Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Porgy and Bess letter from James Tipton must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

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.

Historical Information

George Gershwin's iconic opera "Porgy and Bess" debuted in 1935. The work, set in an African American community in coastal South Carolina, chronicles the turbulent relationship between the title 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 in 1942.

Arrangement

Letter is foldered by itself.

Index Terms

Subjects:

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