Blanche DaCosta Whitney Collection
Abstract
Blanche Da Costa Whitney was born September 24, 1882 in Chicago. She studied with Rudolph Ganz at Chicago Musical College before joining Mme Schumann-Heink, a noted opera signer, to Europe. Da Costa sang leading opera roles in Germany. She was forced to leave Germany by World War I and returned to America. She had a son, Frederick Berman, by her first husband. Her son died in 1945. She married Warren C. Whitney, vice president of A. B. Chase Piano Company in 1918. They moved to Denver in 1927 where she joined the Voice Faculty of the Lamont School of Music. She continued performing as well as opening her own teaching studio. In 1959 she retired and moved into Park Manor where she lived until her death in 1975.
The collection at the University of Denver Archives includes a biography and two scrapbooks that chronicle the musical life of Blanche Da Costa Whitney.
Dates
- 1882-1957
Creator
- Whitney, Blanche Da Costa, 1882-1975 (Person)
Digital Repository
Blanche DaCosta Whitney Collection
Biographical / Historical
Blanche Da Costa Whitney was born September 24, 1882 in Chicago. She studied with Rudolph Ganz at Chicago Musical College before joining Mme Schumann-Heink, a noted opera signer, to Europe. Da Costa sang leading opera roles in Germany. She was forced to leave Germany by World War I and returned to America. She had a son, Frederick Berman, by her first husband. Her son died in 1945. She married Warren C. Whitney, vice president of A. B. Chase Piano Company in 1918. They moved to Denver in 1927 where she joined the Voice Faculty of the Lamont School of Music. She continued performing as well as opening her own teaching studio. In 1959 she retired and moved into Park Manor where she lived until her death in 1975.
Extent
5 Linear Feet ( 2 scrapbook boxes, 1 flat box)
Scope and Contents
The Blanche DaCosta Whitney Collection contains a manuscript of a biography of the opera singer and teacher, written by Virginia Greene Millikin, and two scrapbooks which were put together by some of Blanche's former students.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into two series.; 1. Scrapbooks.; 2. Biography.;
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Ann Hamilton and Park Manor.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
General
Accession 1986.001 is probably not accurate. The biography actually came from Park Manor, accession 1986.006.
Creator
- Whitney, Blanche Da Costa, 1882-1975 (Person)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository