Montague F. Gowthorpe Opera Collection
Scope and Contents
The Montague F. Gowthorpe Opera Collection was created by Montague F. Gowthorpe during his time as the chairman of the Detroit Symphony and one of the original vice-presidents at Paramount Pictures. Gowthorpe was born in Kings Lyn, England, in 1898, and was a lifetime devotee of opera, which he regarded as the highest form of art and entertainment. After his death in 1980, this collection was passed to his niece, Bonnie Lamar, MD of Tennessee. She donated it to Special Collections in 1998. The collection consists of 200 reel-to-reel tapes recorded by Mr. Gowthorpe from radio. The tapes were recorded at 3 ¾ and 7 ½ speeds from the years of 1959 to 1968, though the bulk of the recordings were made in the early 1960s. The last box of the collection contains 48 libretto books collected and annotated by Mr. Gowthorpe to accompany the recordings he made.
Dates
- Creation: 1893 - 1960
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Full Extent
6.24 Linear Feet (6 Paige boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Montague F. Gowthorpe Opera Collection was created by Montague F. Gowthorpe during his time as the chairman of the Detroit Symphony and one of the original vice-presidents at Paramount Pictures. The collection, consisting of 200 reel-to-reel tapes recorded from radio broadcasts, along with 48 libretto books to accompany the recordings, reflects his lifetime passion for opera.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
After Montague F. Gowthorpe's death in 1980 this collection was passed to his niece, Bonnie Lamar, MD of Tennessee. She donated it to Special Collections in 1998.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Montague Gowthorpe Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.