Consignment received August 1997

Component identifier:

Class MS 5414

Content Summary:

The papers in this addition include papers of Mrs Honor Coutts, written or assembled when she was writing a biography of her mother.

The papers include correspondence, personal documents, manuscripts, programs, cuttings, photographs, research notes, the unpublished biography of Harrhy, and manuscript music. Correspondents include Wilfrid Thomas, Peter Dawson, Marjorie Lawrence, Sir Charles Moses, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Conan Doyle, Joyce Grenfell and Felix Werder.

The Guildhall School of Music papers include letters to Harrhy (1909), achievement certificates (1910-14), letters to Harrhy and Con Daly (1918-19), typescripts by Harrhy on music in Australia, and issues of Guildhall Music Student with articles by Harrhy.

The programs, mainly of performances by Harrhy as a pianist and singer, also include some which feature her own compositions. The later programs are of musical comedies and other productions which Harrhy directed.

The large quantity of manuscript sheet music, mostly songs, includes files of music composed by Harrhy to words by Helen Dames, Sir William Watson, Alexander Steven, Charles Souter and Will Foster.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated to the National Library by Harrhy's daughter Mrs Honor Coutts in several instalments between 1971 and 1995. Papers were purchased by the Library from Mrs Coutts in 1997. Further papers were added in 2008. This collection also incorporates papers which were previously held at MS 2949.

Subjects:

Performing arts

Contents

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