C0289Guide to the Porgy and Bess letter from James Tipton C0289Porgy and Bess letter from James TiptonElizabeth BeckmanGeorge Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center

June 6, 2016

Fenwick Library, MS2FL4400 University Dr.Fairfax, Virginia 22030Business Number: 703-993-2220Fax Number: 703-993-8911speccoll@gmu.eduURL:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-07 14:03:19 -0400.Description is in English Describing Archives: A Content Standard George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center Porgy and Bess letter from James Tipton Tipton, James C0289 0.1 Linear Feet 1 letter February 12, 1942 Letter from James Tipton to his parents in Nebraska describing his experience seeing Porgy and Bess in New York City, written February 12, 1942. R 53, C 4, S 2 English . 1 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

 Use Restrictions

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

 Preferred Citation

Porgy and Bess letter from James Tipton, C0289, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

 Acquisition Information

Purchased by the Special Collections Research Center in 2015.

 Processing Information

Processing completed by Elizabeth Beckman in June 2016. EAD markup completed by Elizabeth Beckman in June 2016. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in November 2022.

 Historical Information

George Gershwin's iconic opera "Porgy and Bess" debuted in 1935. The work, set in a Black community in coastal South Carolina, chronicles the turbulent relationship between the titular characters. James Standifer notes that "it wasn't until World War II that 'Porgy' found financial success in a production by Cheryl Crawford." Presumably this is the revival that James Tipton saw in 1942.

 Scope and Content

The collection consists of a short postcard from James Tipton to his parents, Rev. and Mrs. E.H. Tipton of Nebraska, briefly describing his experience seeing George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" in New York City while at school. The letter is dated February 12, 1942.

 Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

 Bibliography

Standifer, James. "The Tumultuous Life of Porgy and Bess." Humanities 18, no. 6 (November/December 1997).

 Theater -- United States World War, 1939-1945