Uploads from painting in light, tagged race

Paul Robeson.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:14:36 -0700

An advertisement for a concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 30th Nov 1958 by Paul Robeson.

Bass and actor Paul [LeRoy Bustill] Robeson was born on 9th April 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey and died on 23rd January 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In 1950, the US State Department denied Robeson a passport and issued a "stop notice" at all ports, effectively confining him to the United States. The reasons given - it would be detrimental to the interests of the United States Government for Robeson to travel abroad because his frequent criticism of the treatment of blacks in the United States should not be aired in foreign countries.

It was not until 1956 that Paul Robeson left the USA for the first time since this 'ban'.

Quite simply the ban, on those grounds, was the US Government supporting racial discrimination, denying free speech and acting no different to a totalitarian regime.

Marian Anderson.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:21:48 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

An editorial copy of an Associated Press Wirephoto – back-stamped 1963.

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson ~ N.B.C.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:43:29 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

According to archives, in this broadcast of the ‘Ford Startime: Christmas Startime’ on 22nd Dec 1959 Marian Anderson; read related passages from St Luke and sang the spirituals "Behold That Star" and "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands" and closed the program with "Silent Night".

The programme was presented by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

It did not go out ‘live’ but was taped.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:55:33 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

Editorial copy of a Ben Mancuso Photopress photograph – it is back stamped 28th Dec 1950.

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson in Korea

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:32:33 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial copy of a United Press photo.

Press clipping on back –

“WELCOME VOICE – Backed by voices of troops of the 24th Infantry Division, concert singer Marian Anderson leads the way with a song somewhere in Korea. Miss Anderson visited seven countries on a 40,000-mile tour of south-east Asia. – UP Photo.

Back-stamped - 16th also 17th Dec 1957.

This was part of her 1957 10 week concert tour.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:54:53 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

An editorial copy of a United Press Telephoto.

8th Oct 1954 ~ Signatures that made history – the press clipping on back explains all -

“MET SIGNS ITS FIRST NEGRO STAR The famous American Negro contralto, Marian Anderson, signs a contract making her the first of her race to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Rudolf Bing [right], general manager, signs for the Met as opera impresario Sol Hurok looks on. Miss Anderson will appear early in January in the role of Ulrica, a fortune teller, in Verdi’s “The Masked Ball” – UP Telephoto”

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson and husband.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:00:00 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

This editorial copy of a United Press telephoto is notated -

“NXP 2-11/9-NEW YORK: Marian Anderson, who recently became the first opera singer of the Negro race to join the Metropolitan Opera Company, appears at the Met’s opening last night with her husband, Orpheus H. Fisher. UNITED PRESS TELEPHOTO hv”

It is back-stamped ‘Nov 10 1954’.

Marian [1897-1993] and Orpheus [1900-1986] were married on 17th July 1943 in Connecticut – although he had proposed to her many years before when they were just teenagers.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:00:00 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial copy of an Associated Press photo from the night of 7th Jan 1955 when the contralto Marian Anderson [1897-1993] made history at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, by becoming the first African-American principal soloist at the Metropolitan Opera when she sang the part of ‘Ulrica’, the Gypsy fortune-teller, in Verdi's opera ‘The Masked Ball’.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

Marian Anderson ~ history is made.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:00:00 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

Original Press Photo from 7th Jan 1955 at the Metropolitan House – the notation on the back of the photo says it all –

“A triumphant Marian Anderson made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera on January 7, 1955 as Ulrica in Verdi’s MASKED BALL. Miss Anderson was the first of her race to sing at the Metropolitan. She is featured here taking a curtain call in front of the famous Gold Curtain.”

Part of review of Miles Kastendieck in the N. Y. Journal American = “Marion Anderson's debut on January 7 became one of the historic moments in the Metropolitan Opera's 71-year-old story. For her it marked the realization of a childhood dream. For the Metropolitan it not only broke tradition but also set a precedent for including Negroes in future casts. For all it created an emotional occasion out of tribute to her as a singer and out of recognition that to her should fall this signal honor of opening the door for singers of her race.”

That performance was conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos and the rest of the cast were – Amelia ~ Zinka Milanov; Riccardo ~ Richard Tucker; Renato ~ Leonard Warren; Oscar ~ Roberta Peters; Samuel ~ Nicola Moscona; Tom ~ Norman Scott; Silvano ~ Calvin Marsh; Judge ~ James McCracken; Servant ~ Charles Anthony.

# [Sir] Rudolf Bing [1902-1997] the general manager [from 1950] of the Metropolitan Opera House who hired Marian Anderson summed it up in his memoirs – as any reasonable person could – in his second season as G.M. the ballerina Janet Collins became the first of her race to appear as a featured solo artist.

Oh yes, they had a wonderful dancer for the ‘triumphal scene’ in the opera Aida, but he was told that they had a problem – she was BLACK!

Bing just could not see the ‘problem’ as she was a good dancer, so what had colour to do with it? Especially as all the dancers were supposed to be Nubians and therefore had to use dark body paint. He genuinely could not comprehend the so called ‘problem’.

Of course when he got to know the mind-set of the ‘important’ people involved – people of that great ‘free’ country – it really dawned on him. Collins was a great dancer but black, Anderson was a great singer but black – talent had nothing to do with it – they were black. Of course, as a normal person, he still could not comprehend their argument.

As history records Collins danced and Anderson sang as Rudolf Bing wanted and he continued as G.M. for many, many years – hiring the best he could get, regardless of race, creed or colour.

Marian Anderson.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:08:55 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

An editorial copy of the agent ‘S. Hurok’ photograph – back-stamped 1969.

The contralto Marian Anderson was born 27th February 1897 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died 8th April 1993 in Portland, Oregon.

www.flickr.com/photos/w77t/sets/72157623126047919/

George Shirley

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:45:59 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

Tenor George Shirley was born in Indianapolis on 18th April 1934

In his lengthy career George Shirley has reprised more than 80 roles at some of the world’s greatest opera houses and has been showered with honours.

He has worked with the world’s greatest conductors and been fêted as a tenor with great depth, feeling and personality.

He was the first black tenor and second African-American male to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera, where he remained for eleven years as leading artist.

He was the first African-American to be appointed to a high school teaching position in music in Detroit, and later became the first black member of the United States Army Chorus in Washington, DC.

In New York, he produced a series of radio programs for WQXR-FM called ‘Classical Music and the Afro-American’.

# The B&W photo is dated 10th Dec 1961 and by Carl Van Vechten and is dedicated to the public domain from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten photograph collection.

Punch ~ political, satire, fun, propaganda:

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 01:33:10 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

From Punch ~ 8th June 1878 ~ 'Our Derby reserves' by Linley Sambourne relating to the Epsom Derby horse race and Champagne consumed .

Edward Linley Sambourne was born on 4th Jan 1844 in London and died on 3rd Aug 1910.

Punch ~ political, satire, fun, propaganda:

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:16:07 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

From Punch ~ 8th June 1878 ~ 'The Dark Horse' by Joseph Swain [1820 - 1909] relating to the Epsom Derby horse race.

1926 London

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:47:33 -0700

painting in light posted a photo:

Fanny Heldy on her racehorse 'Clavieres'

Soprano Fanny Heldy was born in Belgium on 29th Feb 1888 and died in France on 13th Dec 1973. She made her début in Brussels during 1910.

[Covent Garden official souvenir 1926]

Shahid Udham Singh Memorial Tournament Sikh Temple Smethwick.

nobody@flickr.com (painting in light) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:33:06 -0800

painting in light posted a photo:

Athletics at Hadley Stadium, Smethwick, Warley, West Midlands – 100m final and presentation 29th July 1976.