Collection Information
Collection
Henry R. Bishop materials
Location
Music and Performing Arts Library Special Collections (cataloged materials), and Special Collections cataloging backlog cabinets, upper level
Provenance
Archival materials on Bishop assembled by English music critic Richard Northcott and acquired from J. & J. Lubrano (1994), with additional items acquired by Lubrano for the University of Illinois from Sotheby’s London Music Auction (1996); folio engraved portrait of Bishop acquired from Lubrano at a later date. Lubrano purchases supplement Bishop items already held by Music Library (about 50 entries for “Bishop, Henry R.” in online catalog as of Sept. 2001).
When acquired
1990s
Description
Six autograph music manuscripts; three autograph lectures on the history of music; over 75 letters, mostly in Bishop’s hand but a few by his second wife, Anna Bishop, or by other individuals writing to Bishop; printed piano-vocal scores of five stageworks; three libretti; over 100 items of sheet music (mainly excerpts from Bishop operas and other vocal works), in British and U.S. editions; 22 bound volumes in two “sets” (12 editions of Bishop operas, 10 volumes of glees edited by Bishop); large engraved portrait of Bishop; miscellaneous additional archival materials. Also six letters to Northcott concerning his Bishop research.
Arrangement
Individually cataloged items housed in Special Collections by shelf number (portrait [ f.ML410.B196F67] on Special Collections folio shelf). U.S. sheet music imprints incorporated into American vocal sheet music collection. British sheet music in separate document box in Special Collections [ M3.1 B47S6]. Uncataloged materials, including bound volume sets, in Special Collections cataloging backlog cabinet (unknown location–2015)
Access/Finding Aids/Bibliography
See online catalog for individually cataloged items. Refer to Collections File (“Bishop, Henry”) for Lubrano’s detailed description of the Northcott archive (1994); a statement of materials received in the 1994 shipment not described by Lubrano; a list of American sheet music imprints, with shelf numbers (see list below); and correspondence and notes relating to the purchase of these materials. American sheet music imprints can be accessed through the U.S. Sheet Music Database.
Lubrano Description of Archive (PDF)
American Sheet Music Imprints List (PDF)
Index terms
Bishop, Henry; Manuscripts; Northcott, Richard; Opera Sheet music, American; Sheet music, British