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Items Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper

Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper

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LIBRARY DIVISION
Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound

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COLLECTION
Philip Sterling research materials on Bert Williams collection of sound recordings

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Title
Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper
Names
Sterling, Dorothy, 1913-2008 (Donor)
Whipper, Leigh R. (Leigh Rollin), 1877-1975 (Interviewee)
Mitchell, Abbie, 1884-1960 (Interviewee)
Sterling, Philip, 1907-1989 (Interviewer)
Collection

Philip Sterling research materials on Bert Williams collection of sound recordings

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1959 - 1962 (Inferred)
Library locations
Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound
Shelf locator: *LT-7-A 3956
Topics
Whipper, Leigh R. (Leigh Rollin), 1877-1975
Mitchell, Abbie, 1884-1960
Williams, Bert, 1874-1922
Blackface entertainers
African American actors
African American actresses
African American singers
African American entertainers
Genres
Interviews
Notes
Content: Title from tape reel container.
Additional physical form: Archival original (1 audio tape reel ; 7 in ; analog, mono) available in *LT-7-A 3956.
Acquisition: Gift; Dorothy Sterling; 1991.
Content: Forms part of the Philip Sterling research materials on Bert Williams, *T-Mss 1991-026.
Physical Description
Audiotape reel
Extent: 1 audiotape reel (approximately 61 minutes) : analog, mono ; 7 in.
Description
Philip Sterling, the long-time writer and public relations executive for the Columbia Broadcasting System, conducted interviews between 1959-1962 for his (incomplete) biography on the African American entertainer Bert Williams. Part 1. Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell, the African American soprano opera singer who sang the principal role in the 1903 musical "In Dahomey." The musical, produced by George Walker and Philip Sterling, was composed by Mitchell's husband William Mercer Cook, who was also the George Walker-Bert Williams Company's musical director. In the interview, Mitchell talks about the professional partnership between Walker and Williams and her experience working with them. Part 2. Sterling interviews African-American film, television, and stage actor Leigh Whipper, who talks about Bert Williams's intimate, half-spoken singing style and his pioneering role in the history of Black musical theater. Whipper also recalls various black actors of the era, including George Walker, Williams's long-time stage partner, who appeared in the 1906 vaudeville Abyssinia, and other plays.
Type of Resource
Sound recording
Languages
English
Identifiers
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b20648366
RLIN/OCLC: 911984207
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): b9698e40-b8c7-0133-0b07-60f81dd2b63c
Rights Statement
The copyright and related rights status of this item has been reviewed by The New York Public Library, but we were unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the item. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.

Item timeline of events

  • 1913: Creator Born
  • 1959: Created (Approximate)
  • 2008: Creator Died
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. "Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1959 - 1962. https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bdf33120-b8c7-0133-a997-60f81dd2b63c

Chicago/Turabian Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. "Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bdf33120-b8c7-0133-a997-60f81dd2b63c

APA Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. (1959 - 1962). Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper Retrieved from https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bdf33120-b8c7-0133-a997-60f81dd2b63c

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://qa-digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/bdf33120-b8c7-0133-a997-60f81dd2b63c | title= (sound recording) Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper, (1959 - 1962)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=November 22, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Philip Sterling interviews Abbie Mitchell and Lee Whipper