http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt087031t1 No online items Guide to the Bessie Bartlett Frankel Papers Finding aid was created by Russell Michalak, 2009 Ella Strong Denison Library Scripps College 1090 Columbia Avenue Claremont, California 91711 Phone: (909) 607-3941 Fax: (909) 607-1548 Email: [email protected] October 2009 Guide to the Bessie Bartlett d1959.2 1 Frankel Papers Descriptive Summary Title: Bessie Bartlett Frankel Papers Creator: Frankel, Bessie Bartlett Dates: 1854-1972 Extent: 16 boxes Repository: Claremont Colleges. Library. 1090 Columbia Avenue Claremont, California 91711 Abstract: Bessie Herbert (Bartlett) Frankel was a founder of the California Federation of Music Clubs and established the Chamber of Music Series at Scripps College. She was also active in various music organizations in Southern California, such as the Friday Morning Club and Young People Concerts and a founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hollywood Community Chorus. The collection consists of photographs, music, and scrapbooks. Collection Number: d1959.2 Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English Physical Location: Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College, Claremont University Consortium. Restrictions on Access This collection is open for research with permission from Ella Strong Denison Library staff. Publication Rights Property rights reside with Scripps College. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact Ella Strong Denison Library staff. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Bessie Bartlett Frankel Papers. Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College, Claremont, California. Acquisition Information Gift of Bessie Bartlett Frankel, 1959 or 1967. Processing Information Processed by Jennifer Bicknell for Archival Studies 311, Claremont Graduate University, Spring 2009. Accruals No addition to the collection is anticipated. Biography of Bessie Bartlett Frankel Bessie Bartlett Frankel was born in an unknown year. At home she studied voice, piano and composition and dramatics at the Cumnock School. In 1909, she went to New York to study voice with David Bispham and Herbert Witherspoon. Later she underwent two years of study in Europe, specifically oratorio in England and opera in Italy under Carlo Sbastaino. In 1912 she married Cecil Frankel, an insurance executive associated with Equitable Life and also known to be an accomplished cellist. Mrs. Frankel went on to become a music composer, vocalist, music patron, business executive, and dramatic narrator. Her father, Albert Griffith Bartlett, established the Bartlett Music Store, which later became the Southern California Music Company. Her father brought to Los Angeles such well-known musicians as, Adelina Patti, Rosenthal and de Pachmann. Today the Pantages Theater stands where the Bartlett Family's home used to be. Throughout her life Bessie Frankel was active in the Arts and was a member of such groups as, the Friday Morning Club, the Women's Committee for the Philharmonic Orchestra of Los Angeles, Young Peoples' Concerts, and many others. She founded the California Federation of Music Clubs and became Vice-President of the National Federation of Music Clubs. She also instituted the Hollywood Community Chorus and in memory of her father, Mrs. Frankel founded the Bartlett-Frankel String Quartet. Having established the Chamber of Music Series at Scripps College, Bessie Bartlett Frankel was made an honorary alumna of the College in 1931. She died in 1959. In her will she left a sizeable gift to Scripps College, which was used to build the Bessie Bartlett Frankel and Cecil Frankel Hall. Scope and Contents of the Collection Collection contains scrapbooks, photographs, notebooks, postcards, correspondence, music, compositions, and ephemera related to her travels abroad and her career as a musician, composer, and philanthropic work in the world of music. Series Arrangement Series 1 Notebooks, Albums, and Scrapbooks Guide to the Bessie Bartlett d1959.2 2 Frankel Papers Series 2 Publications Series 3 Blank Postcards Series 4 Music Series 5 Photographs Series 6 Education and Philanthropic Work Related Material Bessie Herbert Frankel Papers, 1905-1959, (Collection 447). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA. http://www.oac.cdlib.org/data/13030/1h/kt0v19q11h/files/kt0v19q11h.pdf Subject Headings The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection Frankel, Bessie Bartlett music Women's studies Western Americana -- 1900-1999 musical scores Series 1 Notebooks, Albums, and Scrapbooks, 1869-1972 Scope and Content Note Contains notebooks used during Mrs. Frankel's studies, philanthropic work, and time spent as a homemaker and hostess; scrapbooks with newspaper clippings, photographs, and a postcard collection; albums that belonged to Mrs. Frankel's mother, Mamie McKeeby; and one folder of correspondence. Box 1, folder 1 Notebook, 1939-1952 Scope and Content Note Contains typed and hand written recipes and recipes from newspapers and magazines. Box 1, folder 2 Notebook, 1934-1950 Scope and Content Note Contains recipe clippings from newspapers and magazines, along with some handwritten and typed recipes. Box 1, folder 3 "Mental Photographs: an Album for Confessions of Tastes, Habits, and Convictions", 1869, 1874. Includes a series of surveys in which individuals answer questions regarding their tastes and habits, questions includes "Your Favorite object in Nature" and "Favorite name in History." Box 1, folder 4 "Leaves of Friendship", 1873-1877 Scope and Content Note Belonged to Mamie McKeeby and was a gift from her brother Charlie McKeeby. The Album is a collection of letters from Mamie McKeeby's classmates and teachers from Washington College, interspersed amongst various drawings. Box 1, folder 4 "Leaves of Friendship", 1873-1877 Scope and Content Note Belonged to Mamie McKeeby and was a gift from her brother Charlie McKeeby. The Album is a collection of letters from Mamie McKeeby's classmates and teachers from Washington College, interspersed amongst various drawings. Box 2, folder 1 Includes 32 postcards, 1 Christmas card, and 1 letter from Mrs. Frankel's friends and acquaintances, 1900-1916 and 1932, 1937, undated Guide to the Bessie Bartlett d1959.2 3 Frankel Papers Series 1Notebooks, Albums, and Scrapbooks, 1869-1972 Box 3, folder 1 Education-Notebooks, 1972 and undated Scope and Content Note Bessie Bartlett Frankel's Notebooks from the Chicago School of Music and a notebook titled "Folkdance Notebook". Box 4, folder 1 Notebook-Young People's Concerts, undated Scope and Content Note The notebook has the inscription "Mrs., Cecil Frankel Los Angles Cal." in the lower right hand corner. Inside the notebook are the names and addresses of the founding members of the Young People's Concerts society. Box 7, folder 1 Scrapbook, 1951-1952 Scope and Content Note Includes newspaper clippings that mostly pertain to religious topics such as "Grace for Today". Box 7, folder 2 Scrapbook, Undated Scope and Content Note Has handwritten title "History" on first page. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings of poems, pictures, and stories of which the creator felt held a historical nature. Box 8, folder 3 Scrapbook of blank postcards mostly from Europe, Undated Box 8, folder 4 "Alaska Views", Undated Scope and Content Note Contains scenic photographs from a trip to Alaska. Series 2 Publications 1904-1935 Scope and Content Note Contains journal publications including Masters in Music and Sigma Alpha Iota: National Music Fraternity, and published work including Postcards: The World in Miniature by Watson Cole, Mona Lisa by Max Schillings and L'Amore Dei Tre Re by Sem Benelli. Box 3, folder 2 Journal Publications-Masters in Music, 1904-1905 Box 3, folder 3 Journal Publications-Sigma Alpha Iota: National Music Fraternity, 1933 Box 4, folder 8 Journal Publications-Sigma Alpha Iota: National Music Fraternity, 1933 Series 3 Blank Postcards, Undated Scope and Content Note Contains blank postcards from Mrs. Frankel's travels, mostly spanning the European and American continents. Box 6, folder 1 Austria-Vienna Box 6, folder 2 Canada-Montreal Box 6, folder 3 Canada-Ontario Box 6, folder 4 Canada-Quebec Box 6, folder 5 Cuba-Havana Box 6, folder 6 Czechoslovakia - Prague Box 6, folder 7 Europe-Miscellaneous Box 6, folder 8 France-Paris Box 6, folder 9 France-Versailles Box 6, folder 10 Germany-Berlin Box 6, folder 11 Germany-Dresden Box 6, folder 12 Germany-Hamburg Box 6, folder 13 Germany-Koblenz Box 6, folder 14 Germany-Leipzig Box 6, folder 15 Ireland-Miscellaneous Guide to the Bessie Bartlett d1959.2 4 Frankel Papers Series 3Blank Postcards, Undated Box 6, folder 16 Italy-Capri Box 6, folder 17 Italy-Como Box 6, folder 18 Italy-Florence Box 6, folder 19 Italy-Milan Box 6, folder 20 Italy-Naples Box 6, folder 21 Italy-Pompei Box 6, folder 22 Italy-Rome Box 6, folder 23 Italy-Venice Box 6, folder 24 Luxembourg-Miscellaneous Box 6, folder 25 Mexico-Miscellaneous Box 6, folder 26 Miscellaneous Box 6, folder 27 Switzerland-Basel Box 6, folder 28 Switzerland-Gotthardbahn Box 6, folder 29 Switzerland-Lucrence Box 6, folder 30 United States-Alaska Box 6, folder 31 United States-California Box 6, folder 32 United States-Grand Canyon Box 6, folder 33 United States-New Hampshire Box 6, folder 34 United States-Massachusetts Box 6, folder 35 United States-New York Box 6, folder 36 United States-Miscellaneous Box 6, folder 37 United States-Mount Vernon Box 6, folder 38 United States-Washington, D.C. Box 6, folder 39 United States-Yosemite National Park Series 4 Music, 1854-1959 Scope and Content Note Contains an assortment of published instrumental music, vocal music, foreign language music, musical recitations and the work of Mrs. Frankel and J.C. Bartlett. Also contains manuscript and sheet music. Box 11, folder 1 Assortment of Published Instrumental Music, 1901 Box 11, folder 2 Assortment of Published Instrumental Music, 1893 Box 11, folder 3 Assortment of Published Instrumental Music, 1911 Box 11, folder 4 Assortment of Published Instrumental Music, 1901, 1905, 1923, and undated Box 11, folder 5 Assortment of Published Instrumental Music, 1854, 1897, 1904, 1959, undated.