Radio scripts, manuscript and annotated printed music, clippings, biographical releases,
programs and announcements documenting the performing and composing career of
Ferdinand Grofé. Scattered personal correspondence and business and legal records.
Diaries and daybooks, 1860-1888, kept by Grofé's grandfather Bernard Bierlich, who was
concert master of the Los Angles symphony, and another grandfather, who was a chemist
in Germany. Scrapbook of clippings, programs, and scattered correspondence tracing
Grofé's career, 1924-1929. [Similar volumes are held by the Library of Congress.] The
sub-series is arranged by source/type of material as listed.
15 sound discs, ca. 1940's. Home recordings in a variety of sizes, speeds and media
including Grofé's "Death Valley Suite" performed by the Wayne State University Band and
an interview with Grofé by WDET; several popular songs performed by Grofé's
granddaughter Francis; "Prisoner of Love" performed by Bing Crosby(?); and a number of
piano, vocal and orchestral renditions of popular songs and of compositions by Grofé
performed by unidentified musicians. The log made by the audio curator (Ask Archivist for
Appendix IV) when these discs were transferred to digital audio tape (DAT) in April 1989
lists the contents of each disc in detail.
Appendix IV also includes a log of audio tape copies of similar sound discs held by Trinity
College, Hartford CT, some of which duplicate the Center's discs and some of which do
not.
Two glass discs recorded by NBC which are labelled "Ferdinand Grofé's March for
Americans 14 May 1944" and "Ferdinand Grofé's 'Sob Sister'" which were not playable
and therefore were not transferred to tape.
