections located in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Van Pelt are from the Music Library of the Musical Fund Society:

* Ms. Coll. 35. Béla Bartók. Third String Quartet. 1927. The manuscript score was purchased from the Musical Fund Society in 1991 by Mrs. Eugene Ormandy and donated to the University of Pennsylvania's Eugene Ormandy Archive in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Other winning scores from Musical Fund Society's competitions include:

* Ms. Coll. 93. Alan Leichtling. Concerto for chamber orchestra opus 40. 1966.

* Ms. Coll. 94. Alfredo Casella (1883-1947). Serenata. 1927.

* Ms. Coll. 95. Carlo Jachino (1887-1971). Quartetto in mi minore. 1927.

* Ms. Coll. 96. H. Waldo Warner (1874-1945). Quintet. 1927.

The Keffer Collection of Sheet Music and the Keffer Collection of Music Manuscripts have been completely cataloged on-line at the University of Pennsylvania, with records made available in national databases and world-wide via the internet.

In addition, there several related collections at the University of Pennsylvania:

* Ms. Coll. 186. John Rowe Parker Correspondence: contains a number of letters of Benjamin Carr to Parker (1777-1844).

* Ms. Coll. 53. Philadelphia Art Alliance Records, 1915-1980: contain programs of concerts jointly sponsored by the Musical Fund Society and the Art Alliance. In addition, a number of prominent Philadelphians were active members of both organizations, notably Henry S. Drinker, Jr., Philip H. Goepp, Thaddeus Rich, and Vincent Persichetti.

The University Archives and Records Center of the University of Pennsylvania holds the papers of Edward G. McCollin, past president of the Musical Fund Society. The collection includes his own compositions, scrapbooks related to the Germania Orchestra and founding of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the winning score from the Musical Fund Society's first McCollin competition by Josep Valls (1931). Also located at the University Archives are the papers of John Kintzing Kane, past president of the Musical Fund Society.

The records of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia are divided physically into two parts: the first consists predominantly of materials dated from 1820 to 1924, the date of the original sale of Musical Fund Hall; the second part consists predominantly of materials dated from 1925 to 1994. There are some exceptions to this overall chronological arrangement. For example, most of the materials related to the history of Musical Fund Hall, including the later proposals for its renovation (through 1982) are with the earlier nineteenth-century materials from Musical Fund Hall. In addition, many of the mortgages and property bonds relating to the purchase of the Musical Fund Hall are located in Oversize Drawer No. 10. Some of the series of bound Minute Books are continuous from 1820 through as late as 1966 and are located in the first part of the records. The second part begins with the general Correspondence series (bulk 1946-1994); this part, however, does include a few items of nineteenth-century correspondence.

The donation included a oil portrait of William Potts Dewees, co-founder of the Musical Fund Society; it was painted by Thomas Sully.

Gift of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, received in 1991 with additional donations received 1993-1997; some materials integrated from 2004 Historical Society of Pennsylvania transfer.

The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project. The finding aid was entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.

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Publisher
University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Finding Aid Author
Dr. Maggie Kruesi, revised by Leann Currie
Finding Aid Date
1997
Access Restrictions

The bulk of this collection is open for research use; however, access to original audio/visual materials and computer files is restricted. The Kislak Center will provide access to the information on these materials from duplicate master files. If the original does not already have a copy, it will be sent to an outside vendor for copying. Patrons are financially responsible for the cost. The turnaround time from request to delivery of digital items is about two weeks for up to five items and three to seven weeks for more than five items. Please contact Reprographic Services (reprogr@upenn.edu) for cost estimates and ordering. Once digital items are received, researchers will have access to the files on a dedicated computer in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Researchers should be aware of specifics of copyright law and act accordingly.

Use Restrictions

Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

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Series Description

List of members and roll of officers covering the period from 1820 to 1909; these volumes list all the nineteenth-century members and officers of the Musical Fund Society.

Physical Description

2 Volume(s)

List of Members. Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia., 1820-1904.
Box 1
Description

Members included both men and women as amateur members, professional members and honorary members. Entries continue until circa 1904.

Roll of Officers of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Indexed. [Compiled ca. 1909.], 1820-1909.
Box 2

Series Description

The earliest documents of the Musical Fund Society are these bound minute books dating from 1820. They are divided into four subseries according to administrative and committee functions of the Society: A. Minutes of the Joint Board of Officers, later the Board of Directors, 1820-1966, and Annual and Special Meetings, 1827-1958: Boxes 3-12; B. Rough minutes of the Joint Board of Officers, 1820-1872: Boxes 13-14; C. Minutes of the Committee on the Fund, 1820-1959: Boxes 15-20; D. Minutes of the Committee on the Music, 1820-1947: Boxes 21-25.

Physical Description

23 Box(es)

Minutes of the proceedings of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia at their stated and other meetings including the Joint Board. January 7, 1820-May 7, 1822 [pp. 1-102]. Minutes of the proceedings of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, at their stated annual and other meetings May 1, 1827-May 1, 1866 [pp. 107-end]. ["Minutes Volume 1" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 3
Minutes of Annual and Special Meetings. 1867-1958 Volume 2. Annual reports. Election of officers, membership report, report on number of rentals and income from Musical Fund Hall, deaths of members and officers, report of Committee on Relief to members, widows and children, financial reports, including investments (stocks and bonds). ["Minutes Volume 2" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 4
Minutes of the Joint Board of Officers. May 31, 1822-December 15, 1831. Minutes of Annual and Special Meetings 1823-1826. ["Minutes of the Joint Board No. 2" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 5
Minutes of the Joint Board of Officers. January 3, 1832-April 2, 1850. ["Minutes of the Joint Board No. 3" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 6
Minutes of the Joint Board of Officers. May 14, 1850-April 27, 1875. ["Minutes of the Joint Board No. 4" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 7
Minutes of the Board of Directors. ["Minutes of the Board of Directors No. 5" on spine, covers off.] 1 volume., May 11, 1875-April 26, 1892.
Box 8
Minutes of the Board of Directors. ["Minutes of the Board of Directors No. 6" on spine.] 1 volume., May 10, 1892-May 4, 1909.
Box 9
Minutes of the Board of Directors. ["Minutes of the Board of Directors No. 7" on spine.] 1 volume., May 11, 1909-April 23, 1929.
Box 10
Minutes of the Board of Directors. 1 volume., May 14, 1929-April 13, 1943.
Box 11
Minutes of the Board of Directors. 1 volume., April 27, 1943-April 26, 1966.
Box 12
Vol. A. May 17, 1820-May 1, 1821. J. K. Kane, Secretary. List of members in back of volume. Accounts of members. Original "Act to incorporate the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, February 28, 1823" was folded in the pages of this volume (now located in oversize drawer). 4 volumes. Vol. B. May 7, 1821-September 28, 1826. List of members in the back of volume. 1 volume. October 3, 1826-July 2, 1833. 1 leaf unbound. Minutes of Board of Managers of the Fund, 1833. 1 volume. October 1, 1833-May 7, 1844. 1 volume.
Box 13
May 14, 1844-April 22, 1862. 2 volumes. May 13, 1862-January 10, 1872. Rough minutes. [Continuation of Minutes of Joint Board of Officers above.] 1 volume.
Box 14
Minutes of Board of Managers of the Fund. March 7, 1820-De¬cem¬ber 30, 1828. ["Minutes of Managers 1" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 15
Rough Minutes of Committee of Distribution [relief]. May 28, 1823-October 1823. Minutes of Board of Managers of the Fund. December 30, 1828-April 2, 1844. Binding broken, covers off. 1 volume.
Box 16
Minutes of the Committee on the Fund. May 21, 1844-September 2, 1862. 1 volume. Minutes of the Committee on the Fund. October 7, 1862-May 17, 1881. 1 volume.
Box 17
Minutes of the Committee on the Fund. May 17, 1881-July 9, 1906. 1 leaf. 1 volume.
Box 18
Minutes of the Committee on the Fund. June 2, 1908-June 22, 1937. 1 volume.
Box 19
Minutes of the Committee of the Fund. September 7, 1937-May 19, 1959. 1 volume.
Box 20
Minutes of Board of Directors [of the Music]. March 1, 1820-November 1, 1831. Minutes relate to organization of orchestra and practicing. ["Minutes of Directors I" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 21
Minutes of the Directors of the Music. November 8, 1831-January 7, 1833. ["Board of Directors of the Music, Vol. 2" on spine.] 1 volume.
Box 22
Rough Minutes of Directors of the Music. November 2, 1826-October 1, 1833. 5 leaves unbound stuck in bound volume. March 8, 1833; September 21, 1833; October 1, 1833; October 10 and 14, [1833]; October 17 and 26, 1833. 1 volume. Rough Minutes of Directors of the Music. November 12, 1833-October 30, 1840. Re: music to be purchased. 1 volume.
Box 23
Minutes of Committee on Music. May 21, 1844-June 5, 1900. 2 leaves unbound. 1 volume.
Box 24
Minutes of the Committee of Music. June 7, 1927-October 21, 1947. 1 volume.
Box 25

Series Description

This series is divided into five subseries:

A. Receipt Books. 10 volumes in 8 boxes. Dating from 1848-1924, the receipt books for Musical Fund Hall include entries on maintenance and wages for people who worked in the Hall.

B. Engagement Books. 6 volumes in 5 boxes. The first 4 volumes cover the engagements in Musical Fund Hall from 1883 to 1918. They include the names of individuals and organizations who rented the hall, notations about the weather, the success of the event, and the behavior of the crowd, and the rental fee. The last two volumes in the series are oversize engagement books that duplicate the years covered in two previous volumes, i.e., 1901 to 1918.

C. Photographs. 1 box.

D. Programs. 13 boxes. This series consists of programs for various events which took place in Musical Fund Hall from 1851 until the sale of the Hall in 1924. Most of the programs date from 1895-1924. For the most part these are programs printed by the beneficial and protective associations, the unions, athletic clubs, social clubs, New Year's Associations (Mummers), religious organizations, and music schools who rented the Hall for balls, weddings, graduations, and benefit concerts. They reflect the ethnic diversity and vitality of the neighborhoods of Philadelphia, particularly South Philadelphia. These groups included immigrant Italian, Irish, Jewish, and African-American community organizations, as well as occupational groups ranging from waiters, cooks, horseshoers, bricklayers, cigar makers, and pressmen to postal workers and firemen.

The programs are arranged chronologically, but within each calendar year they are filed alphabetically by the name of the organization or individual renting the Hall. If an organization sponsored more than one event in a calendar year, the programs for all the events are in one folder for that year. A number of these organizations rented the Hall year after year for their annual balls or meetings.

E. Miscellany, 1891-1982. 3 boxes. Includes legal documents related to the sale and lease of Musical Fund Hall, memorabilia, photographs, studies and correspondence related to the effort to renovate Musical Fund Hall from 1965 to 1982.

May 10, 1848-April 24, 1863. Thomas J. Beckett, superintendent.
Box 26
April 30, 1863-November 30, 1871. Thomas J. Beckett, superintendent.
Box 27
December 8, 1871- May 7, 1880. Thomas J. Beckett, superintendent.
Box 28
May 13, 1880-March 30, 1889. Maintenance and wages. Josiah A. Kelch, superintendent.
Box 29
Superintendent's Receipt Books. For rental of hall. No. 11 May 12, 1880-April 4, 1884, Josiah A. Kelch, superintendent; No. 12 April 19, 1884-April 6, 1888, Josiah A. Kelch, superintendent; No. 13 April 17, 1888-May 2, 1892, Josiah A. Kelch and Charles F. Heaton, superintendents.
Box 30
April 15, 1889-November 30, 1894. Maintenance and wages. Josiah A. Kelch and Charles F. Heaton, superintendents.
Box 31
December 3, 1894-April 4, 1906.
Box 32
September 13, 1920-July 21, 1924. Joseph M. Hagan, superintendent.
Box 33
No. 7. April 1883-April 1891. Binding broken. [May not be photocopied.] 1 volume.
Box 34
No. 8. April 1891-December 1901. Comments include weather and attendance and deportment of crowds. Remarks on renovations to the building in June 1891. 1 volume.
Box 35
No. 9. List of directors of Musical Fund Society pasted inside first leaf. April 1901-April 1909. Brief remarks on weather, size of crowd, behavior. 1 volume.
Box 36
January 1909-June 1918. 1 volume.
Box 37
"No. 9," 1901-1911. 1 volume. "No. 10," 1911-1918. 1 volume.
Box 38
Photographs show exterior of building after renovation in 1847, exterior and interior of building after renovation in 1891. 12 items.
Box 39
Arrangement

Programs are arranged chronologically, then filed alphabetically by individual or organization within each year.

Folder 3, "Amphion" Concert to benefit Children's Hospital, 1872, Newland-Zeuner Collection, program has annotations re performers, probably in W. A. Newland's hand, 1851, 1872, 1890, 1894, 1895-1901, undated.
Box 40 Folder 1-83
1902-1903.
Box 41 Folder 84-140
1904.
Box 42 Folder 141-179
1905.
Box 43 Folder 180-226
1906.
Box 44 Folder 227-270
1907.
Box 45 Folder 271-314
1908.
Box 46 Folder 315-361
1909.
Box 47 Folder 362-404
1910.
Box 48 Folder 405-441
1911-1912.
Box 49 Folder 442-492
1913-1916.
Box 50 Folder 493-546
1917-1920.
Box 51 Folder 547-604
1921-1924.
Box 52 Folder 605-649
Musical Fund Hall to be restored...clipping., 1891.
Box 53 Folder 650
Letter from Hall manager Charles Y. Heaton to Board of Directors., 1904.
Box 53 Folder 651
Modern Mandolin Symphony Orchestra. Flyer (photograph)., undated.
Box 53 Folder 652
Southwark Field Club. Letter to Hall manager, Mr. Hagan., 1916.
Box 53 Folder 653
Board of Directors Resolution re sale of Musical Fund Hall., 1921.
Box 53 Folder 654
Newspaper clipping "One hundred years ago" [on he original opening of Musical Fund Hall]., 1924.
Box 53 Folder 655
Title Insurance. Agreement of sale, January 4, 1924.
Box 53 Folder 656
Papers re Foreclosure of mortgage of Musical Fund Hall with Workman's Circle Lyceum Federation, 1924-1934.
Box 53 Folder 657
Correspondence, real estate tax bills re foreclosure of Musical Fund Hall. Henry S. Drinker, Jr. to Miers Busch., 1930-1934.
Box 53 Folder 658
Philadelphia Labor Institute, Joseph Schwartz. Correspondence and financial statement re foreclosure., 1933-1935.
Box 53 Folder 659
Lease of Musical Fund Hall to James Toppi, November 15, 1937.
Box 53 Folder 660
Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Correspondence and legal papers re lease of Hall to Pennsylvania State Emergency Relief Board, 1940.
Box 53 Folder 661
Sheriff's Deed, 1945.
Box 53 Folder 662
Real estate appraisal by Richard J. Seltzer, February 19, 1945.
Box 53 Folder 663
Correspondence with Richard J. Seltzer, realtor., 1941-1945.
Box 53 Folder 664
Musical Fund Society notes and minutes re history of sale of Hall, 1945.
Box 53 Folder 665
Real estate appraisal by Jackson Cross Co., including 1 photograph, March 10, 1945.
Box 53 Folder 666
Correspondence, settlement papers and deed. Sale of Hall to Yahn and McDonnell Corporation, October 5, 1945.
Box 53 Folder 667
Alfred Bendiner. Cartoon and article re saving Musical Fund Hall, undated [1960s].
Box 53 Folder 668
Clippings and memorabilia re Musical Fund Hall.
Box 53 Folder 669
Proposed restoration of Musical Fund Hall, ca. 1965-1982. Correspondence arranged alphabetically. See also files for the Society's Committee on Plans and Scope (Box 84, Folders 1573-1575), which was concerned almost entirely with the plans for Musical Fund Hall..
Box 54 Folder unknown container
General Physical Description note

See also files for the Society's Committee on Plans and Scope (Box 84, Folders 1573-1575), which was concerned almost entirely with the plans for Musical Fund Hall.

Correspondence A-W, with individuals, real estate companies, historic preservation firms, governmental agencies and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority regarding the restoration of Musical Fund Hall.
Box 54 Folder 670-710
Newspaper clippings re restoration of Musical Fund Hall, 1965-1982.
Box 54 Folder 711
Temple, Charlotte [Secretary to Stanley P. Reimann]. The Musical Fund Society and Hall of Philadelphia. Compiled in 1965. 10 pp. Restoration Possibilities of the Musical Fund Hall. 8 pp, 1965.
Box 55 Folder 712
Price Waterhouse & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Feasibility Study Report Relating to Restoration and Use of Musical Fund Hall. Original and 1 copy., May 16, 1969.
Box 55 Folder 713-714
Musical Fund Hall Project 1976. Correspondence and study (2 copies). 1975-1976.
Box 55 Folder 715-716
Chin, Ronald D. Rehabilitation of the Musical Fund Hall. Master of Architecture thesis. University of Pennsylvania. 102 pp. Illustrated with numerous interior and exterior color photographs of Musical Fund Hall. Proposed client for this restoration was the Chapel of the Four Chaplains, 1978.
Box 55 Folder 717

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Constitution of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Annotated copy. Blue cover., 1822.
Box 56 Folder 718
An act to incorporate the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. 4 photocopies. [Original is in oversize drawer No. 59.], 1823.
Box 56 Folder 719
Act of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Orchestral Regulations of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Annotated copy. Marbled cover, January 1826.
Box 56 Folder 720
Act of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Orchestral Regulations of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Marbled cover. This copy was a gift from Ben and Ruth Wolf [see general correspondence 3/28/90]., January 1826.
Box 56 Folder 721
Act of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Annotated copy. "Dr. Dunglison" written on cover., October 1831.
Box 56 Folder 722
Act of Incorporation and By-laws of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia., 1849.
Box 56 Folder 723
An Act to amend an Act entitled an Act to incorporate the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia., 1857.
Box 56 Folder 724
Act of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Annotated copy. "Committee of the fund" on cover., 1878.
Box 56 Folder 725
Act of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Annotated copies. 2 copies., 1882.
Box 56 Folder 726
Act of Incorporation approved February 22, 1823. Amendment thereof, approved April 28, 1857, and By-Laws as revised and amended., May 7, 1912.
Box 56 Folder 727
Act of Incorporation approved February 22, 1823. Amendment thereof, approved April 28, 1857, and By-Laws as revised and amended May 7, 1912. Together with a list of the officers and members. Office copy, annotated., September 1912.
Box 56 Folder 728
Re Charter and By-Laws. 4 leaves, 1912.
Box 56 Folder 729
Act of Incorporation approved February 22, 1823. Amendment thereof, approved April 28, 1857, and By-Laws as revised and amended May 7, 1912. Together with a list of officers and members, historical data and list of portraits. 2 copies., September 1930.
Box 56 Folder 730
Charter and By-Laws as amended May 7, 1946 with Deed of Trust of the McCollin Memorial Fund and Deposit Agreement with the Free Library of Philadelphia. 2 copies., 1946.
Box 56 Folder 731
Charter and By-Laws as amended May 7, 1946 with Deed of Trust of the McCollin Memorial Fund and Deposit Agreement with the Free Library of Philadelphia together with supplemental lists of officers and members. Annotated Office Copy., 1946.
Box 56 Folder 732
By-Laws as last amended. 2 copies., December 21, 1956.
Box 56 Folder 733
By-Laws as last amended December 21, 1956, with supplemental lists of officers and members. Annotated office copy., 1957.
Box 56 Folder 734
By-Laws. Proposed amendments., 1946-1964.
Box 56 Folder 735
Charter and By-Laws. Proposed amendments., 1964-1966.
Box 56 Folder 736
Charter and By-Laws as amended May 5, 1964 with list of officers and members, 1966.
Box 56 Folder 737
By-Laws. Proposed amendments., 1969.
Box 56 Folder 738
Re By-Law amendments. Correspondence Edwin S. Henry, Jr., 1976-1977.
Box 56 Folder 739
By-Laws. Proposed amendments., 1987.
Box 56 Folder 740
By-Laws. Memo., 1989.
Box 56 Folder 741
Abstract of statutory charter of the Musical Fund Society., undated.
Box 56 Folder 742
Charter of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia [amended version], undated.
Box 56 Folder 743

Series Description

This material dates from as early as 1811 and includes pamphlets, prints, plays, and memorabilia. A few items are from the Newland-Zeuner collection (mostly comprising music scores), notably the account book of William A. Newland.

Physical Description

7 Box(es)

"Oration on Masonry, delivered at St. John's Church, in the City of Philadelphia, at the request of the right worshipful Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, on St. John's Day, June 24, 1811." By James Milnor, Esquire, Grand Master. To which is prefixed an account of the procession, and of the ceremonies attending the consecration and dedication of the new Masonic Hall. [penciled note: New Masonic hall dedication 1811 July 24 Contains Carr and Taylor songs.] Pamphlet, no cover. 41 pp, ca. 1811.
Box 57 Folder 744
"Concert of Sacred Music. Vocal and Instrumental by the Handelian Society. Samuel Dyer." March 21, 1815. Advertisement with program. With attached letter from Henry S. Drinker, Jr., September 20, 1954.
Box 57 Folder 745
D. I. Ruddach. Musical Fund Society Membership card, October 1837.
Box 57 Folder 746
Septimus Winner. Drama March. "Composed & respectfully dedicated to Edwin Forrest Esqr. by Sep: Winner." Cover lithograph only (no music) [depicts Edwin Forrest], 1857.
Box 57 Folder 747
Clara Austin. Broadside ballad. "Composed and Written by Mrs. Clara Austin Whose Husband was killed in a Coal Mine at Tower City, Pa. November 18, 1881." Newland-Zeuner Collection, ca. 1881.
Box 57 Folder 748
George P. Kimball. "The Choral School of the Musical Fund Society." Quarterly report, June 4, 1886.
Box 57 Folder 749
Ancient Oder Hibernians, Division No. 7, Ticket for annual ball, February 1, 1887.
Box 57 Folder 750
Fortnight Club. Invitation, 1896.
Box 57 Folder 751
Musical Fund Society annual meeting and collation. Menu, May 1, 1917.
Box 57 Folder 752
Nicolo Paganini. Lock of his hair presented to the Musical Fund Society, 1924.
Box 57 Folder 753
Arch Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Pa. Drawn and engraved by J. Yeager, undated.
Box 57 Folder 754
"David Garrick Esqr." [Print depicts Garrick learning Macbeth], undated.
Box 57 Folder 755
W. H. Boner and Company, Philadelphia, Pa. "Catalogue of Musical Publications." Newland-Zeuner collection, undated [mid 19th century].
Box 57 Folder 756
Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Pa. Print, undated.
Box 57 Folder 757
Board of Directors resolutions, 1880-1893.
Box 57 Folder 758
Committee of Music, appointments, 1887-1903.
Box 57 Folder 759
Committee of the Fund, treasurer's reports, 1871-1897.
Box 57 Folder 760
Committee of the Fund, correspondence, resolutions, 1903-1918.
Box 57 Folder 761
John K. Kane. Autobiography of the Honorable John K. Kane (1795-1858). Written from 1848-1849. Philadelphia: Privately printed. [A few pages from this autobiography discuss the history of the Musical Fund Society.], 1949.
Box 58 Folder 762
William L. Mactier. "A Sketch of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia," Read before the Society, January 20, 1885. Philadelphia: Press of Henry B. Ashmead, 1885, 1885.
Box 58 Folder 763
The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 1820-1910, 1910.
Box 58 Folder 764
The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 1820-1910.
Box 58 Folder 765-766
The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia Centenary, May 4, 1920.
Box 58 Folder 767
Brief history of Musical Fund Society, ca. 1930s.
Box 59 Folder 768
Histories, 1942-ca. 1945.
Box 59 Folder 769
George E. Nitzsche. "The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia." Essay read before the City History Society of Philadelphia, reprinted in several publications, 1954, 1960.
Box 59 Folder 770-771
150th Anniversary of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 1970.
Box 59 Folder 772-773
University of Pennsylvania, Van Pelt Library, Kamin Gallery Exhibition on the history of Musical Fund Society. Exhibition label copy, April 18-June 14, 1995.
Box 59 Folder 774
Notes on history of Musical Fund Society, undated.
Box 59 Folder 775
Paul Burani. Wives Insured, undated.
Box 60 Folder 776
Max Maurey. Rosalie. [in French], undated.
Box 60 Folder 777
Hippilyte Raymond and Maxime Boucheron. Cocard et Bicquet. In three act [in French]. First presented in Paris in 1888.
Box 60 Folder 778-780
Envelope Waterloo Medals awarded to Adolph Schmitz (1796-1890), teacher of music at the Musical Fund Society's Academy of Music, founded in 1825 and discontinued in 1931.
Box 61 Folder unknown container
Certificates, awarded to Adolph Schmitz (in German), 1816 and 1863.
Box 61 Folder 781
Correspondence, Charles M. Schmitz and William H. Hollis, 1909.
Box 61 Folder 782
Waterloo Medals. Booklet. Translations (from German to English) of award.
Box 61 Folder 783
Photographs of medals, 1909.
Box 61 Folder 784
Memorabilia (8 items): Printer's plate. Illustration of Musical Fund Hall. Printer's plate. Invitation to award presentation for 1928 Chamber Music Contest. [copper plate, engraved] Printer's plate. Invitation. 193? Brass name plate. "Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia." Conductor's baton. Wood, end is broken off. 3 rubber stamps. "Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.".
Box 62 Folder unknown container
William A. Newland (composer, conductor, organist). Account book. Missing first leaf (pp. 1-2); second leaf in mylar. Newland-Zeuner Collection., 1834-1868 (1843-1868).
Box 63 Folder unknown container

Scope and Contents note

Photographs of the portraits of past presidents of the Musical Fund Society, prize winners, and a few publicity shots.

Physical Description

2 Box(es)

30 photographs.
Box 64
Scope and Contents

1. Benjamin Carr, founding member, conductor, director of music, portrait by John Clarendon Darley
2. George Schetky, founding member, conductor, director of music, portrait by John Clarendon Darley
3. Benjamin Cross, conductor, director of music, portrait by Thomas Sully
4. William P. Dewees, president 1820-1838, portrait by Thomas Sully
5. Francis Gurney Smith, treasurer 1820-1864, portrait by Thomas Sully
6. George Campbell, secretary, 1827-1856, portrait by Thomas Sully
7. Robert M. Patterson, president 1838-1853, portrait by Thomas Sully
8. John K. Kane, president 1854-1856, portrait by Thomas Sully
9. Robley Dunglison, president 1856-1869, portrait by Thomas Sully
10. Thomas Sully, vice-president, 1860-1873, self-portrait
11. Franklin Peale, president 1869-1870, portrait by Thomas Sully
12. Franklin Peale, president 1869-1870, portrait by Rembrandt Peale
13. Mrs. Charles Willson Peale (Elizabeth De Peyster), portrait by Charles Willson Peale
14. Mrs. Julia Wood as "Anima" in the opera "La Somnanibula," portrait by John Neagle
15. Edward G. McCollin, president 1910-1923, portrait by Wayman Adams
16. Murray Gibson, president 1923-1926, portrait by Leopold Seyffert
17. Dr. Gilbert Raynolds Combs, president 1927-1934
18. Edward Brooks Keffer, president 1947-1961
19. A. Carson Simpson, president 1961-1964
20. Adolph Vogel, President 1964-1967 21. Adolph Vogel receives honorary degree of Doctor of Music at Annual Meeting, May 1976
22. E. Brooks Keffer, Jr. 23-24. Photographs of portraits of founding members Ann Dallet Gilles (or Gillies) and Elijah Dallett, sent by descendent Francis James Dallett, Jr. 25-26. Mabel Garrison as "Jenny Lind," performance for the 100th anniversary of the Musical Fund Society, May 4, 1920. 2 copies, incorrect date on tissue paper [see programs]
27. H. Waldo Warner, second place winner in Chamber Music Competition, October 1928, autographed photograph
28. Alfredo Casella, first place winner in Chamber Music Competition, 1929, autographed photograph
29-30. 2 unidentified photographs [of presidents?]

Photograph album. Photographs of the portraits of past presidents of the Musical Fund Society, plus a photograph of Murray Gibson.
Box 65

Series Description

Correspondence related to general Society business, membership, and grants to non-profit organizations and to individuals. Note that legal correspondence is in the next series (Box 74), financial correspondence is with financial records (Boxes 91-92) and correspondence related to the proposed renovation of Musical Fund Hall is located with other materials related to the Hall (Boxes 53-54).

Physical Description

8 Box(es)

Abramovic, Charles--Busch, Miers.
Box 66 Folder 785-857
Camerata Strings of Philadelphia--Ezerman, Willem.
Box 67 Folder 858-937
Faragalli, Michael--Hayes, Cassandra.
Box 68 Folder 938-1014
Heaton, Wallace--Krush, Jay.
Box 69 Folder 1015-1086
Laciar, Samuel L.--Mozart on the Square.
Box 70 Folder 1087-1155
Mumford, Jeffrey--Purcell, Susan.
Box 71 Folder 1156-1225
Radu, Valentin--Symphony Club of Philadelphia.
Box 72 Folder 1226-1312
Tarr, Lawrence--Zur, M.
Box 73 Folder 1313-1374

Series Description

Chiefly concerns additions to the Society's Music Library, as well as its deposit at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Also includes documentation regarding bequests to the Society.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Properties on Dauphin Street. Alfred H. Williams, 1888.
Box 74 Folder 1375
Property at 407 Sansom Street, 1928.
Box 74 Folder 1376
Lease. 400 Chestnut Street, 1930.
Box 74 Folder 1377
Correspondence re 234 S. Darien St. and 213 Schell St, 1941-1946.
Box 74 Folder 1378
Correspondence and lease. Public Ledger Building, 1949-1952.
Box 74 Folder 1379
Trust agreement with D. Hendrik Ezerman Foundation, 1930; correspondence, 1930-1942, 1930-1942.
Box 74 Folder 1380-1381
Newland-Zeuner Collection report and purchase, 1931.
Box 74 Folder 1382-1383
Agreement of sale re Hopkinson manuscripts [forged] with Charles J. Nagy, 1933.
Box 74 Folder 1384
Correspondence of Henry S. Drinker, counsel for the Musical Fund Society re Musical Fund Hall and purchase of Hopkinson manuscripts, 1933-1935.
Box 74 Folder 1385-1387
Free Library of Philadelphia. Agreement re Musical Fund Society Music Library, 1936.
Box 74 Folder 1388-1390
Gilbert Raynolds Combs will and subsequent actions related to his estate, 1933-1986.
Box 74 Folder 1391-1396
Meyer L. Casman claim re Musical Fund Society relief provisions, 1969-1974.
Box 74 Folder 1397-1398

Note

Holdings incomplete.

Physical Description

2 Box(es)

Programs for musical events, 1944-1976.
Box 75 Folder 1399-1430
Programs for musical events 1976-1994, undated; for 1989-1994 includes announcements for Winter Receptions and Annual Collations, 1976-1994.
Box 76 Folder 1431-1453

Note

Later called Musical Fund Note, 1976-1992. Irregularly published newsletter; holdings incomplete.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Holdings incomplete.
Box 77 Folder 1454-1466

Note

Holdings incomplete.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

List of first officers of the Musical Fund Society.
Box 78 Folder 1467
Officers and members, 1946-1947.
Box 78 Folder 1468
Directors, officers, and members, 1953-1994.
Box 78 Folder 1469-1473

Series Description

Complete holdings for the years 1918 to 1959; no holdings for 1960 to 1967; incomplete holdings for annual meeting minutes and annual reports for 1968 to 1994.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Annual Reports, 1928-1959.
Box 79 Folder 1474-1477
Annual Meetings, Minutes, Agendas, not complete, 1968-1987.
Box 79 Folder 1478-1487
Annual Meetings, Minutes and Annual Reports, 1989-1994.
Box 79 Folder 1488-1495

Series Description

Minutes, agendas, and resolutions of the Board. Holdings incomplete.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Resolutions, minutes, not complete, 1946-1987.
Box 80 Folder 1496-1508
Minutes, 1988-1994.
Box 80 Folder 1509-1519

Series Description

Administrative documents related to the Foundation. Holdings incomplete.

Physical Description

1 Box(es)

Notice of incorporation, first meeting, 1983.
Box 81 Folder 1520
Minutes and annual reports, 1983-1990.
Box 81 Folder 1521-1523
Copy of By-Laws, 1991.
Box 81 Folder 1524
Minutes and annual reports, 1991-1993.
Box 81 Folder 1525-1528
Financial statements, 1989-1993.
Box 81 Folder 1529
Fundraising.
Box 81 Folder 1530-1532
Brochures, stationary.
Box 81 Folder 1533

Series Description

Includes minutes, special reports, correspondence for all of the Society's committees. The work of the Committee on the Music includes the chamber music competition of 1928.

Physical Description

9 Box(es)

Nominating Committee, not complete, 1970-1993.
Box 82 Folder 1534-1536
Committee on Admissions. 2 items, 1918-1932.
Box 82 Folder 1537
Committee on Admissions, not complete, 1968-1993.
Box 82 Folder 1538-1545
Membership list, historical.
Box 82 Folder 1546
Membership forms, notices, 1986-1992.
Box 82 Folder 1547
Membership applications, 1984-1987.
Box 82 Folder 1548-1550
Membership lists, 1968-1993.
Box 82 Folder 1551-1556
Membership dues, 1986-1991.
Box 82 Folder 1557
Committee list, undated.
Box 83 Folder 1558
Report of the Special Committee to Tabulate the Music, October 1936.
Box 83 Folder 1559
Committee on portraits owned by the Musical Fund Society, includes correspondence with Alfred H. Peiffer regarding appraisal of the portraits in May 1930, 1952; May 1930.
Box 83 Folder 1560
Committee of the Sesqui-Centennial of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 1967.
Box 83 Folder 1561
150th Anniversary of the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 1971.
Box 83 Folder 1562
Historical Committee, 1971-1981.
Box 83 Folder 1563
Historical Committee, James C. Dorsey's Archivist reports and notes, 1968-1973.
Box 83 Folder 1564-1565
Bicentennial Committee of the Musicall Fund Society, 1973.
Box 83 Folder 1566
Committee on Constitution and By-Laws, 1975. see also folder 718.
Box 83 Folder 1567
General Physical Description note

see also folder 718

Ad Hoc Committee. Minutes and reports, 1980-1990.
Box 83 Folder 1568-1570
Bartok Manuscript Committee, 1985-1986.
Box 83 Folder 1571
Musical Fund Society Archives at the U. of Pennsylvania, 1994.
Box 83 Folder 1572
Committee on Plans and Scope, mostly re plans to renovate Musical Fund Hall, 1965-1977.
Box 84 Folder 1573-1575
Committee on Scholarships and Education, 1977-1982.
Box 85 Folder 1576-1577
Committee on Career Advancement, minutes, 1982-1989.
Box 85 Folder 1578-1584
Committee on Career Advancement, correspondence and agendas, 1981-1989.
Box 85 Folder 1585-1591
Committee on Career Advancement and the American Academy in Rome, 1984-1988.
Box 85 Folder 1592
Committee on Career Advancement, applications and Career Advancement seminars, 1984-1993.
Box 83 Folder 1593-1597
Audio tapes of Seminar on Careers in Music. Edward Arian (side A); Matthew Dooley (side B); Bob Grossman, Christopher Keene (side C); Livia Blumenthal (side D); John Gingrich, Jay Hoffman (side E); Ray Green, Jay Hoffman (side F). 3 audio cassette tapes, recorded by Magnetik Productions [RESTRICTED], undated.
Box 85 Folder 1598
Chamber Music Competition, Announcements and program for concert of prize-winning compositions at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, December 30, 1928.
Box 86 Folder 1599
Chamber Music Competition, Announcements and correspondence, 1927-1929.
Box 86 Folder 1600-1604
Edward Garrett McCollin Memorial Fund. Deed of Trust, 30 July 1925.
Box 86 Folder 1605
Edward Garrett McCollin Memorial Fund announcements and correspondence for contests, 1932, 1948, 1954, 1963-1964, 1969, 1979.
Box 86 Folder 1606-1626
Distinguished Artist Award, 1988-1993.
Box 86 Folder 1627-1628
Young Musicians' Recitals, 1945-1954.
Box 87 Folder 1629-137
Young Musicians' Recital, publicity, including 7 photographs of prize winners, 1954.
Box 87 Folder 1638
1949-1956. Includes correspondence re Young Musicians' Recitals and McCollin contest, 1954.
Box 87 Folder 1639-1644
Minutes, reports. [incomplete], 1958-1993.
Box 87 Folder 1645-1651
Special concerts, 1979.
Box 88 Folder 1652
Special concerts. 1 audio cassette tape for Bristol Memorial Concert at Sts. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, 11/01/81, Peter Lamanna Conducting [RESTRICTED], 1981.
Box 88 Folder 1653
Special concerts. Works by Robert Capanna, 1985.
Box 88 Folder 1654
Entertainment Committee, 1966, 1975.
Box 88 Folder 1655-1656
Committee files, meetings and reports, 1943-1993.
Box 89 Folder 1657-1660
Correspondence files, arranged alphabetically, with individual widows receiving relief, 1913-1978.
Box 89 Folder 1661-1670
Finance Committee, not complete, 1967-1984.
Box 90 Folder 1671-1674
Committee of the Fund, projected income, 1977, 1980-1987.
Box 90 Folder 1675
Committee of the Fund, notices, reports, 1988-1990.
Box 90 Folder 1676
Committee of the Fund, Grants. On formulating grants guidelines.
Box 90 Folder 1677
Committee of the Fund, minutes, not complete, 1966-1988.
Box 90 Folder 1678-1680
Committee of the Fund, minutes, 1988-1994.
Box 90 Folder 1681-1693

Series Description

Includes correspondence (incomplete) of the Society's secretaries and treasurers from 1938 to 1992 and statements from the Society's investment companies and banks, as well as tax returns and audits.

Physical Description

6 Box(es)

Scope and Contents note

Dates listed are inclusive dates of correspondence in the folders, not the dates of tenure of the officers of the Society.

Robert Meade Smith, Jr. (Treasurer), 1938-1969.
Box 91 Folder 1694
Spencer P. Hazard (Secretary), 1952-1956.
Box 91 Folder 1695-1696
Arthur Claffy (Secretary), 1967-1972.
Box 91 Folder 1697-1698
Charles H. Hanby (Accountant), 1974-1980.
Box 91 Folder 1699
Charles F. Ludwig (Secretary), 1975-1980.
Box 91 Folder 1700
William E. Vauclain, 1976-1984.
Box 91 Folder 1701
George J. Lincoln III (Treasurer), 1984-1986.
Box 91 Folder 1702
Mimi O'Malley (for Mr. Lincoln), 1985-1987.
Box 91 Folder 1703
Horace W. Schwarz (Treasurer), 1986-1989.
Box 91 Folder 1704
Edith A. Reinhardt (Treasurer), 1989-1992.
Box 91 Folder 1705
Secretary's lists. Contents of Financial Records in Tin Box, undated (ca. 1956).
Box 91 Folder 1706
Form letters, samples, and forms.
Box 91 Folder 1707
Stationary, brochures.
Box 91 Folder 1708
Hare & Chase, Robert Meade Smith. Re Fine arts policy and a liability claim, 1939-1940.
Box 92 Folder 1709
Insurance Company of North America, 1951-1969.
Box 92 Folder 1710
Marsh & McLennan, 1980-1986.
Box 92 Folder 1711
Maryland Casualty Company, 1928.
Box 92 Folder 1712
Narrigan Associates, 1981-1987.
Box 92 Folder 1713
Stokes, Packard & Smith, 1953.
Box 92 Folder 1714
Miscellaneous correspondence re stocks and bonds, 1950-1952.
Box 92 Folder 1715
Central Penn National Bank, 1945.
Box 92 Folder 1716
Fidelity Bank, 1968-1987.
Box 92 Folder 1717
Fidelity Philadelphia Trust Company, 1934-1965.
Box 92 Folder 1718-1723
Girard Bank, 1972.
Box 92 Folder 1724
Ichan Group, Inc, 1985.
Box 92 Folder 1725
Kidder, Peabody & Co, 1986.
Box 92 Folder 1726
Mathison, Aitken & Co., accountants, 1965-1988.
Box 92 Folder 1727-1728
Mellon Bank re estate of Gilbert R. Combs, 1985-1986. see Box 74, Folders 1391-1396.
Box 92 Folder 1729
General Physical Description note

see Box 74, Folders 1391-1396

PSFS, 1983-1989.
Box 92 Folder 1730
Provident National Bank, 1986-1987.
Box 92 Folder 1731
Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Company, 1948.
Box 92 Folder 1732
United States. Treasury Dept, 1951.
Box 92 Folder 1733
W.E. Hutton & Co, 1948-1955.
Box 92 Folder 1734-1736
Western Saving Fund Society, 1954.
Box 92 Folder 1737
Schedule of Bonds and Stocks Owned, 1934.
Box 93 Folder 1738
Investment statements, 1963, 1975, 1978. for other years see Treasurer's Financial Statements, Box 94.
Box 93 Folder 1739-1741
General Physical Description note

for other years see Treasurer's Financial Statements, Box 94

Investment Statements, Fidelity Bank, 1980-1986.
Box 93 Folder 1742-1755
Investment Statements, 1986-1994.
Box 93 Folder 1756-1763
Treasurer's Financial Statements, 1951-1987.
Box 94 Folder 1764-1792
Treasurer's Financial Statements, 1988-1994.
Box 95 Folder 1793-1799
Auditors' Reports Upon Examination of Accounts, 1928-1944.
Box 96 Folder 1800-1816
Auditors' Reports Upon Examination of Accounts, 1945-1979.
Box 97 Folder 1817-1844
Report upon Examination of Financial Statements, 1980-1990.
Box 98 Folder 1845-1853
Pennsylvania taxes and sales and use tax exemptions.
Box 99 Folder 1854-1856
Philadelphia taxes and wage tax.
Box 99 Folder 1857-1858
United States. Internal Revenue Service, exemption letter. (photostat), 1942.
Box 99 Folder 1859
United States. Internal Revenue Service, victory tax, 1942-1943.
Box 99 Folder 1860
United States. Internal Revenue Service, exemption letters, 1965-1987.
Box 99 Folder 1861
Income Tax Returns, not complete for all years, 1929-1986.
Box 99 Folder 1862-1868
Employer's Tax Returns and forms, not complete, 1943-1984.
Box 99 Folder 1869-1873
1963-1964.
Box 100 Folder 1874
1980-1988.
Box 100 Folder 1875-1890
Musical Fund Hall, April 7, 1920-March 30, 1922.
Box 101 Folder 1891-1900
Society expenses, 1952-1953.
Box 102 Folder 1901
Relief account, 1952-1955.
Box 102 Folder 1902-1905
September 1933-July 1944 [pp. 2-349]. Journal entries: March 1934-March 1950 [pp. 350-400]. 1 volume. August 1944-November 1955 [pp. 2-349]. Journal entries: April 1950-December 1955 [pp. 350-384]. 1 volume.
Box 103
December 1955-September 1967. Journal entries: January 1956-December 1984. 1 volume.
Box 104
October 1967-May 1985. 1 volume.
Box 105
Entries arranged alphabetically. 1 volume, ca. 1935-1953.
Box 106 Folder unknown container
Entries arranged alphabetically. 1 volume, ca. 1957-1986.
Box 107 Folder unknown container
Ledger entries, loose sheets, re investments.
Box 107 Folder 1906
Ledger entries, loose sheets, 1957-1983.
Box 107 Folder 1907
Ledger pad. 1 volume, 1985-1987.
Box 108 Folder unknown container
Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company. Edward G. McCollin Fund, check stubs, 1925-1952; canceled checks, 1946-1956.
Box 109 Folder 1908-1913
Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company, general account, bank statements, March 1945-April 1958.
Box 110 Folder 1914-1921
Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company, check stubs. 2 volumes, January 1943-October 1957.
Box 111 Folder unknown container
Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust Company. Edward G. McCollin Fund, check book. 1 volume, 1963-1964.
Box 112 Folder unknown container
Central Penn National Bank, canceled checks, 1945-1956.
Box 113 Folder 1922-1930
Central Penn National Bank, check stubs. 4 volumes, 1945-1956.
Box 114 Folder unknown container
Fidelity Bank, check stubs, 1 volume. October 1973-April 1977. Fidelity Bank, check stubs, 1 volume. April 1977-November 1978. Fidelity Bank, check stubs, 1 volume. November 1978-July 1980, 1973-1980.
Box 115 Folder unknown container
Fidelity Bank, 1 volume. check stubs, July 1980-March 1982. Fidelity Bank, check stubs, March 1982-December 1983. Fidelity Bank, check stubs, December 1983-October 1985. Fidelity Bank, check stubs, October 1985-December 1986, 1980-1986.
Box 116 Folder unknown container
Fidelity Bank, statements, June 1980-May 1983.
Box 117 Folder 1931-1933
Fidelity Bank, statements, June 1983-October 1986.
Box 118 Folder 1934-1937
Fidelity Bank, McCollin Fund, savings, 1972-1985.
Box 118 Folder 1938
Fidelity Bank, Musical Fund Society Foundation, check stubs. 1 volume, November 1985-November 1986.
Box 119 Folder unknown container
Provident National Bank, canceled checks, 1986-1988.
Box 120 Folder 1939

Series Description

The first four boxes contain catalogs to the Musical Fund Society's Chamber Music collection. The fifth is a catalog prepared in 1974 of the orchestral and choral music in the collection dated prior to 1840. The last box contains various lists of music that were compiled by the Society at different times. The musical scores and parts are cataloged individually and housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Physical Description

6 Box(es)

Chamber Music. Piano and other instruments. 1 volume.
Box 121
Two pianos. Sonatas. 1 volume Chamber Music. Piano trios and other pieces. 1 volume.
Box 122
Miscellaneous Chamber Music. 1 volume.
Box 123
String Chamber Music. 2 volumes.
Box 124
Catalog of Orchestral and Choral Compositions. Published and in manuscript between 1790 and 1840. 2 copies, Printed 1974.
Box 125
Lists of music and miscellaneous, 1940-1944.
Box 126

Series Description

Drawer No. 10 contains the original act of incorporation for the Musical Fund Society (1823); numerous mortgages and property bonds relating to the Musical Fund Hall; historic photographs; architect's drawings for the renovation of Musical Fund Hall (1960s); and posters.

Deed: Anne Mifflin to Perry Warren re house and lot on Blackberry Alley, February 15, 1814.
Drawer 10
Deed: Alexander Henry and wife to the Reverend James K. Burch, March 30, 1815.
Drawer 10
Deed: The Reverend James K. Burch and wife to Joseph Montgomery, April 12, 1817.
Drawer 10
Deed: Alexander Henry and wife to the Fifth Presbyterian Congregation of the City of Philadelphia, March 30, 1815. Includes endorsement: The Fifth Presbyterian Congregation of the City of Philadelphia to Alexander Henry, April 1, 1824.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, December 15, 1824.
Drawer 10
Account of expenditures in building of the Musical Fund Hall. 2 leaves, March 16, 1825.
Drawer 10
Bond and Warrant: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to Joseph Montgomery, November 29, 1825.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to Joseph Montgomery, November 29, 1825.
Drawer 10
Bond and Warrant: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, December 15, 1825.
Drawer 10
Bond: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, December 31, 1830.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, December 31, 1830.
Drawer 10
Bond: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, June 25, 1847.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Saving Fund Society, re Hall renovations, June 25, 1847.
Drawer 10
Deed: Alexander Henry and wife to the Reverend James K. Burch, March 30, 1815. Includes endorsement: John K. Mitchell, et. al. to Martha H. Chambers, August 14, 1848.
Drawer 10
Deed: James A. Freeman to Nancy H. Freeman for premises on Blackberry Alley, February 2, 1854.
Drawer 10
Bond and Warrant: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the American Fire Insurance Co, January 6, 1862.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia to the American Fire Insurance Co, January 6, 1862.
Drawer 10
Deed: Mrs. Nancy H. Freeman to Sarah Ann Mitchell for the property at no. 234 Blackberry Alley (now S. Darien St.), October 25, 1866.
Drawer 10
Bond and Warrant: Sarah Ann Mitchell to James A. Freeman, October 25, 1866.
Drawer 10
Mortgage: Sarah Ann Mitchell to James A. Freeman, October 25, 1866.
Drawer 10
Deed: S. Weir Mitchell and Alexander Henry to Letitia H. Harrison and Nathaniel Chapman Mitchell for property at nos. 235, 237, and 239 Duponceau St. (now S. Darien St.), June 4, 1881.
Drawer 10
Deed: George L. Harrison and wife to S. Weir Mitchell for property at nos. 235, 237, and 239 Duponceau St. (now S. Darien St.), June 6, 1881.
Drawer 10
Release of liens to the building committee for the Musical Fund Hall, April 15, 1892.
Drawer 10
Architects' drawings for planned renovations of Musical Fund Hall. Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. 25 leaves, 1960s-1970s.
Drawer 10
Program for concert by pupils of Miss Emma I. James, Philadelphia, May 9, 1898.
Drawer 10
Young Artists Recitals. Posters, ca. 1945-1954.
Drawer 10
"Act to incorporate the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia", February 28, 1823.
Drawer 10
Photograph of Musical Fund Society members on steps of Musical Fund Hall. (sometime after the Hall was remodeled in 1891?) [very fragile item, in foam board], undated.
Drawer 10
Items commemorating the 100th anniversary of Musical Fund Society: copy of letter from Jenny Lind's daughter mounted on board. Gift of Mrs. Cary W. Bok.
Drawer 10
150th Anniversary of Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia. Resolution by Philadelphia City Council, May 21, 1970.
Drawer 10
Poster. The University of Pennsylvania Library exhibition. "The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, 175 Years of Musical Patronage." Kamin Gallery, April 18-June 14, 1995.
Drawer 10

Print, Suggest