Prepare for a visit to AAMLO with these special topic resource guides.
This resource guide is intended to help users locate holdings at AAMLO related to African American music, opera, and singers of the early 20th century (1900-1940).
It highlights holdings in the following areas:
● Selected Library Material at AAMLO
● Selected Archival Collections at AAMLO
Other collections may contain relevant materials. Please contact AAMLO (aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org) with any questions or to schedule an appointment to view materials in person.
A printable PDF version of this resource guide is available for download.
Selected Library Materials
And so I sing : African-American divas of opera and concert by Rosalyn M. Story
Sing for your life : a story of race, music, and family by Daniel Bergner
Blacks in opera : an encyclopedia of people and companies, 1873-1993 by Eric Ledell Smith
Just before jazz : Black musical theater in New York, 1890-1915 by Thomas L. Riis
Black musical theatre : from Coontown to Dreamgirls by Allen Woll
Selected Archival Collections
Arnold Vernon Baranco Papers. The Arnold Vernon Baranco papers include newspaper clippings, correspondence, yearbooks, WPA musical programs and photographs related to the life and musical activities of Arnold Vernon Baranco.
Julian Bagley Collection. Julian Elihu Bagley moved to San Francisco in 1922 to open a waterfront hotel, and became well-known as the concierge of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. He served as the opera house’s official greeter for 39 years beginning on its opening night on October 15, 1932.
Justitia Davis Papers. The Justitia Davis papers include scrapbooks, photographs, music and theatrical programs, newspaper clippings, artifacts, and certificates that document the life and career of actor and music teacher Justitia Davis.
Marcus Hall Papers. Baritone singer Marcus Hall (1904-1977) was born on September 8, 1904 in California to William M. and Susie Hall. Papers include concert programs, correspondence, a scrapbook, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the life and career of baritone singer Marcus Hall.
Maxine and Roy C. Blackburn Papers. Maxine Blackburn was a well-known musician in Oakland, California. As a child, she studied piano with Elmer F. Keeton and then went on to study at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received an appointment as organist and choir director at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church, a post she held for many years.
Mayme C. Netherland Collection. Mayme (Mary) C. Netherland's father, Oscar Thomas Jackson (1846-1909), was a tenor with the Hicks Sawyer Minstrels and later with other minstrel groups.
Roberts Family Papers. Pearl Roberts (1892-1984), attended both the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory of Music. She became the first African American woman pipe organist in Northern California and founded a very successful choral group which was acclaimed for its performance of spirituals. Frederick and Pearl's daughter, Gloria Roberts (1924–2011), also pursued a career in music and performed in both the United States and Europe as a concert pianist.
Rousseau Family Papers. The Rousseau family was a family musical ensemble consisting of husband and wife, Walter H. and Margaret Rousseau, and their seven children: Anna E. Rousseau, James L. Rousseau, Charles P. Rousseau, Milton T. Rousseau, Margaret Rousseau, and Green M. Rousseau. Beginning the 1910s, the family began performing at church and vaudeville theater venues throughout California, including a four month long performance at the Panama-California International Exposition in San Diego, California in 1915-1916.
Additional Information
Search the library using the catalog.
Consult AAMLO's finding aids in the Online Archive of California.
We are working to create new resource guides. Have an idea for a new guide? Contact us at aamlo@oaklandlibrary.org.
