Frank McGrann Collection
Abstract
The Frank McGrann Collection primarily contains historic 78 rpm recordings, mostly of concert bands. Ensembles led by Arthur Pryor and John Philip Sousa are represented well, as well as discs by Conways Band. Orchestras and music for soloists are also included, particularly performances by Arthur Pryor and Herbert Clarke. The collection also contains some photographs, documents, band hats (believed to have been worn by John Philip Sousa), and printer's plates. The collection spans the years 1899-1948, and extends over 8 linear feet.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
There are no restricted files in this collection.
Frank McGrann Collection, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.
Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Contact the curator for an appointment: http://www.lib.umd.edu/scpa/contact
This collection is PROCESSED.
Historical Note
Frank McGrann (1880-1962) was a friend of John Philip Sousa, Arthur Pryor, Herbert L. Clarks, F. N. Innes, and Edwin Franko Goldman, and served as guest conductor of many of those ensembles. McGrann was active in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a township supervisor, a bank director, a deputy sheriff, and Justice of the Peace.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Frank McGrann Collection contains sound recordings, photographs, documents, band hats, and printer's plates.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. Mary (Frank) E. McGrann (daughter-in-law of Frank McGrann). The Frank McGrann Recording Collection was donated by McGrann's son, John E. McGrann, to Franklin and Marshall College on March 31, 1968. According to a Franklin and Marshall press release, the collection contained 705 selections. The recordings were de-accessioned from the Franklin and Marshall College Library on October 2, 1985 and given to the ABA Research Center. An article by Charlotte Brown on the de-accessioning process was published in the Wilson Library Bulletin in April, 1987. The first twenty-eight photographs, as well as the hats and documents were given by Mrs. McGrann to the ABA Research Center, also in 1985. An additional sixty-four photographs, one letter, and four printer's blocks were a gift of Mrs. McGrann on May 23, 1987 (87-133-ABA).
Processing Information
Processed by Bradley Mariska, November 2003
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Nicole Horstman, November 2012.
Arrangement of Collection
This collection is organized into four series.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Recordings, undated (410 items)
Contents: 539 (140 damaged) 78 rpm discs were donated. Since several of the damaged discs were discarded, the collection currently contains 410 discs. These are numbered sequentially, 1-511. The following discs are not on the shelf: 1, 8, 9, 10, 12-63, 69-70, 91, 135, 139-140, 159, 162, 206-213, 227, 233-236, 247-253, 260-270, 285, 322, 324, 329, 331, and 342-343. An inventory of recordings in this series is available upon request.
The box inventory for this series is not currently available online. Please refer to the series description above for a broad description of the materials or contact the department for more information.
Series 2: Photographs, 1933-1949 (46 items)
This series contains photographs of Frank McGrann and his friends and associates.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs, 1 of 2 (21 items), 1933-1949 and undated | series 2 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Photographs, 2 of 2 (25 items), 1933-1949 and undated | series 2 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
Series 3: Documents, 1947-1948 and undated (4 folders)
This series contains correspondence, certificates, notes, and sheet music.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | Item | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correspondence, 1947-1948 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 1 | ||
| Letter, Herb Johnston to Frank McGrann, August 29, 1947 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 1 | item 1.0 | |
| Letter, Peter Buys and Albert Knecht to Frank McGrann, June 11, 1948 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 1 | item 2.0 | |
| Certificate, 1947 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 2 | ||
| McGrann ABA Membership Certificate, June 15, 1947 | series 3 | box 3 | folder 2 | item 1.0 | |
| Sheet Music, undated | series 3 | box 3 | folder 3 | ||
| Neptunes Court, by Herbert L. Clarke, transposition dedicated to Frank McGrann., undated | series 3 | box 3 | folder 3 | item 1.0 | |
| Various Notes (3 items), undated | series 3 | box 3 | folder 4 | ||
Series 4: Realia, undated (6 items)
This series contains four printing blocks featuring various depictions of John Phillip Sousa, as well as two of Sousas band hats.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | Item | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realia, undated | series 4 | box 3 | folder 5 | ||
| Printing block, 4?x5?, Sousa cartoon profile, undated | series 4 | box 3 | folder 5 | item 1.0 | |
| Printing block, 1.5?x1.75?, Sousa profile, undated | series 4 | box 3 | folder 5 | item 2.0 | |
| Printing block, 1.5?x1.5?, Sousa profile medallion, undated | series 4 | box 3 | folder 5 | item 3.0 | |
| Printing block, 2?x3?, Sousa bust profile, undated | series 4 | box 3 | folder 5 | item 4.0 | |
| Realia, undated | series 4 | box 4 | folder 1 | ||
| Sousa Band Hat, black, undated | series 4 | box 4 | folder 1 | item 1.0 | |
| Realia, undated | series 4 | box 5 | folder 1 | ||
| Sousa Band Hat, white, undated | series 4 | box 5 | folder 1 | item 1.0 | |
Related Material
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.