Arthur Mitchell Collection, 1800s-2021, bulk 1934-2019

Summary Information

Abstract

Arthur Mitchell (1934-2018) was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and founder and director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. This collection contains materials related to his career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet, and his later professional work with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and others. The collection includes administrative records, appointment books, correspondence, invitations, notes, notebooks, photographs, posters, programs, and audio and video recordings.

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#1739
Bib ID:
11583096 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
107 linear feet (148 boxes (58 record cartons, 68 document boxes, 9 flat boxes, 3 audio boxes, 5 card files, 2 Tube Boxes) and 8 oversized items in drawers)
Language(s):
English .
Access:
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

Unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized. Email rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Material currently listed in this finding aid is processed and available for use in the reading room with the exceptions noted above. Awards and three-dimensional objects remain un-processed and these materials are not available for research use at this time.

The following boxes are located off-site: 108-122, 124, 133-142. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least five business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Description

Summary

Arthur Mitchell (1934-2018) was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and founder and director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. This collection contains materials related to his career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet, and his later professional work with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and others. The collection includes administrative records, appointment books, correspondence, invitations, notes, notebooks, photographs, posters, programs, and audio and video recordings.

The records in the collection are primarily arranged into two series: Arthur Mitchell and Dance Theatre of Harlem. In general, while there is some overlap, records in the Dance Theatre of Harlem series relate directly to Mitchell's administrative and artistic work with that organization. The Arthur Mitchell series contains materials that are both personal and professional, such as address books, appointment books, correspondence, telephone messages, notebooks, and photographs. The series also contains materials related to Mitchell's professional career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet, as well as his appearances, awards, and other professional work. The series also contains articles, programs, and other printed materials on dance and other subjects of interest to Mitchell.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem records contain extensive documentation of Mitchell's administrative work with the organization from its early years to the early 2000s. These files contain information on many of the activities of the organization including education programs, fundraising, residencies, outreach, partnerships, performances, public relations, strategic planning, and tours. After the early 2000s, as Mitchell's administrative work became less over time, there are less extensive records. The records of the dance company itself are not included in this collection, as the company still holds its own records. However, there are some administrative records related to the company's activities in the collection, as well as brochures, photographs, programs, and video recordings.

The collection includes both audio and video recordings related to Arthur Mitchell and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as other dance-related recordings. These include events, interviews, music, performances, and samples of work sent to Mitchell by other choreographers.

  • Series: Arthur Mitchell, 1800s-2018

    This series contains records related to Mitchell's personal and professional activities. Materials directly related to his administrative and artistic work with the Dance Theatre of Harlem are filed with the Dance Theatre of Harlem records, although there is necessarily some overlap.

    This series includes address books, appointment books, biographical information, clippings, correspondence, invitations, telephone message books, notes, notebooks, photographs, and programs. These primarily document Mitchell's career as a dancer with the New York City Ballet, as well as his later professional activities. Personal material includes correspondence, financial files, photographs, printed materials, and personal documents such as passports.

    All audio and video recordings are in Series: Recordings.

  • Series: Dance Theatre of Harlem Records, 1967-2021

    This series contains records related to Mitchell's administration of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as other related materials such as brochures, clippings, fliers, memorabilia, photographs, and programs.

    All audio and video recordings are in Series: Recordings.

  • Series: Recordings, 1953-2018

    This series contains audio and video recordings related to Arthur Mitchell, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as other dance-related recordings. This series includes recordings on audiocassettes, microcassettes, film, videotapes, and CDs and DVDs.

  • Series: Materials about Arthur Mitchell and DTH, 1990s-2019

Arrangement

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

Unique time-based media items have been reformatted and are available onsite via links in the container list. Commercial materials are not routinely digitized. Email rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Material currently listed in this finding aid is processed and available for use in the reading room with the exceptions noted above. Awards and three-dimensional objects remain un-processed and these materials are not available for research use at this time.

The following boxes are located off-site: 108-122, 124, 133-142. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least five business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Arthur Mitchell Collection; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Related Materials

Frank Bara Collection. Columbia University Libraries.

Nancy Schaffenburg Collection. Columbia University Libraries.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Catherine C. Ricciardi, Gillian Lipton, Rebecca Barabas (Barnard College 2019), Aeneas Sagar Hemphill (School of the Arts, 2017), and Seowon (Angela) Lee (Columbia College, 2023), 2015-2022. Finding aid written by Catherine C. Ricciardi in 2019.

Separated Materials

Two books were cataloged separately and added to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library's book collection. These are Valerian Svetlov Modern Ballet, 1911 (this copy was repaired and restored elsewhere, and lacks an original binding) and M. V. Borisoglebsky Materials on the History of Russian Ballet, Leningrad State Choreographic Institute, 1938.

Revision Description

2020-09-04 Added first batch of AMI AV links. kws

2021-03-15 Added second batch of AMI AV links. kws

2021-09-23 Added third batch of AMI AV links. CCR.

2021-11-23 Added fourth batch of AMI AV links. CCR.

2022-04-05 Added a small amount of newly processed materials: primarily awards and honorary degree certificates. These materials are in Boxes 127-132. CCR.

2022-04-11 Added Personal Financial Files to the container list. These materials are in Boxes 133-142. CCR.

2023-07-07 Added Separated Materials note on books. CCR.

2023-07-10 Added container list for Suberies: Books. CCR. These materials are in Boxes 143-145.

2023-12-12 Add container information and descriptions for several oversized items including artwork, posters, and prints. CCR.

Biographical / Historical

Ballet dancer, choreographer, and director who was the first African American to become a principal dancer with a major ballet company, New York City Ballet. He later founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem (1969).

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Personal papers CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Photographs CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Sound recordings CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Video recordings (physical artifacts) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Ballet dancing CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Dancers CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID