Walla Walla Symphony Records

Walla Walla Symphony Records, 1897-2012

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Walla Walla Symphony
Title: Walla Walla Symphony Records
Dates: 1897-2012 (inclusive)
19072012
Quantity: 22.27 linear feet, (13 record cartons, 5 manuscript boxes, 3 flat boxes, 2 small flat boxes)
Collection Number: WCMss.072
Summary: The Walla Walla Symphony Records contains board of Directors minutes, concert programs, newspaper clippings, video and audio tapes, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia from the 100-year history of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra. The collection dates from 1907 to 2012.
Repository: Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Whitman College and Northwest Archives
Penrose Library, Room 130
345 Boyer Avenue
Walla Walla, WA
99362
Telephone: 5095275922
Fax: 5095264785
archives@whitman.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra claims to be the oldest continuously operating symphony west of the Mississippi. Its Board of Directors was formed July 1, 1907. In a second meeting on September 6 of that year, it appointed Edgar Fischer as conductor. Fischer had just resigned as director of the Whitman College Conservatory of Music. The first concert on December 12, 1907, began with Mozart's "Magic Flute." The orchestra's early performances took place in the Keylor Grand Theatre. With a seating capacity of 1,300, it was considered one of the largest and finest theatres in the Northwest. The orchestra performed in other auditoriums through the years before making their home in Whitman's Cordiner Hall in 1967, where they continue to perform regularly.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Walla Walla Symphony Records contain minutes from the Board of Directors; concert programs; newspaper clippings; photographs and posters; scrapbooks; audio and video tapes of performances, recitals, and interviews; newsletters; memorabilia, and research materials used in the publication of "A Dream Fulfilled: one hundred years of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra 1907-2007," by Dan Shultz. The collection dates from 1907 to 2012.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donated to the Whitman College and Northwest Archives by Michael Wenberg in September 2010. The accession number associated with this donation is 2010-017. Additional material was donated by Leah Wilson-Velasco on 2018 July 13. The accession number associated with this donation is 2018-029.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

1: Board Meeting Minutes and Reports, 1907-2006Return to Top

Collection is open for research.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
1	Board Meeting Minutes Book I	1907-1920
1	Board Meeting Minutes Book II	1920-1936
1	Board Meeting Minutes Book III	1939-1957
13	President's Report/Overview	1943-1949
13	Board Minute Summaries	1949-1957
13	Articles of Incorporation - Walla Walla Symphony Club	1957
13	Board Minutes	1959
1	Board Meeting Minutes	1960-1971
17	Symphony Women's Committee and Guild Records, Minutes, Clippings, etc	1965-2006
14	Symphony Board Meeting Minutes	1967-1983
15	Two Notebooks of restricted material	1982-1988
15	Symphony Board Meeting Minutes	1983-1990
15	Symphony Paperflow (Meeting Minutes and Correspondence)	1985-1986
16	Christmas Tree Elegance Records	1989-2003
15	Symphony Board Meeting Minutes	1990-2006
15	Symphony Paperflow (Meeting Minutes and Correspondence)	1985-1986

2: Printed concert programs and promotional materials, 1907-2012Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	1: Printed Concert Programs	1907-1977
Box
1	Printed Concert Programs Book I	1907-1937
1	Printed Concert Programs Book II	1937-1958
1	Printed Concert Programs Book III	1958-1977
2	Printed Concert Programs and Related Materials for Anniversary Seasons 40-90	Various
	2: Duplicate Printed Programs and promotional material	1921-2012
Box
3	Duplicate Printed Programs and other material	1921-23, 1937; 1956-1982
4	Duplicate Printed Programs and other material	1982-1992
5	Duplicate Printed Programs and other material	1992-2000
6	Duplicate Printed Programs and other material	2000-2010
21	Printed Programs and other material	2010-2012
16	Symphony Ball Printed Programs	Undated

3: Materials used in the research of the publication of "A Dream Fulfilled: One hundred years of the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra (1907-2007)", 2007Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
7	2 Centennial Book bound copies with errata and members list
7	C.D.'s of Centennial Book A Dream Fulfilled production and publicity images
7	Cover photos and proofs by page number
7	Centennial Book related materials
7	Symphony Book High and Low-Resolution CDs
7	Correspondence to various Northwest Libraries about Centennial book
7	TV Interview Notes
7	Binder – Symphony Soloists as listed in Centennial book
7	Binder – Symphony Personnel by Name
7	Correspondence re photo permission for book
9	Centennial Book Research Notebooks
9	Four research notebooks, by year
9	One notebook titled: Book agreements, correspondence, readers' reports, expenses, copy of Copyright registration form TX
9	One notebook containing consignment and sales records.

4: Newspaper clippings, symphony newsletters and scrapbooks., 1897-2007Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	1: Newspaper clippings	1907-2004
Box
10	Newspaper clippings Book I	1907-1949
13	Newspaper clippings +/in folders by season	1908-09, 1930-31, 1932-33, 1936-38, 1939-40, 1941-42, 1951-2006
10	Newspaper clippings Book II	1949-1958
10	Newspaper clippings Book III	1958-1969
11	Newspaper clippings Book	1969-1974
13	Newspaper Clippings Book + Ads, Programs Notebook	1974-1975
14	Newspaper Clippings Book + Ads, Programs Notebook	1975-1978
10	Newspaper clippings Book	1980-1981
12	75th Anniversary Newspaper Clippings	1981-1982
11	Newspaper Clippings Book (limited and incomplete)	1984-1989
12	Newspaper Clippings and more	1988-1999
12	Newspaper Clippings and more	2000-2004
	2: Symphony Newsletters	1978-2007
Box
13	The Score earliest newsletter, 1964-75 plus other later newsletters up through the end of 75th anniversary season (April 1982)
17	Guild Newsletters	1978, 1986-1991
14	News of Note (2 binders)	October 1982-May 1997/October 1997 to May 2007
13	"E-News"/Samples	Undated
	3: Scrapbooks	1897-1920, 1955-1969
Box
11	Fischer scrapbook Fischer School of Music brochures and programs, Whitman Conservatory of Music programs, earliest concert of orchestra in WW (2/16/1906), precursor of first concert by symphony in following year, some programs from early years of orchestra	1897-circa 1920
11	Scrapbook with clippings and other materials Women's Committee	1955-1965
12	Women's Committee Records Scrapbook	1956-1969
16	Symphony Ball Records	1956-1969
16	Symphony Ball Attendees (Notebook with sign-in sheets)	1956-1969
17	Early Guild Materials (includes a coffee hour guest book)	circa 1965

5: Photographs, 1930-2007Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box
18		Photograph Notebook #1(Keylor Grand in the 1930s, guest artists, some autographed)
18		Photograph Notebook #2	circa 1950s and 1960s
18		Photograph Notebook #3	Early and 1950s and 1960s
18		Photograph Notebook #4 (limited selection)	1987-2002
18		Photograph Notebook #5	1982-1983; 1990s and 2000s
	Folder
18	1	Copy slides of early photographic negatives (dubious quality)	Undated
18	2	75th anniversary portrait photographs by Lewis	circa 1982
18	3	Music in Elementary Schools (Celtic and Andean groups)	Undated
18	4	Humorous photographs by Hans Matschukat	Undated
18	5	Yaacov Bergman photographs, negatives, and proof sheets	Undated
18	6	Gallery Talks (Dixon, Glenn, Kravig, Takemoto)	Undated
18	7	Negatives and proof sheets for Richter concert	2000
18	8	Negatives and proof sheets for Young Persons' Concert	2000
18	10	Negatives and proof sheets for Russ Martin interview with older members	July 7, 2002
18	9	Negatives and proof sheets for Orchestra, used in centennial book	2006-2007
18		Box of slides of photographs by Hans Matschukat

6: Posters and Memorabilia, 1980-2000, undatedReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
19	Symphony Concert Posters	circa 1980s-2000s
19	"Yaki" print (portrait of Yaacov Bergman)
19	"Lyrical Landscape" print of original poster by Judith Johnson
19	Large studio portraits of Lee Friese and William Bailey
19	Pristine copy of Frontier Days sheet music
19	Portrait of unknown violinist
19	WW Symphony License Place Frame
20	Centennial Wine Glass

7: Recordings of performances and interviews with individuals, 1982, 1989, 2004Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
19	Alan Hovhaness Symphony No. 47 Walla Walla, Land of Many Waters (2 LPs)	1982
19	Videotape of Symphony Concert	October 29, 1989
8	Audio tapes of interviews by author of book with various persons	2004

8: Unprocessed accession 2018-029, 1968-2013Return to Top

Container(s): Box 22, Box 23

2 linear feet, (2 boxes)

This is an unprocessed addition to the Walla Walla Symphony records donated in 2018. Materials include advertisements, posters, pamphlets, programs, mailers, and other promotional pieces.

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