Camilla Williams papers addendum

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 389-1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The addendum to the Camilla Williams papers is comprised of 17.7 linear feet correspondence, photographs, albums, scrapbooks, news clippings, programs, press releases, publications, memorabilia, and greeting cards pertaining to Williams' personal and professional activities. The papers document the career of Camilla Williams, acclaimed operatic singer and concert artist, in the United States and abroad. The bulk of the collection focuses on her career as an opera singer and classical music recitalist. The papers have been arranged into three series of personal and professional materials: Correspondence (1949-1979), Photographs and Scrapbooks (1897-1970), and Memorabilia (1897-1979).

Dates

Created: 1897-1979
Other: Date acquired: 12/01/1989

Creator

Williams, Camilla, 1919-2012 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The Camilla Williams papers addendum are open and available for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright to these papers has not been assigned to the Amistad Research Center. It is the responsibility of an author to secure permission for publication from the holder of the copyright to any material contained in this collection.

Extent

17.70 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The Camilla Williams papers addendum is arranged into three series of correspondence (1949-1979), photographs and scrapbooks (1897-1970), and memorabilia (1897-1979). The memorabilia series is further divided into two sub-series of collected items, the first between 1946-1979 and the second between 1897-1978.

Source of Acquisition

Camilla Williams Beavers

Method of Acquisition

Gift

Appraisal Information

The Camilla Williams papers addendum documents her musical career as a lyric soprano, the first African American woman to hold a regular position with a leading United States opera company, and the cultural ambassadress for the U.S. State Department.

Related Materials

The Amistad Research Center holds several other collections that relate to operatic singers, including the Annabelle Bernard papers, the Carol Lovette Brice papers, the Anne Wiggins Brown papers, the Thomas Carey papers, the Ellis Cooper papers, the John Wesley Dobbs family papers, and the William Warfield papers.

Related Publications

Williams, Camilla, and Stephanie Shonekan. The Life of Camilla Williams: African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 2011.

Shonekan, Stephanie. One Life, Two Voices: The Exploration, Examination, and Exposition of the Life of Camilla Williams, Soprano. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, 2003.