Use Restrictions

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

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

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.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Theater -- United States
• World War, 1939-1945