Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Curtis W. Davis collection on Leopold Stokowski, 1936-1992, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania
Curtis W. Davis (1928-1986) was a television producer who planned to publish a biography of the orchestral conductor Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977). The biography remained unfinished at the time of Davis' death. This collection consists of his research materials, notes, correspondence, and drafts of the planned biography.
Curtis W. Davis (1928-1986) was a television producer best known as the creator of Emmy-award-winning cultural programming for National Educational Television. Davis studied music at Columbia University, where he took composition seminars with Edgard Varese and Otto Luening, and graduated in 1949 with Special Distinction in Music. After serving in the army, Davis began a career in television, and in 1959, he joined National Educational Television, producing programs in arts and music. In 1964, he became the director of cultural programs, and earned three Emmy awards for his programs NET Playhouse (1969), Cinderella (1970) and Leopold Stokowski at 88 (1971). Having gone freelance in 1973, Davis teamed up with violinist Yehudi Menuhin to produce an eight-part documentary series for the Canadian Broadcasting Company titled The Music of Man (1979), which was also made into a book with the same title. In 1981, he joined the Arts and Entertainment Network, becoming their vice president of programming in 1984. During the late 1970s, Davis began working on a biography of the orchestral conductor Leopold Stokowski, with whom he had produced two concert telecasts in addition to the above mentioned profile. Davis died of cancer in 1986, leaving the book unfinished and unpublished.
This collection consists of Curtis W. Davis' research materials for a planned biography of orchestral conductor Leopold Stokowski. Davis conducted his research roughly from the time of Stokowski's death in 1977 to his own death in 1986, though a few pieces continued to be added (presumably by his wife) until 1992. The original materials date back to 1936, though some documents in photocopied versions extend back to 1865.
This collection is arranged in six series: I. Research materials and notes, II. Leopold Stokowski correspondence, III. Interviews and notes, IV. Curtis Davis correspondence, V. Draft of Stokowski biography by Curtis Davis, VI. Leopold Stokowski photographs and slides. More information is given about each of these series below.
University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Finding Aid Author
Ben Rosen
Finding Aid Date
2014 June
Access Restrictions
The bulk of this collection is open for research use; however, access to original audio/visual materials and computer files is restricted. The Kislak Center will provide access to the information on these materials from duplicate master files. If the original does not already have a copy, it will be sent to an outside vendor for copying. Patrons are financially responsible for the cost. The turnaround time from request to delivery of digital items is about two weeks for up to five items and three to seven weeks for more than five items. Please contact Reprographic Services (reprogr@upenn.edu) for cost estimates and ordering.
Once digital items are received, researchers will have access to the files on a dedicated computer in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Researchers should be aware of specifics of copyright law and act accordingly.
Use Restrictions
Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.