LMC Archives Announces Additions to its Digital Collection

SEATTLE, Washington – The LMC Archives Program announced this month that it has debuted an expanded Digital Archives Collection, available for free public access at https://lmcseattle.org/history/lmc-digital-archives/. This development is the latest stage in the Ladies Musical Club Historical Archives Preservation and Digitization Project, which started in 2016 and is made possible by ongoing support from 4Culture and private donations.

LMC Archives Trustee Dr. Katie Beisel Hollenbach states: “The digitization of the LMC’s archives makes a significant part of Seattle’s musical history easily accessible to community members, researchers, friends and relatives of LMC members, and anyone else interested in learning more about the LMC’s important role in the development of Seattle’s arts scene. Spanning over 130 years of history, the LMC archives include photographs, concert programs, historical members’ books, press releases, newspaper articles, and many other artifacts that illuminate the LMC’s wide reach as a performing, educational, and community organization. We are excited to make this history available through our digitization project, supported in part by 4Culture.”

The latest grant installment from 4Culture included digitizing historical photographs and concert programs of world-famous artists the LMC presented as well as historical Secretary’s Books. The first 4Culture grant awarded in 2016 helped the LMC digitize its substantial Member’s Book Collection. Both can be found on the LMC’s website, linked above.

Click here for a full list of artists LMC presented for its Artist Concert Series between 1900 and 1995. From 1995 on, the series turned into a longstanding partnership between LMC and UW’s Meany Center for the Performing Arts, bringing Meany’s internationally-renowned performers to Seattle Public School classrooms through the LMC’s Music In Schools (MIS) program.

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Marian Anderson Concert Program 1940 p1
Marian Anderson performed in Seattle on March 11, 1940, and three other times under the auspices of the LMC
Vicente Escudero Portrait
Flamenco dancer Vicente Escudero was presented by LMC in 1932
Nellie Melba Portrait
Famed soprano Nellie Melba signed her portrait to LMC impresario Rose Gottstein for her 1913 LMC Seattle performance
Roland Hayes Portrait
Roland Hayes was the LMC’s most presented artist, performing five times between 1941 and 1947

LMC Launches New Digital Archives

The LMC is excited to announce the launch of its new Digital Archives, featuring digitized historical documents from the LMC’s extensive archival collection. The current, comprehensive showcase of the collection is the LMC’s Members’ Books, which provide a snapshot of the LMC’s activities in a given year. Find the new LMC Digital Archives in the History Section of the LMC’s website, or click the link above. Documents will be added as they are scanned, so check back for more content soon!

Thank you to our generous private donors and to 4Culture for making it possible for us to bring a piece of our history to the greater community!

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Historical LMC Concert Featured in Weekly Seattle Town Crier Blog

The LMC was recently featured in an article by Town Hall‘s Jonathan Shipley. The weekly blog – called “What Are People Doing?” – highlights historical articles from The Town Crier, an arts magazine published in Seattle from 1910 through 1938. As one of the leading musical organizations of the time, the LMC appeared frequently in the Town Crier. Shipley’s article highlights a concert that was presented by the LMC featuring soprano Anna Fitziu and bass Andres de Segurola in a joint concert on October 7th, 1918. Check out the full October 5th “What Are People Doing” post and other fun blast-from-the-past Town Crier highlights in The Town Hall Seattle Blog.

Historical LMC Advertisement - October 7th 1918
This historical LMC concert advertisement is featured in Jonathan Shipley’s post in The Town Hall Seattle Blog